still cruzin

Put in a new BB radiator today and the shroud doesn't seem to fit very good.
The bottom of the shroud touches the radiator and the top will need to be shimmed out to avoid the same.

This is an original shroud I purchased from a forum member. Looks to be never messed with. One solution will be to trim about a half inch off the bottom lip to give it a safe space.

Has anyone here had to do the same? Or maybe shim out the shroud all together where it bolts into the support?

Bob

Nowhere Man

can you post pictures? when you say new BB rad what brand is it? how did it all fit before

DUB

NO...I recently installed a factory shroud and an aftermarket aluminum radiator and they fit just fine without having to do any shimming of the shroud.

DUB

rongold

I got a DeWitt aluminum radiator and my repro shroud fit perfectly--exactly the way it was with the OEM radiator. The radiator was an exact duplicate of the OEM copper/brass radiator in size. If your shroud fit well before, it should fit well now---Unless your new radiator IS NOT an exact duplicate in size. What brand of radiator did you get ??? Are you sure that the shroud is correct for the car/engine ???

RON

DansYellow66

Seems I remember that for a while, a later model shroud was often sold as a replacement for 66 & 67 BB cars - maybe a 68 shroud. Very similar but not quite the same - if I remember correctly. It's also possible that an old shroud has distorted or warped over the years.

still cruzin

The radiator is a new (exact fit) Griffin. The shroud was purchased used so never in the car. I was thinking maybe it was put together to tight? Or maybe it is warped? Just will not sit right. It is a correct 66-67 BB shroud. I'll attempt again tonight and post back.

Bob

DUB

The 67 427 I worked on also had a Griffin radiator in it and all went well.

I know this may seem crazy...but I would install the radiator and get it set. Then measure the step-off of the shroud where it attaches to the core support and makes the 90 degree turn to go over the tanks of the radiator., Then I would measure your radiator and see the distance at the backside of the tanks to the core support

I am sure you know this but many may not. When I install a radiator...I wrap the core of the radiator with cardboard and wrap a string around it so when I am installing it.... I do not have to worry so much about damaging the cooling fins. I am still careful. Then when I get it down into position...I cut the strings and pull the cardboard that covered the front and rear face of the radiator core.

DUB

still cruzin

Tried again today with no luck! Photos attached show where the shroud is in contact with the radiator.

I'm still thinking the shroud was assembled to tight? But maybe wrong?

John, yes the cardboard trick is the nuts.

Bob

still cruzin

So here is a photo out of the car. Looks all crooked to me now that I look again. Looks like I purchased a bad shroud!

Bob

Nowhere Man

Those shrouds are two peices that are bonded together. You can try to break it apart and bond it back together

rongold

I just took a look at mine---It's a repro from 1989, and it's very similar to yours, except that it doesn't hit the radiator like yours does. I have the A/C seals on mine, to aid with cooling, so the upper bracket is not visible on mine, but yours looks quite short. Are you sure you have the correct bracket ??? My shroud looks to be the same as yours---the edges ARE NOT parallel to each other--some of them are skewed off by a few degrees---just like yours. Did you measure the thickness of the core compared to the old radiator ??? Do you have the old radiator to measure ??? If you're not going to go for any judging, I would just shim it at the 4 mounting bolts and at the top bracket.

RON

still cruzin

Yes, I already shimmed it out 1/4. Still no good. The shroud is actually 3 pcs. I already broke it apart. My radiator is 2.75". 3" at the tanks. Nothing to compare it to as this is a SB to BB conversion.

I put the shroud in the car in 3pcs. and will try to fit it that way before epoxying back together.

Luckily bondo (not a good choice) was used to put it together the first time, so it came apart with no problems. Although I did need to grind it all off!

Bob

DUB

I am not picking....I am just into the fine details.

You have a really nice Corvette. Could you now have found an epoxy that was black??? I know they make it.

I know this epoxy can he heated up and will peel off so if you plan on cleaning up the excessive areas that came out on the top surface and then touch it up with some black paint that is do-able also.

Hopefully this should correct your problem.

This improper shroud assembly is just one more example of what I have written a few times and I will write it again. It is my "95% rule".

"95% of the time.. 95% of the parts manufactures reproducing a part...reproduce it to 95% ....and it takes 95% of my time to finish out that LAST 5% to make the part work as designed."

DUB

rongold

OK---I'm 99% sure that I found your problem. I just went to my garage and measured my DeWitt A66M radiator. The tanks are 3" like yours, but the core is only about 2 3/8 -2 1/2 inches thick. This is Tom's exact repro for the big block in aluminum. My original radiator is long gone, so I can't measure the thickness of the core, but the A66M is supposed to be exactly the same dimension as the original Harrison copper/brass unit. I have a foam strip along the top of the core that seals the air from leaking and the rubber air dam on the top of the radiator support--They make it very hard to measure the core exactly, but it is easy to see that mine is not 2 3/4 inches thick. Maybe Tom will see this post and give the exact thickness of his aluminum core. I don't think that re-bonding your shroud differently is going to fix your problem---Only shimming it will. The height of the shroud from the radiator support to the surfaces that touch your radiator will remain the same, regardless how you glue it back together.

RON

still cruzin

DUB, What you see is the shroud BEFORE the epoxy was applied. After the epoxy, the shroud was removed and painted semi gloss black! Cant see any repairs were made.

Re-assembling the shroud did help. It no longer touches the radiator at the top. But will still need to be shimmed a bit at the bottom. Much better!

Ron. You may be correct about the thickens of the radiator being the problem. That 1/4" would make a difference. But a little shim to the bottom and I'm all set.

Still a little discouraging paying good money for something you need a day to correct. Its that 95% DUB has pointed out!

rongold

You may have to shim the top bolts evenly with the bottom bolts. There isn't much clearance at the fan blade, and uneven shimming might skew the fan opening upward enough so that the fan may hit the shroud at the bottom.

DUB

I am glad it all turned out and you got it where you want it in regards painting it and so on.

Knowing that you are not worried about factory correct judging....keep in mind this.

This is a press-molded part...and it can distort when it gets hot.

SO...even though you can shim it and get it right...KEEP AN EYE ON IT. And the reason is...the 1967 I did had a slight issue and I had to add a piece of dense foam rubber between the right tank and the shroud to aid it in keeping off the cooling fins. And the shroud was perfect when I installed it after the engine install.

DUB

still cruzin

Thanks, I'll take note for both. Decided to shim everything equal. That's almost .40
I have material that looks like part of the shroud (black PVC) so you cant even see it.

I will keep an eye out for any movement. Thanks everyone for your knowledgeable input.

Bob