Radiator fin blower

chim · Oct 14, 2003

The radiator on my B7500 had a fair amount of dirt/fuzz/etc. on it that made its way through the screen. With some stuff I had lying around (and a $1.79 1/4" compression fitting from True Value) I made a wand to reach in behind the radiator and blow the junk out. The wand is 1/4" OD copper with one end crimped shut. Just behind the crimp is a slot cut via hacksaw for the air to discharge out the side. With the compression fitting, it would be easy to make another wand of some odd shape or length for the next tight spot...................chim

chim · Oct 14, 2003

Gun end

chim · Oct 14, 2003

Whole thing

Henro · Oct 14, 2003

What??? No action shot??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Looks good... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Bird · Oct 14, 2003

Chim, I did basically the same thing years ago with quarter inch copper about a foot and a half long, but just left the end open and bent it 90 degrees. That gun was handy for getting into lots of tight places, and I bent it in various shapes at different times, but then I tried a longer piece so I could use it to blow, instead of sweep, the floor in the shop. That didn't work with the 90 degree bend in the end because the air pressure would bend the whole tube when I tried to use it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif So I bought another gun at Northern Tool with a long steel nozzle. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Maybe yours will work like you want it to.

chim · Oct 14, 2003

Worked like a champ. (Wouldn't have posted it if it hadn't /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)...........chim

Rch · Oct 14, 2003

chim, a recent variation of your idea was featured in Farm Show by a radiator shop. They welded/braised/soldered a large flat washer on the side just short of the end of a 20" tube. They blocked off the end of the tube. Within the open circle of the washer they drilled 3 holes in a row into the tube , "bigger than a toothpick, smaller than a matchstick". This enabled them to rub the flat washer on the front of the radiator and the air came out perpendicular or better said, exacty parallel to the fins and not bend them /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Also, the end of the wand was easy to control so as to not bend the fins.

chim · Oct 15, 2003

Rch, may need to incorporate that mod in Version 2.0

Bird, I used hard tube, not the stuff on a roll they use to connect icemakers....................chim

Bird · Oct 15, 2003

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I used hard tube, not the stuff on a roll )</font>

Now that makes a big difference; I didn't use the rigid stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I just thought your picture looked like the tubing was bent a little and assumed (yep, erred again) that you used the same thing I did. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

chim · Oct 15, 2003

Bird, you're right - it was bent a little. That allowed me to reach in between the fan and fins without poking the fins. The hard tube can be bent slightly by hand. For tight bends or 90's it requires the use of a tubing bender. I never worked with hard brake lines, but think they'd be comparable in the way the materials are to work with........................chim