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[PICS] Radiator swap...

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Old May 14, 2007 | 09:09 PM
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Default [PICS] Radiator swap...

Installed a Dewitts today along with a new coolant reservoir tank....over all not to bad..couple hours.

Before




Leaking tank



Airbridge removed




Radiator shroud removed




Tank removed






Old stuff...







New stuff...





Installed






finished except for installing shroud and my Blackwing which I cleaned and is currently drying...also cleaned my MAF


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Old May 14, 2007 | 09:19 PM
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I have one in route with the left end oil cooler. Does it look like all the plastic pieces will fit back in to the stock configuration?
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Old May 15, 2007 | 12:36 AM
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To be honest for what it costs I expected better directions basically all you get is a black and white copy telling you to trim part of the fan shroud which is fine except it is hard to see exactly what. In reality you have to trim a little more than you think....the tab on the shroud (driver side) is to high and won't slide into place unless you cut it down...I found that out the hard way But for the most part its straight forward. On a side note you may want to look at the tabs where the condensor slides onto the radiator as mine were tight and I had to bend them out a bit...I did it after I had the radiator in the car...kind of a PITA so you may wanna look at yours beforehand.

Everything went back in smoothly...I also found it a good time to clean my air filter and MAF
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Old May 15, 2007 | 11:33 AM
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Originally Posted by pewter99
To be honest for what it costs I expected better directions basically all you get is a black and white copy telling you to trim part of the fan shroud which is fine except it is hard to see exactly what.
The sheet we include is only to let people know what to change to get the stock fans to fit properly. It's not really an installation instruction. We do have a download from our website, with was a reprint of an article on how to upgrade the C5 cooling system. Here's is a link to the download page. Open "Twice As Ice".

http://www.dewitts.com/pages/downloads.asp

One of the most common mistakes we see is the bending of the fan clips when installing or removing the fan shroud. The fan shroud is designed to be removed by lifting the shroud "up" out of the clips on the passenger side first, then pulling the shroud to the passenger side to slide the tabs out of the clips. For some reason, many people are saying they had to bend the clips open to get the fan installed and that just means they are doing it the wrong way.
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Old May 15, 2007 | 12:00 PM
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Took you a couple hours for a 30 minute job? Why did you need directions for a radiator? They are not mounted to anything, slide out, slide in. Your one of those that hire someone to change a light bulb ain't you? I really think you need to step away from any motor vehicle and leave the work to real men. Of course you can always have YV work on your cars, she has more sense than you.
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Old May 15, 2007 | 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Challenger
Took you a couple hours for a 30 minute job? Why did you need directions for a radiator? They are not mounted to anything, slide out, slide in. Your one of those that hire someone to change a light bulb ain't you? I really think you need to step away from any motor vehicle and leave the work to real men. Of course you can always have YV work on your cars, she has more sense than you.
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Old May 15, 2007 | 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Challenger
Took you a couple hours for a 30 minute job? Why did you need directions for a radiator? They are not mounted to anything, slide out, slide in.
Two hours might even be a little quick. The radiator doesn't mount to anything but everything mounts to it.
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Old May 15, 2007 | 04:56 PM
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Nice job and pics... ...thanks for sharing...
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Old May 15, 2007 | 05:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Challenger
Took you a couple hours for a 30 minute job? Why did you need directions for a radiator? They are not mounted to anything, slide out, slide in. Your one of those that hire someone to change a light bulb ain't you? I really think you need to step away from any motor vehicle and leave the work to real men. Of course you can always have YV work on your cars, she has more sense than you.
excuse me...let me do a search for your radiator install....I seem to recall alot of pissin and moaning....

standby...

ahh yes..here we go...http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=radiator


in fact you actually called yourself a "dumbass" in that thread

Last edited by pewter99; May 15, 2007 at 05:25 PM.
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Old May 15, 2007 | 05:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Challenger
Of course you can always have YV work on your cars, she has more sense than you.
actually she was quite anxious to help and learn unfortunately she had a long day at work yesterday so I just went ahead and did it myself...
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Old May 15, 2007 | 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
The sheet we include is only to let people know what to change to get the stock fans to fit properly. It's not really an installation instruction. We do have a download from our website, with was a reprint of an article on how to upgrade the C5 cooling system. Here's is a link to the download page. Open "Twice As Ice".

http://www.dewitts.com/pages/downloads.asp

One of the most common mistakes we see is the bending of the fan clips when installing or removing the fan shroud. The fan shroud is designed to be removed by lifting the shroud "up" out of the clips on the passenger side first, then pulling the shroud to the passenger side to slide the tabs out of the clips. For some reason, many people are saying they had to bend the clips open to get the fan installed and that just means they are doing it the wrong way.


Actually Tom I wasn't so much complaining about lack of instructions more so I had a hard time seeing the pic of what to trim...like you say its pretty much cut and dried. I trimmed the piece as best I could tell only to find out I needed to trim the piece that slides under the neck and into the clip so I had to pull the radiator back out and re-install which would have been easier with a second set of hands. As for the clips being bent I think that was due to the long time between receiving it and install...I got this several months ago..just got to install it...went thru a divorce and the box was moved a few times so that may have had something to do with it. They were not that bad just kind of snug so I had to adjust them a bit. I simply advised him to check his just in case to save him the hassle of finding out later if in fact he had bent one.

Really got to drive the car today and I must say a huge difference
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Old May 15, 2007 | 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by pewter99
excuse me...let me do a search for your radiator install....I seem to recall alot of pissin and moaning....

standby...

ahh yes..here we go...http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=radiator


in fact you actually called yourself a "dumbass" in that thread
Lets see here 4 screws and 2 hoses, actually VERY EASY. I have a stand alone tranny cooler so nothing else hooked to it. As for pissin and moaning........ Well if a QUESTION about the donut (you know those very well ) is pissin and moaning well so be it. Dumbass, was regarding placement of your favorite thing in the world You know the DONUT
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Old Jun 22, 2007 | 10:53 AM
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Default One more question on Radiator R&R

OK ...
So I'm waiting for a DRM/RD Rad w/ rt side EOC to get here.
I think I have read all the posts on R&R ... one thing though ...
A/C Condenser has two lines coming in - top and bottom rt side.
It APPEARS that there is no nead to disconnect either line from the A/C condenser to Remove and Replace the radiator. ... just separate the condenser from the radiator and remove the radiator.
Correct?
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Old Jun 22, 2007 | 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by MungoZ06
OK ...
So I'm waiting for a DRM/RD Rad w/ rt side EOC to get here.
I think I have read all the posts on R&R ... one thing though ...
A/C Condenser has two lines coming in - top and bottom rt side.
It APPEARS that there is no nead to disconnect either line from the A/C condenser to Remove and Replace the radiator. ... just separate the condenser from the radiator and remove the radiator.
Correct?
Yup!
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Old Jun 22, 2007 | 01:24 PM
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I've got the Dewitts racing radiator w/ left side integrated oil cooler, lines, and LPE adapter block. You have to trim your fan shroud, but after that it all fits pefectly.

Some pics:

The kit


Compared to stock


Line wrapped and ready to go... if I had to do it again I'd wrap w/ DEI cool tape.


Temp sensor housing removed.


LPE adapter block w/ bottom port plugged and sensor installed.



Block installed


Lines run



Upper line (return line)


Big *** radiator in...


Custom cutting of the shroud for more flow through... this is not the cutting you do to make it fit. I got the idea from the guys at DRM.
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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 03:53 PM
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Default Little more advice solicited ... about the wiring harness ...

OK, my Rad w/ integrated EOC arrived while I was at VIR Monday ...
Eager to get started, I took a close look yesterday and revised my time estimate to complete ....
Wiring harness removal ... appears to be the most "challenging" part of the job ... appears for some of the clips one has to figure out how to pinch the "one way" plug end of the harness clip that goes into the fan shroud with a pair of needle nose pliers and back it out; and for some of the clips one has to pry the snap open on the harness clip with a small screwdriver and pull out the wiring. In ALL cases ... access is limited. Any advice on tools, techniques welcome!
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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 03:54 PM
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Um... it' wasn't bad... small flat head screwdriver and some prying worked for me.
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To [PICS] Radiator swap...

Old Jul 5, 2007 | 11:34 PM
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From the picture you showed, no wonder you were running hot. Every week a cooling question comes up and again they are reminded to clean trash from front of radiator. If you don't take better care of your new DeWITT'S than you did with your old radiator it is just a matter of time before you will be running hot a cussing your DeWitts radiator.
Frank
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 12:21 AM
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Originally Posted by jordanfd
From the picture you showed, no wonder you were running hot. Every week a cooling question comes up and again they are reminded to clean trash from front of radiator. If you don't take better care of your new DeWITT'S than you did with your old radiator it is just a matter of time before you will be running hot a cussing your DeWitts radiator.
Frank
well thats not completely true....it had been cleaned frequently.....and FWIW if you think cleaning the radiator is easy with a intercooler under there let me know
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 10:45 PM
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Originally Posted by pewter99
well thats not completely true....it had been cleaned frequently.....and FWIW if you think cleaning the radiator is easy with a intercooler under there let me know
Only going by YOUR picture of your old radiator. Never said it was easy.
Frank
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