Bulletproof cooling system
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You may or may not have to alter the fan clutch hub where it bolts to the water pump/pulley. Usually, the holes are slotted so you can make it work. If not, some minor surgery on the hub will do the trick. With the motor in the vehicle and finalized for position, bolt the fan clutch and fan to the water pump. Mount the Cadillac radiator and shroud to the Cadillac core support. | You may or may not have to alter the fan clutch hub where it bolts to the water pump/pulley. Usually, the holes are slotted so you can make it work. If not, some minor surgery on the hub will do the trick. With the motor in the vehicle and finalized for position, bolt the fan clutch and fan to the water pump. Mount the Cadillac radiator and shroud to the Cadillac core support. | ||
| − | The Cadillac core support will probably be longer side to side than the stock one in the recipient vehicle. What I usually do is retain the outer pieces of the recipient vehicle support where it bolts into the body and cut the middle part of the | + | The Cadillac core support will probably be longer side to side than the stock one in the recipient vehicle. What I usually do is retain the outer pieces of the recipient vehicle support where it bolts into the body and cut the middle part of the recipient vehicle support out with a Sawzall, leaving a few inches on each side. Then I measure the opening between the two stubs that are still bolted to the recipient vehicle and cut the Cadillac support to fit into this opening. Remember, measure twice and cut once. It's better to leave a little more sheet metal on the Cadillac support until you determine the correct position of the fan where it engages the shroud opening. Then I position the Cadillac support with radiator and shroud attached up to the fan, equalizing the distance between the fan blade tips and the inner circumference of the shroud all around. Move the shroud around the fan until you have the fan blades halfway in and halfway out of the shroud opening. Normally, you'll have to tilt the top of the radiator/shroud back a little at the top to match the fan angle because the motor sits in the recipient vehicle on a rearward tilt. If you need a little more front to rear clearance for mounting the support, you can position the fan blades 2/3 in and 1/3 out of the shroud opening. A little further in is ok, as long as the fan clutch is at least 1" from the radiator core material. A little further out is not ok. |
| − | With that accomplished, simply attach the middle piece of the Cadillac support to the stubs of the recipient vehicle support. Use whatever pieces of sheet metal or whatever that you have to in order to make the connection. The Cadillac support may end up sitting forward of the stubs or a little behind them. Whatever. Just use your head and figure out how to connect the sheet metal, then MIG it in place. | + | With that accomplished, simply attach the middle piece of the Cadillac support to the stubs of the recipient vehicle support. Use whatever pieces of sheet metal or whatever that you have to in order to make the connection. The Cadillac support may end up sitting forward of the stubs or a little behind them or it might fall exactly into place and you'll have very little welding to do to stitch the Cad support and the stubs together. Whatever. Just use your head and figure out how to connect the sheet metal, then MIG it in place. |
| − | Now, you will have a radiator that will cool anything and you still have the stock attachment of the stubs to the recipient vehicle so you can use simple hand tools to disassemble the whole mess later if you have to. | + | Now, you will have a radiator that will cool anything and you still have the stock attachment of the stubs to the recipient vehicle so you can use simple hand tools to disassemble the whole mess later if you have to. It'll all come out as one piece because it is one piece. |
Here's a link to Radiator Express showing the dimensions of the Cadillac radiator......... | Here's a link to Radiator Express showing the dimensions of the Cadillac radiator......... | ||
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