My fan shroud needs replacement after the '74 gets nice and tuned...also might need a radiator...how much of a job is it to replace the shroud then also how long of a job for the radiator to be replaced?

I'm having a shop that was recommended by a forum member do some work for me...

Thanks in advance,

Kevin
Braintree, MA

 

hi
look on ebay you can a good deal on what you need. it not super bad to take it out , just take your time

 

Thanks, didn't think of e-bay...

KO

 

Once the shroud is out of the way the radiator is about a 5 minute job. Very easy to remove and replace the radiator. It helps to have 2 guys. One on each side makes it easier.

 

"Once the shroud" is out.... On a BB with AC, getting the shroud out is, in my opinion, about 99% of the job. It took me quite a while to get mine out. Removed the hood, the front removeable crossmember (that supports the bottom of the radiator support frame, the bolts (6) on the vertical sides of the support frame, removed the hoses, twisted open the radiator petcock, etc. I was ultimately able to pull the top of the shroud away from the radiator and pull the radiator up enough to where the front lower inlet tube of the radiator would not clear the control arm support bracket. Cut this tube off with a pneumatic reciprocating saw and finally was able to pull the radiator out. Then the shroud came out easy and then the support frame. Also, during this whole process, any time I looked under the radiator, it would leak antifreeze on me. No matter how much antifreeze I drained out, there was always some left in there to drip on me.

 

If it's an auto don't forget the cooling lines and taking off fan first makes it easier to get shroud out.

 

Would it just be easier to take the front of the engine off? Pulleys, water pump, etc to get more clearance? I haven't tried this yet but I'm going to need new radiator and I inherited only half a shroud when I got the car - and it's zip tied in place... thanks bubba...

 

I have a 69 SB and just got my radiator and shroud in the car last night. For those those that read my early post ( UGH!!!! ) you know I was having a hell of a time trying to get it in. My water pump is on and the fan is off. The way I finally got it in was for me to take the radiator support seal off. ( vertical ones ) They're about an inch thick if not more. I stopped me from moving it further to the right. I had the shroud laying in there and had to tip the passenger side down first and get the lower hose pipe
( don't know what you call it ) past the upper control arm. I loosen the passenger side rad support bolts and removed the driver side bolts.( It really didn't give me much room doing that.) With alittle bit of pushing and manuvering I got the radiator down and pryed the shroud to get the lower rad pipe over the shroud. I have A/C so it made it harder I believe.
Hopefully I didn't mess up the radiator. Fins got messed up alittle but straighten it out with a screwdriver. As one member said, use a cardboard to protect the fins. I sure don't want to do it again!!!! I know alot of you gone through this and It's a pain. For some, it was a breeze. Guess I'll keep the vette now. ( I cursed and vow to sell the vette and go Japanese because I was frustrated with the radiator/ shroud problem ) Thanks to all with the words of encouragement! It's nice to hear when your beaten down by the vette. Getting close Gordon!!

Tony

 

Kevin,

I have the original radiator from my 75 that I had re-cored that has about 300 miles on it. PM me if interested, I'm not too far from you. Car is a 4 speed.

Bill

 

The pulleys, waterpump, etc never did get in the way. (The fan was removed.) For my 70 BB, the biggest problem was the shroud. The lower lip of the shroud was jammed between the main crossmember (the one under the engine damper) and the radiator frame support. There were screw lugs extending from the frame support into the shroud and I couldn't seperate the shroud away from the lugs because of the front crossmember jamb. If screws were used instead of these lugs, it would have been easy. Also, at this point the frame support would not move, it was squeesed in between the body inner fenders.

Years ago, with a 69, I just cut the shroud off. (It's plastic) In those years you could easily buy another shroud from GM. I bought a new on and, to install it, I slit in at the bottom on a line coincident with the body center line. This way I could flex the bottom portion and pull in the shroud sides to clear the control arm bracket. On in, I installed to aluminum plates overlapping the slit, riveted the plates to the shroud, and installed two dzus fasteners so I could easily seperate the frame in the future. Since original shrouds are rare today, I didn't want to damage my shroud this time.

 

The shroud was pretty easy to get out of my 78 I'm not doing OE so I got the direct fit Rad with electric fans. May be it was better Idea than I thought since I will not have to reinstall shroud

 

For my 79, definitely not straight forward as you'd think. The suggested order is 1) remove hood 2) disconnect shroud from rad but don't even think of removing 3) remove radiator and 4) lift out shoud. Installation is reverse order.