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I asked this question in another post, but it was kinda lost in among other topics, so I thought I’d ask it separately here in its own post: Has anyone ever cut a radiator fan shroud in a 1980 C3? I have my old rad, water pump and all the hoses, belts, brackets, pulleys and bits in between, out of the car. I hope to get a new rad and water pump in the next couple of weeks. I know that re-fitting the shroud will be a nightmare. Getting it out was hard enough. I had to reach down to cut the transmissions lines with a hacksaw blade because there was no room to disconnect them using a wrench. And getting the bottom rad hose off was almost impossible until the shroud was out. The 1980 C3 is tighter than any other 70’s C3. The AIR pump is also there making things so difficult to get the shroud in or out. When I put a new rad in, and get the shroud in, there will be no room to get my hands in there with a wrench to connect the bottom hose and the trans lines. I wondered about cutting the shroud right down the middle making two sides. I mean cut it vertically, and then use hot staples to “re-attach” the two halves when it is all back in the car. Anyone done this?
Thanks.
.....Mike.....
I believe the shroud is under tension, warped, deformed, whatever you want to call it due to the material it's made from.
As soon as you whack on it with a cutting tool, it may spring out of shape. And it will never go back the way it was.
The clearance between fan blades and the shroud are such close tolerances that any deformity will likely result in blade strikes.
You need a plan B.
And, do you have the hood off? These tasks look so much easier without that in the way.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Mar 17, 2025 at 07:57 PM.
Pull the shroud up onto the engine with the water pump off. Install the rad and lower rad hose. Then you can swing shroud back into place and then install the waterpump. Things like automatic transmissions and air pumps can go straight into the bin. They make manual transmissions that don't need lines to the rad and air pumps are a waste of space.
of course on my car I switched to C5 electric fans with there built in shroud. Just slots right in. (But heaps of work to get it that way).
I believe the shroud is under tension, warped, deformed, whatever you want to call it due to the material it's made from. As soon as you whack on it with a cutting tool, it may spring out of shape. And it will never go back the way it was. The clearance between fan blades and the shroud are such close tolerances that any deformity will likely result in blade strikes. You need a plan B. And, do you have the hood off? These tasks look so much easier without that in the way.
OK, I didn’t realize the shroud was under tension. Hmmmm…. that might pose a problem. Maybe I will hold off on cutting the shroud and only do it as an absolute last resort if there is absolutely no way to get it back in to the car in one piece. No, the hood is NOT off the car. I didn’t see the need to remove it and it hasn’t been in the way at all.
Originally Posted by 4-vettes
Pull the shroud up onto the engine with the water pump off. Install the rad and lower rad hose. Then you can swing shroud back into place and then install the waterpump. Things like automatic transmissions and air pumps can go straight into the bin. They make manual transmissions that don't need lines to the rad and air pumps are a waste of space. of course on my car I switched to C5 electric fans with there built in shroud. Just slots right in. (But heaps of work to get it that way).
So you are saying to install the water pump last? It removed the rad first, then the shroud, then the belts, pulleys and finally the water pump was the last thing to come out. I was assuming the best approach was to reinstall the new water pump, all the belts etc in reverse order to how I removed them. But you are saying to leave the water pump to almost the last thing? OK, that might give me a bit more wiggle room to get the shroud back in, I guess.
Yes indeed. My friend has a 76. God couldn't get his rad shroud back on. I removed the alternator and waterpump. Shroud went right in. No problems. Then reinstalled the waterpump, alternator, fan and belts.
huge difference. Give it a try.
I have removed the shroud several times on my '80 to do engine swaps and it is not that bad BUT you need to do it the right way. I might be able to get pictures later today of this process as I am in the middle of a cam swap as I type this. You already have the front of the engine depopulated so the rest is easy. Get the hood off, remove 4 of the side core support bolts out from inside the wheel well...two per side) leave the last two bottom bolts (one per side) in, but maybe just loosen them. There is a single nut under the center radiator core support that you really should remove. Tilt the radiator and core support forward a few inches and the shroud will pull right up and out.
Your situation may look different as I am swapping a cam. Here is what I have this AM. Radiator needs to come out and A/C condenser needs to tilt forward a bit to clear the cam as it comes out. I get the shroud out next.
This is a major problem in getting the shroud out. The upper drivers side A frame shaft and bushing is in the way. You need to push the radiator shroud and support forward to get clearance.
This is under the car in the center of the radiator support. It had a nut on it that I have removed. You might be able to just loosten it a bit but your call. These 2 bolts are inside the wheel wells just in front of the tires. They hold the core support to the fenders. Remove these 2 bolts. There is another bolt down lower that can be loostened but not removed. The core support can swing forward on the bottom bolts acting as a pivot. I did not bother to loosten them. Just push the core support forward at the top to get the clearance you need to get around the upper control arm.
Last edited by stingr69; Mar 18, 2025 at 09:15 AM.
I asked this question in another post, but it was kinda lost in among other topics, so I thought I’d ask it separately here in its own post: Has anyone ever cut a radiator fan shroud in a 1980 C3? I have my old rad, water pump and all the hoses, belts, brackets, pulleys and bits in between, out of the car. I hope to get a new rad and water pump in the next couple of weeks. I know that re-fitting the shroud will be a nightmare. Getting it out was hard enough. I had to reach down to cut the transmissions lines with a hacksaw blade because there was no room to disconnect them using a wrench. And getting the bottom rad hose off was almost impossible until the shroud was out. The 1980 C3 is tighter than any other 70’s C3. The AIR pump is also there making things so difficult to get the shroud in or out. When I put a new rad in, and get the shroud in, there will be no room to get my hands in there with a wrench to connect the bottom hose and the trans lines. I wondered about cutting the shroud right down the middle making two sides. I mean cut it vertically, and then use hot staples to “re-attach” the two halves when it is all back in the car. Anyone done this?
Thanks.
.....Mike.....
worst design i ever seen . Imagine you can’t even do a simple bottom hose change without ripping out half the cooling system. TERRIBLE
Take a Sharpie and trace the hood hinge where it fastens under the hood. Those ink marks will be your future reference marks.
Removal of the hood is easy WITH A HELPER. Each one of you should have a sm ratchet / socket ready to go. An old broom handle jammed between firewall and top edge of hood is helpful.
Just six bolts counting hood support bracket. Really nothing to it. Light weight, just awkward. Stand / store the hood along a wall with the cowl edge down. Cover with blanket.
Everything will look so much easier now.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Mar 19, 2025 at 04:56 PM.
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Removing the hood is not an option for me. Removing it is s a two man job, and there’s nobody to help me. It’s that simple - there is nobody. So I have to manage this with the hood in position on the car. I don’t want to cut the shroud after all the advice here about it being under tension, etc. I will try putting in the radiator first, then the shroud, then connecting the houses next, and then do the water pump, the air pump, and the belts all in that order.
…..Mike…..
Pull the shroud up onto the engine with the water pump off. Install the rad and lower rad hose. Then you can swing shroud back into place and then install the waterpump. Things like automatic transmissions and air pumps can go straight into the bin. They make manual transmissions that don't need lines to the rad and air pumps are a waste of space.
of course on my car I switched to C5 electric fans with there built in shroud. Just slots right in. (But heaps of work to get it that way).
You cant get the shroud out without moving the radiator support one way or another.
My wife helped me remove the hood. It's pretty light really. Just leave one bolt loose but in place on passenger (her) side. Remove all drivers side bolts except keep the one top support bolt in there loose and one hinge bolt in but loose. Remove passenger side bolt and let helper hold it up. Go to drivers side and remove support bolt using your head to support the hood (very light). Unscrew the last bolt by hand and carry the hood off by yourself.
Even with helpers available, it was easier for me to remove the hood myself. I used a strap slung from the ceiling to hold the windshield end up, then unbolted the hinge end, and lifted that into a second sling.
There's zero chance that the shroud is going in or out with the radiator fully in place. Watch this video for the right way to do it. He doesn't even need to remove the hood, just the radiator.
I like Corvette Bens videos, watch them all. But he seldom has the camera running showing actual work being done.
Its lots & lots of "Before & After" taping.
If it were only that easy, as in his vid. Don't kid yourself.
I like Corvette Bens videos, watch them all. But he seldom has the camera running showing actual work being done.
Its lots & lots of "Before & After" taping.
If it were only that easy, as in his vid. Don't kid yourself.
Here's the long version of that clip, queued up to the important bit.
Well apparently there is something special about the 1980 model. As I have removed and installed the shroud in other years without touching the radiator. Yet people on here are saying that there is no way that shroud goes in or out without moving the radiator and or support.
beats me what's so very different about this year.
Well apparently there is something special about the 1980 model. As I have removed and installed the shroud in other years without touching the radiator. Yet people on here are saying that there is no way that shroud goes in or out without moving the radiator and or support.
beats me what's so very different about this year.
MOD 95 posted a pic of a much smaller looking shroud than mine (pic 1). I am guessing it is not a 1980 car. My car is all stripped right now, so taking a photo is pointless. But to make my point, I have grabbed two screen shots from other sites (pics 2 and 3) of how my car looks. The 1980 has the AIR pump which is right in the way of the shroud. In my case right now, the air pump is out of the car, as is the water pump, and hoses and all the belts. The alternator, power steering pump, and AC compressor are loosened and pushed off to the sides. I am hoping this will give me enough room to get the rad in FIRST, then the shroud, and then the water pump and all the other parts I mentioned.
But to answer 4-vettes question, the air pump is an item that nobody seems to mention when installing the rad and shroud, and as far as I know 1980 was the first year it was on the car as standard.
Well apparently there is something special about the 1980 model. As I have removed and installed the shroud in other years without touching the radiator. Yet people on here are saying that there is no way that shroud goes in or out without moving the radiator and or support.
beats me what's so very different about this year.
The second picture I posted above shows the issue. The shroud has a formed "pocket" around the A Frame. Can't go up or down anywhere with the A frame inside that formed pocket. Pull the radiator out first or tip the core support forward enough to get the required clearance.
fan shroud
