Yes you can use the radiator for a electrical ground, make sure the surface is clean when making the connection. I remember Maytag washers & dryers use to have a small spool of aluminum wire, a ground screw and a clamp packaged with there appliances. The idea was if there no ground on the plug in the installer was to connect the wire to the appliance and clamp it to the copper or galvanized iron cold water pipe.
Use a voltmeter plug side into the hot 110 VAC outlet and touch the other end to the radiator and see if current will go to ground.