Stock rad sizes, 1980
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
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From: Nottingham
Stock rad sizes, 1980
I've just had my radiator rebuilt on my 80, and decided to treat it to some new foam rad support seals. I was under the impression that mine, being an A/C car, was supplied with a heavy duty radiator, and ordered the seals accordingly. Now that they're fitted, there are some bigger gaps than I expected, and I begin to wonder if it's actually a HD rad after all. I'm 99% sure it's original, as I took a little metal tag off it that carries the same broadcast code as printed in the build sheet.
How do you actually identify a HD/non HD rad? Does anyone have a photo of a stock rad and seal setup from a circa 1980 vette??
Cheers folks.
Theo
How do you actually identify a HD/non HD rad? Does anyone have a photo of a stock rad and seal setup from a circa 1980 vette??
Cheers folks.
Theo
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 379
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From: Fairfield Texas
I found xactly the same thing in My 79 L48 with AC. It is a 15000
mile car and nothing appears to have ever been touched under the
hood and yet it had a 3 row radiator in it. Here in the Texas summer
it ran 210 -220 with AC on and not much cooler with it off. Have no
idea why these cars appear to have been assembled using the std.
radiator rather than the 4 row HD. Fixed Mine with a DeWitts alum.
and now She runs around 170 no matter if AC is on or not.
mile car and nothing appears to have ever been touched under the
hood and yet it had a 3 row radiator in it. Here in the Texas summer
it ran 210 -220 with AC on and not much cooler with it off. Have no
idea why these cars appear to have been assembled using the std.
radiator rather than the 4 row HD. Fixed Mine with a DeWitts alum.
and now She runs around 170 no matter if AC is on or not.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
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From: Nottingham
Ok, so three row is actually the "light-duty" then? I figured 3 row was pretty beefy, so must have been the HD one. That and the fact that all the books say A/C comes with an HD rad. It was a three row that came out of mine...
Still slightly in the dark about all this!
Still slightly in the dark about all this!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,891
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
In '80, A/C became standard on all cars. I wouldn't think that there would have been more than one radiator offered because of that.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 379
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From: Fairfield Texas
Originally Posted by Ak. Mal
In '80, A/C became standard on all cars. I wouldn't think that there would have been more than one radiator offered because of that.
for 80,81 and 82. One is listed for the L 48 and for those cars not equipped with "V08 "which was HD Rad. option and other rad. listed
is for L 82 and those with VO8. Makes no sense but thats whats in the
parts book.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,891
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
I'm not doubting the option was there, but it seems strange to have a heavy duty radiator for 35 extra horsepower.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Saint Louis MO
I think the LD or 3 row was on all 79-80 L48 , the HD or 4 Row was only on L82, and in 79 I also think you had to have AC with the L82 to get the HD Rad, since all 80 cars had AC, all L82s got HD Rad and Electric Fan, same for 79 with AC, I don't know what Rad they put on 81 and 82 since the L82 was gone.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 379
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From: Fairfield Texas
Originally Posted by blackcorvette1980
I think the LD or 3 row was on all 79-80 L48 , the HD or 4 Row was only on L82, and in 79 I also think you had to have AC with the L82 to get the HD Rad, since all 80 cars had AC, all L82s got HD Rad and Electric Fan, same for 79 with AC, I don't know what Rad they put on 81 and 82 since the L82 was gone.
air has 3 row and My 79 L82 with air has 4 row,and too the best of My
knowledge neither has ever been changed out. I do know one thing
for SURE, the 3 row couldn't cut here in Our Texas Summers.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2003
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From: Nottingham
Makes a little more sense now, thanks guys. The most important fact is that my rad is LD, not HD as I initially thought. I'd worked it out from the Dr. Rebuild website, which is a little ambiguous about the applications. What they have written there kind of suggests that for 79-80, if you had A/C, then you had the HD rad.
It says the 79-80 heavy duty rad seals are for "L82, Air cond, or Heavy Duty Radiator", which could be looked at as
"any of these three" OR
"the first two together OR the last one"
I'm guessing they intend it to be the first meaning, I took it wrongly and this is what got me off down the wrong trail.
I'll eventually re-order a set for the thinner radiator.
cheers!
Theo
It says the 79-80 heavy duty rad seals are for "L82, Air cond, or Heavy Duty Radiator", which could be looked at as
"any of these three" OR
"the first two together OR the last one"
I'm guessing they intend it to be the first meaning, I took it wrongly and this is what got me off down the wrong trail.
I'll eventually re-order a set for the thinner radiator.
cheers!
Theo
