Lower rad hose mod

[willowbilly3]

What have you guys used when your engine and radiator lower hose are on opposite sides? Most of the cross over solutions I see look pretty ghetto. Right now I have 3 choices, New radiator (ouch!) lower crossover to use 351 radiator on the 300 (that's the one from the truck) or scab in a smaller 300 radiator from an earlier truck.
I would like to keep the 351 radiator that fits the truck. I have thought about something like a 2" brass pipe. I could get pretty tight corners and tuck it up. Or maybe if I can find an FM hose (what we always call those corrugated universal hoses because the part number starts FM) that has both ends molded and 180 from each other, then use a section of pipe to connect to the regular lower hose. If I do the cross over it will need to be tied up and tidy, not some mess that hangs down.
Well anyway, more ideas are always better, got any?

[fordwannabe]

I have had a muffler shop bend a piece of thin walled stainless to the desired shape then polished it and used goodyear blue hose to connect, but it was on street cars not trucks. Worked well and looks GOOD! Good luck! Tom

[fordman]

one way to do it would be to have the tank replaced on the bottom with a tank that came out on the correct side. but you would have to probably come up with the tank. unless the rad shop had a tank that could be put on it. that might be the hard way to go after it though. you could look on vans for a older 300 radiator. they would be closest to fiting as a whole replacement too.

[70shortwide]

have you thought about an electric fan? i know its more work but its also another upgrade. with an electric fan in front of the radiator you would lots of room to play with the lower hose. might make a simpler job out of it in the long run, I dont know for sure. just throwing it out there

[averagef250]

I always use exhaust tubing bent the way I need it. BTW, I have a nice Bendpak BB1 bender and it will not bend stainless without cracking/distorting it. Stainless is very brittle and requires mandrel bending. Exhaust benders aren't full mandrel.