Removing my Radiator

[Jim Stoltz]

I finally bit the bullet and started the radiator removal today. I posted earlier that it didn't look like I could access the rad support bolts on the left side, thus requiring the entire rad support to come out with the radiator. Thankfully I was wrong.

After accessing the aforementioned bolts through the wheel well with 2-feet in extensions, the top part of the rad support is free. If you look in the top right of the pic, you can see I've gotten it up enough to tip the radiator out after chipping away some of the factory foam insulation.

[img]http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii636/jestoltz/radiator-1_zps6p...[/img]

I've drained it but still need to disconnect the trans and oil cooler lines before trying to remove it. That's going to require I take the fan shroud off, and therefore the fan....so there's quite a bit more work to do. All in all it's going better than I had thought (knocking on wood here).

Other observations:

- There's the remnants of something bolted to the top front of the radiator (very top, on the rad support in the middle). I'm thinking that was a baffle that kept air from going over top of the radiator. I'll have to rectify that.

- The trans cooler is taking up 1/4-1/3 of the front of the radiator. I'm going to relocate it.

- I'll probably have to remove the air horns to get the radiator out - hopefully that won't be too much of a hassle.

It looks like it will come right out the front without any problems once I get the rest of the stuff unhooked.

[Jim Stoltz]

Good suggestion. The radiator guy suggested removing the thermostat and running a hose through it. He also suggested taking the block drains out (he says they're down by the pan). He said it's not likely the junk made it into the block, but just to be sure a flush can't hurt.

[Jim Stoltz]

So the radiator shop called me. He said the radiator was plugged solid and leaking. He said it was a combination of scale, corrosion and debris from the engine failure. He went on to say that it's what GM refers to as a "high efficiency core", which jams lots of smaller tubes into the core for maximum cooling. He said in most cases he can get away with rebuilding them with less expensive cores, but he wouldn't recommend it in this case. He's going to rebuild it with a high-efficiency core composed of real made-in-the-USA brass. $725 out the door. That smarts a little, but he assured me I will never have to worry about it overheating again. He suspects that the original engine blew from getting too hot. Last, he told me NOT to mount the trans cooler directly to the radiator like it was. Instead, fabricate a bracket for it so it sits about 1/4" to 1/2" in front of the radiator. And, make sure it's not clogged with gunk so air can get through it.

[Russell E Johnson]

$725, that is a definite ouch.  That is interesting about the tranny cooler being mounted away from the radiator.  Good tip to know, and it explains why my oil cooler is mounted the way that it is.

[Rich Thomas]

That's some solid advice on the trans cooler Jim, something you may conciser is a close inspection of that cooler while it;s in you minds eye. old dull aluminum isn't as efficient as it once was at cooling ( a lesson I learned from an honest AC repairman)  That dull powdery residue absorbs and holds heat making it far less able to dissipate it properly. I would say that would hold true on any radiator type function. A good cleaning and repaint might go a long way in helping to manage your heat problems. 

[Jim Stoltz]

Yes you're right, I replaced all that last year when I put the new engine in. All the belts, hoses, plugs, wires, distributor cap, coil, etc. The water pump is new, too, but stock. Thermostat is a lower than stock 190. I need to take the thermostat housing off anyway because I installed it backwards last time I had it off to change a leaky gasket. While it's off I'll run some water down through there to see what comes out.

Through this exercise I found that the wiring for the trailer connector leaves the under-dash area and then goes up around the rod for the gear selector. When you put the rig in and out of gear, the wires ride up and down the rod. It's absurd. Some one must have had that rod out for some reason and didn't put it back together properly. Maybe the transmission was out of it at one point? Which is another thing on the to-do list. Since it got so hot I want to change the trans fluid. I bought a sender for the inoperative trans temp gauge, which will be installed in a new, deeper trans pan. You should see the pile of parts waiting for me to install in my garage!

[Rich Thomas]

I've often wondered why there isn't a strainer placed in the cooling system; something like you would find in the return line of a hyd. system.

[Jim Stoltz]

I wondered that too. The oiling system has a couple of filters and strainers, so why not the cooling system? 

[Jim Stoltz]

I took the thermostat housing off yesterday. There was a fair amount of black sludge that had accumulated on the top of the thermostat. I used a garden hose to run water through the block and it came out squeaky clean. I rubbed my finger in the intake coolant passage under the thermostat and didn't come up with any sludge. I replaced the gasket and reinstalled the housing facing the right direction (I mentioned earlier that I had previously put it on backwards like a dope). 

So now to scrape up the $725 for the radiator. Dude wants half now, and the other half when I pick it up. 

[Russell E Johnson]

he has probably been stuck a few times with people wanting their radiators fixed and then never coming back to get them.  The good old days of self respect and your word meant something are dying quickly.  

[Jim Stoltz]

Yeah I guess I can't blame the guy. He's got to put out the money for the core, and he doesn't want to get stuck with it.

[Kevin wright]

Hey Jim,
Just for knowledge sake, can you get a brand new radiator and how much more is it, or is it not possible to find a new replacement?

[Jim Stoltz]

Unfortunately there are no new aftermarket radiators for this application. The radiator is custom made with a fill neck sticking out the front of the right side tank.