well, thought I was going to have everything wrapped up on the motor in this '78 today so I could finally get it over to DMV to get it registered and tagged but now it looks as if I'm going to have to rip out about 1/2 the engine bay out again (well, maybe not QUITE that much but it's going to feel like it)

replaced the trans cooler rubber hose that was leaking and double clamped both ends and it's STILL leaking! As much as I looked and looked previously and didn't think it was the actualy fitting itself on the radiator that was leaking at this point that's the only possible answer left. No way to access that fitting and I never removed it so it must have just gone bad as the car sat unused for a few years.
That means the radiator needs to get pulled out again - NOT a job I was looking forward to. &@*#!!!!!!!!!!
I guess I'll have to take it to a radiator shop and have them pressure test it to check the fitting and let them fix it because I'm clueless at this point.
Not to mention that for some reason I can't get the fanblade to stop hitting against the fan shroud and making the most awful sounding racket. I've tried loosening and adjusting it but there really isn't any real way I've found to make any difference. It will stop for 3 or 4 minutes than start hitting again. Can't figure that one out either!

Besides that, as much as I tried I can't get the passenger side valve cover off to replace the gasket (new expensive one of course) that is leaking so the only way I'm going to be able to get it off is to unhook and pull off the AC compressor and a bunch of the emission hoses on that side and possibly the heater hose into the intake that runs right over the VC.

This has NOT been the most productive and enjoyable last couple of days working on this car.

I just put away my tools and walked away from the car. Right now I'm too frustrated and don't even want to look at the car for the rest of today.

Tomorrow I'll have to start tearing her apart again so I might as well do that with a clear head and a better attitude

 

Barry,logged on to the Forum just now to specifically see if You
had left a post reporting that everything was nice and dry and no
more leaks. Obviously thats not what I found. I guess We,or at least
most of Us have been in Your shoes and feel Your frustration.
Dennis

 

Dennis
yep, frustration doesn't begin to describe how I was feeling earlier. I'm still pretty upset but realize there is nothing to do about it but just do what I need to do to get it right. Of all things to have to come out again though...... the radiator! What a PITA it was the first time around and now to have to do it again just doesn't make me a happy camper to say the least.
If it's anything like the first time, I'll have to pull the core support and AC condensor along with it as one unit. that was the only way we were able to pull it the first time.

Just got back from dinner about an hour ago with the wife so started taking thingsa apart to get ready to yank it tomorrow. drained the radiator again (i think this is now the 4th or 5th time in 2 days - i've lost count!), pulled the hood off, got the radiator support brackets off, removed the upper and side air ducts, disconnected the main AC hose and AC hardline.
Tomorrow I'll just unbolt the core support, unhook the lower radiator hose and yank it out and find a shop to take the radiator to.

I thought I had this car pretty nuch done last Fri and was expectecting to have it registered and tagged Fri. afternoon and hopefully in a paint shop this week but it looks like it's going to be at leat until the end of this week minimum until I can think about the DMV again.

 

I hear you but look on the bright side at least you haven't injured yourself, I had changed out my exhaust manifolds a few months ago and had an issue with one of the bolts that was frozen, got up on it and gave it my all and landed up getting a pinched nerve in my neck, (for those of you who have had one know ) I was hard down and out for 3 full days!!

 

Sure would be nice if some Forum members in or near Newark stepped up and go over and help our Brother Barry

 

my fan was contacting the shroud for a while. i ended up throating out the adjustment slots on the bolt holes and the problem went away...

 

Barry, just a shot in the dark about the fan hitting the shroud. Remember the mystery bracket from a few weeks ago? In the pic(can't seem to raise your pics now)from back then, the bracket, which turned out to be the radiator lower support, appeared to be bent. Should be straight with just the threaded end angled. That could maybe pull up on the bottom of the support angling the top of the shroud down a little making contact with the fan. I checked my white 79 and there's less than 1/4" clearence, so not much room for error.
Mike

 

Barry,
Maybe this will make you feel a little better and let you know that we share your pain.
I just finished a 10 year long restoration of my 68 and removed replaced everything. Went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, got a license plate, got Haggerty insurance and now for the first time in over 10 years I want to take it for a ride around the block. Starter problems, car will start when cold and as soon as engine heats up it will not start until it cools down. No ride today I guess. Turned out my brand new battery was not good enough and meanwhile I replaced the starter, cables, solenoid, everything again just to be sure. Replaced the battery and problem is gone. Get in and brake pedal goes to floor. I have all new calipers with stainless steel sleeves and new master cylinder and new power brake booster. When I bled the brakes a few months ago I had a perfect brake pedal. So now I can start the car, get it going, but can't get it to stop. Like you , I just walked away and another day I will remove the new wheels with new tires and bleed the new brakes all over again.
Sometimes you just can't win no matter how many years and dollars you throw at it.
Keep wavin,
Kurt

 

hey guys, thanks for the comments and suggestions.
Gee, another fun day planned today I guess, got to pull that d*mn radiator out.

Aflac - not a bad idea on the shroud screw holes. perhaps if I elongated them I can get it to lift up just a little but I'm not sure how well it will stay in that position without slipping down again considering the upper airduct piece fits over the shroud and screws around the core support holding it down tight and right against the top of the shroud. I'd think that would push the shroud right back down into the blades of the fan....... i'll have to look at that closely again.

Mike
the fan is hitting the shroud along the top - basically in the range of 10:00 thru 2:00 positions so the issue seems to be the top of the shroud is too low and actually needs to come toward the front of the car a bit more to give more clearance for the blades. That would mean pushing the bottom of the shroud out towards the motor more.
........... oh wait, I see what you are saying, if that bracket is actually bent it wouldn't extend as far out therefore it would end up pulling the bottom of the shroud forward tipping the front down closer to the blades causing the problem. Ummm, the strange thing is that it didn't seem to be a problem previously before everything was taken apart.

ks, not sure if that is suppose to make me feel better......... or worst. Perhaps after I manage to fix these current issues I should expect more problems to pop up??!! you trying to jink me or something?!

 

just have patience man.. we have all been there! shoot i broke a cylinder head while pulling an intake....

 

well, THAT wasn't a good thing to do.............

 

Now go figure THIS:

the first time I pulled this radiator out last month is was a real b*itch to say the least.
1st day of trying: had a buddy over so i had him give me a hand and with both of us it wouldn't slide out at all no matter how we tried to angle it out
2nd day of trying: spent at least a full q/2 day trying to get it out on my own - nothing!
3rd day of trying: had another buddy over and with MUCH fighting and cussing finally got the radiator out of the car and that took taking the radiator/core support/ AC condensor all out as a complete unit.
Three feakin' days to pull a radiator - unbelievably ridiculous.

Now today:
unbolted the core support figuring it was going to have to come out again with the radiator. pushed it back a bit - not far but as far as it would go anyway.
figured I'd give it one shot to see if the radiator would manage to come out on it's own but after last months experience didn't count on much luck.
Lifted up on the radiator and the darn thing just lifted out completely about as easily as you could ever wish for. And this was me doing it alone without a second set of hands from a buddy to help lift and support the other side.

Man, I will NEVER figure out this working on a car business...... whenever you think something is going to be easy it fights you to the end and when you are expecting it to be hard and you are all prepared for a big struggle it goes as smooth as silk!

Well, time to run it over to a local radiator shop to get it pressure tested to check that problematic fitting and see if they can fix it.
As long as it's there I may as well have them back flush it to clean it out completely and get out all the rust partivles, dirt, ect that still in there.
When I initially took it out a let a hose run thru the intake and just flush it for about 15-20 minutes but noticed during the last 3, 4, 5 times I've had tofill and drain it since that the brand new coolant is still draining out very dirty so as long as it's at a radiator shop I might as well get the inside cleaned up as good as they can get it.

Wish me luck, I DO NOT want to have to spend the money on a new radiator so I'm really hoping they can fix this one. If not, it's going to be $495 plus shipping for a new Dewitts Direct Fit model. Actually, if I wasn't on a serious budget on this thing I'd just spurge for the new DeWitts anyway for the comfort of knowing my cooling was great.

 

Barry, the next time a customer whines about a $170.00 labor bill to R&I a C-3 radiator, you mind if I have him/her give you a call?

 

dude, I'd GLADLY pay "only" $170 for someone else to R&R the radiator in this car! Even when if lifted out easily like this time there is still a lot of work involved to get it to point of being ready to pull out, not to mention getting it back in again and reconnecting everything back up, especially those PITA trans cooler hoses, refilling the system, etc......

if you only charge $170 that sounds like a fairly decent price based on my my experience now having done it 1 1/2 times.

H*ll, I've already gotten it back out now....... I'd pay you $170 just to put it back in again and reconnect & refill everything so the car is ready to run again! (can you do the passenger side valve cover gasket for me at that price since you are only doing half the job on the radiator...... )

 

You are working on a mid year correct? The only reason I ask is because of your avatar. If so does your fan shroud bolt to the radiator core support? If the core support is not aligned properly then this may be the problem with your fan hitting the shroud. Just a thought.

 

theandies
no, this is on my '78 I'm working on.

actually, on my '65 midyear, except for access to the fan shroud bolts thru the core support which are a PITA the radiator is a breeze to remove.
The C3 radiators are a lot more of a hassle.

One thing I've learned working on this '78 is that i'll NEVER complain about working on the C2 or "limited space to work in under the hood" on the C2 ever again!

 

You're not making me happy knowing I need to replace the broken shroud on my 79. Maybe I'll get lucky like your most recent time of removing the radiator. Fortunately mine's a 4 spd so no tranny cooler lines.

 

Seems like I do that at least every day and like an idiot go at it again the next.
Hang in there...

 

you do know the radiator has to come out to replace the shroud right?

not having the trans cooler lines will help lessen the hassle a little.

i'd suggest unbolting the two top bolts from the core support on both sides to tilt it back as much as possible. Even undoing the lower two bolts plus the two large bolts on the very bottom to push the entire core support back would be a good idea to give you enough room to lift the radiator and than the shroud out.

 

well, I just got the passenger side valve cover gasket replaced.
No wonder it was leaking like a sieve, the gasket in the lower front corner at the back side of the motor was completely sliced through!
It must have gotten pinched under the lip of the cover and it had been leaking a very small amount so I tried to tighten up the bolts on the cover and that must have been when it got sliced through becuause after I tightened it the other day is when it started to really leak a LOT.

I don't like these expensive FelPro rubber gaskets so i switched both back to the regular cork ones. The Felpro gaskets gave me issues on both covers.