1968 Ford F-100 Aluminum Radiator Install - Bumpside Build-Off

It was time to glue them together, so I fired up my trusty Miller Dynasty 200DX TIG welder and set it at about 50 amps. Don't forget to pick up some stainless filler rod.

As the tube cooled, I cut a roughly 3-inch piece of straight hose that'll connect the tube to the radiator. I wound up with some not-so-straight edges in the hose, so carefully using an angle grinder with a 36-grit disc, I cleaned it up.

Here is how the upper tube turned out with the cold-air intake off--pretty simple and effective, if I do say so. The tube and hoses clear the engine, cold-air intake, and alternator just fine.

Wow, that was actually easier than expected. Some stainless hose clamps and we're in business--now for the lower tube. Since I don't have a bead form tool to roll a bead in the end of the stainless tube, I ordered it an eighth-inch bigger than the hose for a real tight fit. The inlet and outlets on the engine are metric size, which is basically 1 1/2 inches, the same as what I had put on the radiator.

The lower inlet to the engine comes out of the side of the block on the three-valve Ford, and there is less than 6 inches before the frame gets in the way. I took one of the 90-degree bends and cut it about an inch before the bend so I still had enough room for the hose and a clamp to seal. The 90 spits the tube out to the front of the engine and runs along the frame nicely.

In the upper left is the tube coming from the engine. The U-bends I got have a 5-inch radius, which is just about what it measures from the center of each tube here. If I cut the U-bend in the middle of the bend and turn it 180 degrees so it is more "S" shaped, it just might do it. Working with tubes involves quite a bit of guesswork for me, but I find it fun. Some might have a more scientific approach, but I never liked math.

Ha, it worked! This puts the tube right at the outlet of the radiator, which I'll use another short section of hose to join the two. I will, however, cut another inch or so off the radiator side of the stainless tube so there is some wiggle room when connecting or disconnecting it from the radiator.

It was time to finish welding the tube. Like many, I find stainless more enjoyable to weld than just about anything. Once it's clean, there is less chance for contamination, and it nets a nice-looking weld.

Here are the upper and lower radiator tubes/hoses in their final form. This is a fairly easy way to add a pro-built touch to your engine bay. It didn't take more than a couple of hours of work, either. You can file the welds down and polish the tubes to get even fancier, leave them as-is, or maybe scuff `em with Scotch-Brite pads. I might have to polish them so they look as nice as the radiator!