Taking apart radiator

Oldstuff

I'm interested in taking a section out of a radiator. I understand there are 2 ways the sections may be joined: 1. A threaded pipe, and 2. A push nipple that threaded rods hold together. My radiator only has a single threaded rod at the top, and no rod at the bottom. Can I assume the sections of this radiator are joined by the threaded pipe and not the push nipples?

Rod

Need Photos

Hi- Post some pictures of the radiator as that would help us identify it.

     - Rod

Dave in QCA

probably threaded

As Rod said, need a picture to see for sure.  But, all the ones that I have seen with a rod or two at the top and none at the bottom, are steam only radiators.  They only have knuckles that but together at the top, no internal passages, so a bolt is required.  At the bottom, where the internal passages connect, if there are no bolts, then they have to be put together with threaded nipples.  If that is what you got, They will NEVER come apart!

Oldstuff

Thanks

Thanks guys. I kind of thought it must have threaded nipple connectors given there was no lower screw rod. Thanks for your affirmation.

Dave in QCA

Painfully familiar!

I made a mistake a few years ago, overlooking the whole picture, focusing only on the rods at the top of a radiator.



I needed a 22 section radiator to replace one that was missing.  I came across a couple that were being taken out of a nearby home.  They were very nice American Radiator, Rococo pattern, steam type radiators.  I thought that most American radiators used threaded nipples, but noticed that these had rods, so I was thrilled!  There was a 16 section radiator and a 10 section radiator.  All I had to do was get them moved into the foyer, unbolt them, remove a few sections from each, and then bolt the two rads together to make one monster 22 section baby.   I went to the local farm and fleet, got some rod, cut it to the proper lengths, threaded the ends, etc.  Then, I arranged for a helper, and with the rads setting in the foyer, helper watching, I got my ratchet and socket and removed the nuts from the top bolts.  Then I crouched down to removed the bottom bolts......#$#$%%^^&**((()))  There WEREN'T ANY!!! 



I realized suddenly that the reason that there were bolts at the top was because the sections were not connected at the top, only at the bottom.   UGH!



Anyway, lessons learned hard are clearly remembered!



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!