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I have to remove the radiator on my '70 small block w/AC. Hood comes off and radiator support has to swing forward for raditor to clear A-frame. Any Tips on this method?
Thanks, Michael #9158
Thanks, Michael #9158
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Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
The problem is going to be removing the fan shroud. You may find yourself attempting to pull the radiator out first to try and get enough room to get the fan shroud out, but it ain't going to work. The service manual procedure bears little resemblance to reality in this case.
I can't remember how I got my fan shrould out...I know it wasn't until the engine was out of the car. The shroud ended up scarred for life anyway. Some here have had some good ideas...had something to do with unbolting the upper control arms. -
Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
Michael I have a original owner 70 350 with air and I have never taken off the hood to remove the radiator shroud and radiator. I have removed the radiator shroud and radiator about 4 times in the more than 36 years of ownership. If I was going to do it tomorrow I would not remove the hood and I would not move the radiator support. If your 70 is like mine look behind the passenger front tire at the wheelwell and you will most likely see a cover over the radiator support bolts which makes them unaccessable. The easiest way for me to remove the radiator shroud and radiator, I have always done it by myself, is to place my floor jack under the passenger side front lower control arm and raise it and remove the tire. Using a jack stand for safety not support, place it to catch the frame if the floor jack should fail. Continue to use the floor jack to support the car under the lower control arm. Lower the jack some if you want to make the car level. Remove the engine fan assembly. The upper control arm has no weight from the car with the lower control arm supported. Loosen the two bolts that secure the upper control arm to it's frame bracket, remove the alignment shims and tape them together and mark for reinstallment from the same locations. Remove the nuts and you should be able able to move the control arm off the two bolts. The two bolts have serrated edges that retain the bolts in the bracket. I knock the one closest to the engine out to make it easier to move the control arm. With the control arm off the bolts move it into the wheelwell out of the way. Removing the control arm allows the big radiator shroud to come out easily. Your shroud should be a two piece unit. The bottom piece bolts are removed from underneath. Remove the other shroud attachments and the shroud can be lifted out. With the shroud out the radiator is easily lifted and removed with the hood left on. I once tied removing the drivers side upper control arm to perform this removal, it does not work.Comment
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Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
Jim, thanks I'll try that. I'm not doing it for another week.Comment
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Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
Chuck-----
I've heard many times of this shroud removal problem. Is this something that's unique to A/C-equipped cars?In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
Joe, It's been too long ago for me to remember all of the specifics.
Basically, there is just not enough room between the front suspension/front cross member, the frame rails, and the radiator support to turn the shroud into any position that will allow it to come out without interference with something. Like the guy forgetting he set out to drain the swamp, I finally managed to get enough clearance between the shroud and the radiator support to simply slide the radiator vertically out from between the shroud and the support. That is one big, heavy radiator,too, with no place to really get close to it; I couldn't do it today.
As you know, the shroud is a huge, nearly one piece rubberized fiberglass hulk...it has a tiny little removable strip down at the bottom; what purpose that serves, I have no idea. As Jim says, the upper radiator support bolt on the passenger side is absolutely inaccessible on a AC car (In spite of what the Chief Smurf Geezer sez! ) Therefore, you can not remove or tilt the radiator support forward as the service manual says. I'm also convinced that if the shroud senses you trying to extract it from the chassis...like one of those sushi blow fish, it blows up to twice size.
When I put it back, my plan is to place the shroud on the engineless rolling chassis, install the engine and transmission, and THEN drop the body around it with the radiator already installed on the support.Comment
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Plus...
Even if you could swing the rad support forward into the vertical plane on an A/C equipped car, you'd wind up fatigue fracturing the R-12 lines serving the condensor and evap/dryer without venting the A/C system and disconnecting the lines. With freon at $60/lb, that's an extra $200-300 cost to the radiator R&R project!Comment
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Re: 1970 Radiator Removal
Joe
On non A/C corvettes the radiator suport can be moved forward and the radiator will come out then the shroud. The A/C condensor hits the vacumn canisters for the headlights before you can get out the radiator on A/C cars. I have removed the canisters on A/C cars. It's not easy to remove a radiator and you find lots of original shrouds cut up to make the job easy.
LyleLyle
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