Dewitt's Radiator Instructions Doesn't Seem Right
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
This is very interesting and a good thread. I have my Dewitt rad awaiting in the living room (still in the box). I'll check on this this weekend.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Mine's the same (1992). I kept the part of the shroud that was cut off and next time I feel compelled to access the radiator area I intend to re-attach the removed part... In terms of everyday driving, the shroud only makes a difference at lower speeds; I have operated mine for 2 full summers in Atlanta with the 'shroud gap' and it works just fine. Actually, one thing you should check before you put the covers back on is the gap under the radiator - on mine I had a large gap that I had to fill post-installation. IMO that makes more of a difference to cooling efficiency than the gap inside the shroud.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Other people need to be aware of this problem, if someone would have posted something like this before I started I might have not cut up the shroud like I did. It looks like other people have had this problem too, so I'm not the only one.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
Am I gonna have this trouble with my 96. Based on my LT1 experience and now with the LT4, the LT4 (96) have many differences.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
installation
as in anything, measure twice......................cut once.
I am sure if your instructions weren't right, Tom would make it right.
send him PM and talk it out with him instead of here.
I am sure if your instructions weren't right, Tom would make it right.
send him PM and talk it out with him instead of here.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
Likes: 7
From: Metairie Louisiana
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
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
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
http://www.dewitts.com/pages/product...asp?ProdID=325
To clarify, the kit includes two foam strips and two spacer bars. The spacer bars are used to move the fans back 1/4" to allow room for the thicker core. We also include new bolts for that. Be-cool does the same thing, but they charge $75 for this spacer kit, and we include it for free.
Sorry this happened but it's cut now. I have seen a lot of these fans on ebay for pretty cheap. I found this one and offered the guy $75 for it. If he takes it, I'll buy it for you and send it with the spare fans.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1990-...Q5fAccessories
Last edited by Tom@Dewitt; Jan 7, 2009 at 06:07 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,146
Likes: 3
From: The Motor City
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,146
Likes: 3
From: The Motor City
Well first of all it is adding extra parts, but I also think that kicking it back will put the fan motor on the cross brace. (on mine the primary motor clears the crossbrace barely now).
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,286
Likes: 6
From: Palm Beach
Maybe you could have worked it out with Tom and posted the results here. Should have given him a chance to fix it.
Last edited by MK 82; Jan 7, 2009 at 09:01 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 1
From: Warwick RI
I can't believe that this much time and energy was spent on this. It looked like it could have worked and it is inside the shroud so it is never seen
Well...I guess that is why my car wouldn't be allowed to even park near an NCRS sponsored event(if there is such a thing)
Tom - Good form, you obviously take customer service personally
Well...I guess that is why my car wouldn't be allowed to even park near an NCRS sponsored event(if there is such a thing)
Tom - Good form, you obviously take customer service personally
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
These instructions are posted all over this forum, I can't believe you would rather sweep this problem under the rug and have no one know about it. That's what this forum is for, when you have a problem you post it HERE. Unless someone goes through this forum and deletes every post about cutting up the shroud someone else might do this again. Also it doesn't matter if the instructions are old or not, I actually bought the radiator about a year ago and was recently given the foam strips so if I did this now or a year ago the shroud would still be screwed up.
Last edited by dan6712cc; Jan 8, 2009 at 01:36 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Quote:
Originally Posted by mseven
That's good customer support
question...I am just now getting at putting mine in will it work w/out the spacers and trim say 1/4" ?
Tom the reason I did not use the spacers and cut the shroud is because you posted on here that its better for the radiator to be closer to the fans since it will cool better rather than shimming it back. So I don't know what you're talking about with old instructions but you yourself said you would rather cut the shroud. I wanted the best performance so that's why I went the route I did.
Originally Posted by mseven
That's good customer support
question...I am just now getting at putting mine in will it work w/out the spacers and trim say 1/4" ?
Tom the reason I did not use the spacers and cut the shroud is because you posted on here that its better for the radiator to be closer to the fans since it will cool better rather than shimming it back. So I don't know what you're talking about with old instructions but you yourself said you would rather cut the shroud. I wanted the best performance so that's why I went the route I did.
Last edited by dan6712cc; Jan 8, 2009 at 01:46 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Anyways this is definitely not a rant on Dewitt's they make an awesome product but people need to be careful if they want to cut the shroud; and Tom that is a very nice gesture to offer to buy another shroud but it's really not necessary, I just don't want other people to make the same mistake I did.
Last edited by dan6712cc; Jan 8, 2009 at 01:54 AM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
The reason I initially posted on here is because I thought I did something wrong and wanted to know what the problem was. If we would all contact the manufacturer as soon as we have a problem what would the point of this forum be?
Last edited by dan6712cc; Jan 8, 2009 at 02:30 AM.