Bee Jay

OK, I started this last night. I think I got all of the nuts and bolts undone. Now, how do I get this sucker out. Can I do it with the front bumper on. Do I need to remove the radiator? Or the hood? Do I pull it down? Or up? Who has done this recently. I did search, and can't find anything, even though I got the idea to this somewhere in here. Help me, please.

Easy Mike

What are you trying to do? The bumper support will pull straight out the front after you have removed the bumper cover and removed all the bolts. You should not have to remove the radiator, rad support, or the hood.

Bee Jay

I was hoping that I would not have to remove the bumper cover. I'm not ready to repaint it yet. I'm trying to remove this battering ram without removing the bumper cover, or tearing it up. I guess I can cut it up in place and remove it in pieces. I'll try to get it out whole again tonight.

Vette Gator

If you're removing the vacuum tank, it will come straight down without having to remove the bumper or bumper cover, although it's a very tight fit and you will probably have to use some prying and a rubber mallet because of the taper on the frame horns. I didn't remove the radiator, although I did loosen the shroud bolts to get some clearance. For me, the hardest part was getting the tank back up into place since it needs to go almost straight up. I was able to use my hydraulic jack to run it up and used a rubber mallet to get the braces to slide past the frame horns. This was definitely one of the hardest jobs I've had to do on the car.

ratflinger

I understand the desire to remove this lump of steel, but what did you replace it with? Isn't it part of the front end structure?

Bee Jay

I read somewhere in here that it's not needed, but I can't find the thread. Taking it out saves a ton. I already rerouted my vacuum lines to operate my headlights without it. That was too easy. I guess getting this thing out is the hard part. I'll work on it some more tonight.

Vette Gator

At least in my case, I didn't get rid of it. Someone had chiseled off all of the brackets welded to the tank so it can be bolted to the bottom of the radiator support and the two wide brackets that run forward to the bottom of the bumper. I replaced it with an intact one so that I could tie all support structures together the way they're supposed to be. Just another step in my long line of "de-Bubba-izing" my car. Anyone want a vacuum tank that holds vacuum but has no mounts on the bottom? And why would someone remove these mounts?

Bee Jay

I GOT IT OUT!!! What a PITA. A definite 8 on the difficulty scale. If you ever decide to do this, here is the secret to getting it out without removing the bumer cover. You gotta do it,there is no other way.

You have to drill holes at the bottom of your bumperettes to acess the bolt that will release the brackets that connect the radiator support/reservoir to the front of the car. Here is a picure of it out.

Here is a picture of it on my scale. That sucker weighs over 40 lbs.!!!

I just lost 84lbs with my Wilwood brakes and reservoir removal. Aluminum batwing is next. I wonder how much weight that will save?

Bee Jay

Hey, that's a great idea. I was gonna build brackets. But all I hafta do is cut off the brackets from the tank, and use them to tie the radiator support to the wide brackets. Thanks Gator. Just call me Bubba.

panic

a piece of advice, after you got these suckers out (and i mean front steel guard and vacuum reservoir with its heavy ancillaries...) through everything to garbage, you'll save at least 150 lbs of dead weight...

Vette Gator

Glad to be of help But your approach at least makes sense: use brackets to tie the pieces together and keep the rigidity while losing the weight. In my case, the lower support in your picture was attached to the bumper but the back end was just hanging in space since the bracket was gone. What that was supposed to accomplish is beyond me.

Bee Jay

I'm only saving 40lbs, but hey, it's right off of the nose. The Dr. told me to lose weight. She is gonna be so proud. How much does a fiberglass spring weigh?

Bee Jay

I noticed something today, the Vette was looking a little strange. The nose is 3/4" higher. I remember a thread about a month ago where it was debated on slight weight losses up front could alter the ride/sitting height. I guess it does.

BerniesVette

Thanks for a great thread! I was wanting to do this for two reasons, to loose the weight and to open up the front license plate area to gain more air flow. This wil be on my "to do" list! Thanks again!
Bernie

strokervette

I removed everything in the front there and bolted the rad support directly to the frame extentions using custom made collars.

Bee Jay

Thanks strokervette, I was gonna do something like that, fabricating brackets to tie the radiator support in the middle. But Vette Gator gave me a great idea. I'm having the brackets removed from the reservoir, and use them.

strokervette

I was going to remove the brackets also but I want to sell off any unused parts to people that need them. Whatever works. Lightens up the car alot. I did the same thing by weighing all the parts and it totalled 130 lbs that I removed. But that includes the headlight assemblies that weigh 20 lbs a piece. The only thing I re-used in the front bumper area was the main frame ext. that reaches out to the front and holds up the left and right grilles and also has the mounting surface for the headlights. I did trim it down alot and it only serves that purpose now. I'll eventually find a way to mount the grilles without the ext across the front but the ones on the left and right hold up most of the weight of the front clip so that stays.

turtlevette

Bee,

i just took a sallsall and cut the vacuum tank brackets just after they bolt to the radiatior support keeping that structural component. You did a bunch of work unbolting all that stuff and are now gonna have to cut it up and put the brackets back in.

i didn't remove the bumper cover. I did cut out the metal behind the license plate. It cools so so much better now. I can't even make it run over 180 anymore even on the track (Mosport) under heavy throttle for an hour.

turtlevette

That's not very strong, but better than nothing.

What exactly did you remove to get 130#?

strokervette

The whole front bumper assembly weighs 70 lbs. and the vac can weighed 45 lbs. The rest of the frame exts. and hardware was another 15 not including the ones that are shown all the way to the outside, I had to reuse them to connect to the rad support and to mount the grilles.