Round Radiator Cap with no “ears”

[lyle11]

I bought a new Clancy radiator about a year ago for a 60 Lowboy I’ve been slowly working on. Very pleased with the radiator, but I finally got around to installing the hood. It ends up the new non-pressurized radiator cap I got from TM scrapes the hood. Nothing wrong with the cap. The radiator neck is either slightly too short or perhaps my hood is slightly distorted although it looks fine and this hood was originally on another Cub with an original radiator and the cap cleared the hood easily. The cap has the 2 “ears” for gripping it.

Anyway, the cap from TM installs but scrapes off the top coat of paint. Not a huge deal, but I was wondering if anybody is aware of a non-pressurized cap that fits a Cub radiator that is round with a raised bracket to turn it on and off. I realize I can probably also file about 1/8” off the underside of the two parts of the cap that extend over the top of the hood to get clearance, so that’s probably the best solution. The TM cap is bare metal and I’m not sure if it has a rust resistant plating. But if I file the cap I expect it’ll rust faster and might end up more unsightly than scraping a little paint.

My third Cub has an aftermarket radiator it came with and that cap that also scrapes the hood. Seems like for any manufacturer that adding an extra 1/4” to the neck wouldn’t be a big deal. I was surprised the neck on the Clancy wasn’t 1/4” longer but I would still buy the Clancy.

This isn’t a show tractor but I’d prefer to not scrape the paint off if possible.

Thanks

[tst]

they do make a radiator neck that is 1/4" taller, some were 3/4" and some were 1" tall

[Jim Becker]

This isn't the answer to your main question, availability of a different style cap. However, here are a few thoughts. Your new cap probably has a plating to stop rust. If you file off some of the bottom edge, take off enough to have room to paint the newly exposed edge (just the edge is doable). Use a paint that matches the cap or a clear. Or maybe you intend to paint the whole cap red anyway. Since you are so close to a fit, can you lower the hood a bit? Check to see if the grille has some slack for the hood to come down. Check the 2 mounting bolts to see if there is leeway in the holes on the hood brackets. You could file them a bit if the hood can go down. Beware that the hood may be restricted by touching the top of the radiator. You do not want to lower it enough for the edge of the hood to wear a cut into the radiator tank.