My radiator has a pin hole leak where the core meets the side tank. Now that's a surprise in a '69. Anyways. My local radiator shop is going to clean, rod, and fix any leaks or put in a new core depending on the outcome. So I removed the radiator today in a '69 with a 427. What a PITA. As I found out I could not remove the shroud. I could only move it toward the engine. My wife and I stuggled with the removal. We ended up pulling the drivers side up then pushing the passenger side over then out. Of course this was done with all the shroud and radiator seal removed because most ar missing or I ripped the rest off. I have since remove the radiator support to clean it and install new radiator seals. My question is how to put this thing back in since the new seals will take up the precious few millimeters I needed to get this monster out:

1) Do I install the radiator back into the support then insert the shround into the car then insert the radiator/support as a single unit.

2) Install the shround and radiator support then put the radiator back in.

3) Stare at the car and reminisce about the days before I removed the radiator.

Anyone who has done this on a 427 setup, I would appreciate your input. Thanks in advance...

---Andy Garabedian

 

I did not have to remove my support. So put shroud in and radiator in between.

Could not get shroud in with rad already installed.

Terry

 

I know some small block guys have done theirs without unbolting the support. I don't see how on earth you could succeed that way with a BB radiator and original shroud. I did mine by removing the hood, unbolting the support and pivoting the whole thing forward. My car was originally an L36 427 car, and still has everything but the 427.

I reinstalled it by placing the support in the car, and loosely placing the bottom 2 bolts in, thus allowing a pivot point. I placed the radiator in and put one mount in with long screws so that I could get them started and start compressing the foam strips, then get the mount on the other side. When the bolts start looking like they're going to touch the radiator, back them out and put the original bolts in one at a time. While the assembly is tilted forward, put the shroud in place, allowing the two recesses to rest on the a-arms and pivot the rad/support assembly back towards the shroud. bold the support back together, then get the shroud back on.

Replace the support cushions while you're in there, might as well.

This is how it worked for me.