Radiator Replacement Question
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: New York
Radiator Replacement Question
Hello all,
The factory original radiator on my '81 is starting to leak from the lower drivers side area meaning it will need replacement soon. My question is does the whole hood need to be removed in order to do this? Looking at the rad itself, it looks like removing the hood shouldn't be necessary but I am not sure so id figure I would ask. Also any particular brand of radiator I should use or is just a big-box auto parts store normal replacement ok? Thanks for the advice!
-Joe
The factory original radiator on my '81 is starting to leak from the lower drivers side area meaning it will need replacement soon. My question is does the whole hood need to be removed in order to do this? Looking at the rad itself, it looks like removing the hood shouldn't be necessary but I am not sure so id figure I would ask. Also any particular brand of radiator I should use or is just a big-box auto parts store normal replacement ok? Thanks for the advice!
-Joe
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 28
From: Long Beach CA
Not absolutely sure, but IMHO if you remove the fan, shroud and hoses, you should be able to get the radiator out without disturbing the hood. As for a replacement, get a DeWitts. A bit more expensive, but you can't beat the quality and reliability.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: New York
Have you considered having your radiator repaired? You may not need the cost of a replacement. An additional advantage is that you already know your original fits.
Thanks for the advice Easy Mike! I am not very familiar with radiators and kind of thought them to be a throw away item like anything else on a newer car. But after looking around and seeing how much good copper radiators actually cost, I think I may go that route. It is only a small leak from what I can see. There is a little mom and pop radiator shop down the street from me that has been around forever that I know for a fact does radiator repair. I think I will definitely pull the rad and bring it down to them to see what they can do...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 441
From: Loir Valley Sarthe, France
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I believe that the 1981 is the same as our ’78. So, no, you do not need to remove the hood. You may even be able to leave the fan in place, but it’s easy to remove the four nuts that hold it. Un-bolt the fan shroud and in fact you can remove the shroud and fan together. Then just the hoses and the trans cooling pipes if it’s an auto. The rad is only held in at the top the two brackets and once they are removed it just lifts out.
As for a replacement, go to Complete Radiators. http://www.completeradiators.com/ . Our 78 replacement was an exact match for the one coming out. And it was so effective I had to replace the thermostat with a higher rated one!
As for a replacement, go to Complete Radiators. http://www.completeradiators.com/ . Our 78 replacement was an exact match for the one coming out. And it was so effective I had to replace the thermostat with a higher rated one!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Thanks for the Complete Radiator Site. I just purchased one 2 days ago. Mine was the 4 core HD and cost me around $300.
I believe that the 1981 is the same as our ’78. So, no, you do not need to remove the hood. You may even be able to leave the fan in place, but it’s easy to remove the four nuts that hold it. Un-bolt the fan shroud and in fact you can remove the shroud and fan together. Then just the hoses and the trans cooling pipes if it’s an auto. The rad is only held in at the top the two brackets and once they are removed it just lifts out.
As for a replacement, go to Complete Radiators. http://www.completeradiators.com/ . Our 78 replacement was an exact match for the one coming out. And it was so effective I had to replace the thermostat with a higher rated one!
As for a replacement, go to Complete Radiators. http://www.completeradiators.com/ . Our 78 replacement was an exact match for the one coming out. And it was so effective I had to replace the thermostat with a higher rated one!