radiator for '54 Hornet

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I understand that a particular radiator for a 1980's Dodge van will fit into a Hornet. Can anyone tell me about this interchange. What model Dodge Van would have the correct radiator. Is this a practical installation?

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andrews582 wrote:

I understand that a particular radiator for a 1980's Dodge van will fit into a Hornet. Can anyone tell me about this interchange. What model Dodge Van would have the correct radiator. Is this a practical installation?

There are multiple options:

HUDSON RADIATOR Replacement ideas:

1) 70's Dodge pickup with 360 engine. You need to trim the side mountings
with a die cutter. they work great, about 160 to 175 dollars. Prerviously an Autozone part number for this radiator was given - Godan/GDI 433889.

2) 76 and up Dodge full size van V8 radiator is a direct fit in stepdowns.

3) Honda V6 SUV ALUMINUM radiator was a match. You can probably do a search and find the thread(s) to contact the authors for more info.

4) 1995 and up Honda Passport V6 Radiator is nearly identical to the stock
Stepdown Radiator except it has no mounting brackets. Swap your radiator
brackets over to it and you have an aluminum radiator at a low cost. The hose outlet position and size are virtually the same. As are the core dimensions.

Previous posts have indicated the following radiator hoses when cut to fit can be used when the Dodge radiator is installed. Goodyear #60859 and 61563.

I have added an article written by Richie Hodges who also posts to this board. The article provides a start to end description of the steps he took in replacing the radiator in his Hudson with a Mopar radiator.

Remember ... check all the part numbers to assure they fit your particular need before purchasing and as the old adage goes measure twice ... cut once.

Good Luck with your project.

=============== Richie's article======================

This “How to Do” article provided by Hudson Enthusiast: Richie Hodge

REPLACING YOUR HUDSON STEPDOWN RADIATOR
With A B200 Dodge Radiator

The following is my account of what I did and how I Installed a replacement radiator in my Hudson Stepdown.

My project began after I found the original radiator in my Hudson Pacemaker Brougham leaking at the top seam. The original radiator had been sent to a radiator shop a year prior for cleaning and a thought check. I felt the 50+ year old radiator might be a liability to me on long trips so I set out to find a means to obtain and install a proper replacement.

Selecting the radiator

As I frequent Classic Cars’ Hudson forum I started my search reading all the applicable threads. The information I found was used as my starting point. The threads suggested using a radiator from a mid to late eighties Dodge B 200 van (with a 360 engine), or a 1995 and up aluminum Honda Passport radiator. So, I set out to find and measure many different years of Dodge van and pickup radiators. The radiator found in 1976 thru 1978 Dodge vans appeared to best suited for my application. While I know there are probably other makes of cars and trucks which may work I selected the Dodge configuration.

Purchasing a radiator

After settling on the Dodge solution, I bought a radiator from AutoZone. The part number I purchased was #433889, a three row radiator. My total outlay for the radiator was $192.00 including tax. This radiator comes with a warranty but as soon as you modify it the warranty is void.

Replacing the original radiator

I started by draining the Hudson’s cooling system (store the antifreeze / coolant in a safe place away from pets) and removing the old radiator along with the four small brackets that hold it in. I removed the battery to access the bolts that hold the "u" shaped radiator saddle mount, the opposite side is accessible. These bolts allow the radiator saddle to be adjusted forward or backward a small amount. I just loosened to allow for adjustment after the new radiator is installed. The Dodge radiator comes with side mounting brackets that run top to bottom on each side, one on the front and one on the back towards the engine. The one on the back has studs welded on it for some type of shroud I guess, this is the one you have to cut off, and I cut it off at the bend. I loosened the brace that goes between the fenders that the hood locks into and slid it forward to give me working room. Now you can slide the new radiator down just in front of the radiator mounting saddle being careful not to hit the fan blade. I adjusted the radiator. height for the best airflow and leveled it at the same time. Once level I clamped it in place with vise grips. I drilled two 5/16 holes on each side of the radiator right through the front side of the saddle bracket and used Allen button head screws to secure the radiator. in place. I now adjusted the saddle to get the correct distance to the fan blade. ( about 3/4 to 7/8 inch in my case) You have to be careful that the fan blade "does not" hit the top tank as the tank sticks further back than the radiator core. The fan blade will actually come up above the bottom of the tank. After the radiator. Is in position tighten all loosened bolts. To check fan clearance, I had loosened the fan belt to change the fan blade when I began the installation so now I can test the clearance between the radiator. and fan by spinning the fan blade very slowly to make sure it is clear all the way around.

Hoses

I took measurements for the hoses The top hose is a # C-70295 (Auto Zone) I don’t have the bottom hose number.

Fan change

One more thing to mention is I put a six blade fan on just because I had one. This blade is more angled and would have hit the radiator without moving the radiator forward. If you use your stock 4 blade fan you might not need to move the radiator. As far forward as I did or not move it at all.
Final Modification

One more modification I completed was at the very top of the radiator. bracket on both sides I cut straight down two inches starting about ½ “ outward from the 90 degree angle. At the end of the two inch cut I cut straight out to the side and removed that little piece. I then bent that little “leftover” half inch piece of bracket forward to match the angle of the fender cross member and put a screw and nut on both sides for added strength.

Look at the following pictures to view what I did to change the radiator.
Richie

dougson

Here are some pics of the radiator I am using in my '54 Hornet coupe. I have the luxury of being able to play with it out of the car as I have yet to install the radiator support. As stated in the above post, the radiator I purchased is intended for a late 70s B200 Dodge van with the 360 and is a 3-row but unlike the Auto Zone radiator it is aluminum. I got it online (Ebay) for $155. I don't see any currently available. The vendor was "Autopartswarehouse". I had to likewise remove the rear mounting flange as it interefered with the support. I drilled to new holes so I could reuse the Hudson mounting tabs. This should be easily seen in the pictures.

Kdancy

Hudson stepdown radiator thread