0Tom@Dewitt

I don't know why your upper rubber cushions looked different to you but they obviously required some cutting because the top wouldn't fit without standing on it. Check them again for interference and trim as require. If you do take pictures, I'd like to see them

rickneworleansla

I finally got around to posting the pictures. I did not have any of the rubber cushions. I have the original instructions which I will scan and show you a drawing of what mine looked like. If someone else is in the process of doing this on a later C4 please snap a pic of the rubber pieces. I am still very pleased with the radiator. I could not believe the difference in size when placed side by side to the stock radiator.

Old radiator, Shroud, and Fans, Removed.


The stock radiator appears to be only about 1/3 the size of the Dewitt.


Preparing to modify the fan mount.


Here you can see where I traced out a line with a marker and cut 3/4" off the molding. All I have left to do here is the square part by my hand. I used a hand held jig saw. The piece I was cutting seems to have some fiberglass material in it. It's a little easier if you remove the fans first. I only took one of them out.

94ZR1

RIF

rickneworleansla

Below is a comparison of the two pieces. Mine had no material to remove where the instructions showed. The only thing that may have made it fit better would be to remove some of the inside of the bottom channel on the rubber piece. This may have made it too thin though so I didn't try it. The rubber was also an uncut original piece.


If I ever take it out again I'll get the actual picture but the above photochop is exactly how it looked. CorvetteKid is this how your's was also?


Thanks

0Tom@Dewitt

Interesting photos. First I think I see some blood on your hand when trimming. Watch out for that blade!

I've never seen that rubber cushion before. The one to the left is what I purchase over the counter at the chevy dealer. It was also the same one that we found in a swap meet housing when we did the prototype. You can see the same U shape in mine for the ac condensor and maybe this is the standard and you have a heavy duty condensor? I don't know but based on what I see, you don't have to trim them.

rickneworleansla

Yeah, the blood actually came from hitting the AC condensor. I was trying to get at something with a screwdriver and my hand slipped and skimmed the front of the condensor fins. Every time I work on this car it looks like I've been dipping my hands in a box of razor blades. I'm not sure about the condensor either. The install wasn't really that bad for my first time on that part of the car. It took me I guess around 7 or 8 hours. That was with a lunch break and taking my time with everything. The second time around I'm sure I could cut that time in half.

Corvette Kid

Rick, my '95 actually had one of each type on it. One I had to trim and the other was fine, as you say. I also have a spare upper shroud from a '94 and it also has one of each type. I think your problem of getting everything in place could have been from installing the upper shroud and radiator at the same time. I put the radiator in place, made sure it and the condensor were fully seated in their bottom mounts and then put the upper shroud in place. I had to finaggle it a bit to make sure the radiator and condensor were seated in the upper cushions too. But once they were, the shroud seated properly into place to bolt up. In all, it was no different than bolting a stock radiator in. It really does fit very well. Now getting #10 oil lines properly run from the filter housing to the right side of the radiator, that was a bit of a challenge.... I fear that if I add one more underhood accessory, I'll need a trash compacter to get the hood shut!

rickneworleansla

Just jump up and down on the hood a few times. Actually I never even unbolted the condenser it stayed in the whole time. I did try taking the top shroud off and angeling it back in a few times with the radiator and fans already seated. From what you are saying maybe I just wasn't getting the rubber to position right. Now you got me wanting to pull it all apart again. Maybe when I cut the hole through the bumper, for my ram air, in a week or two.



Edit: I know what your saying about the lines too. If you look at the first picture you can see where my external trans cooler lines are run to the front passanger side of the condenser. I had a small hole cut in the top shroud to fit the bottom line through. I'm sure that wasn't helping the positioning a whole lot either.

Corvette Kid

I didn't remove the condensor either but it's still quite likely to pull up from the lower mounts when everything's pulled apart. Transmission cooler lines are easy compared to #10 Aeroquip high pressure hoses. Picture heater hoses that overdosed on Viagra!

ScaryFast

I'm interested to see what the aforementioned parts look like on my '93. I've had the radiator / fan assy out before when I removed my condensor a few years back, I remember the whole thing (radiator, shroud, and fans) coming out in one big package, unlike what Rick's picture shows above.

Hopefully I won't have any fit issues since the condensor is gone - aside from the fan shroud trim, anyway.

I've read that the fan has to be sealed against the rad to ensure "vacuum" so that the air is pulled through the rad and not allowed to escape around the sides. Is this accurate?

Lastly, I have an external oil cooler mounted to the front of my current radiator...hopefully the lines to it are long enough so no cutting / rerouting is required to go into the Dewitts!

Man I hope this fixes my cooling issues on the track. Damn 383...

BerniesVette

I cut the top rubber bushings per the instructions and the DeWitt fit like a glove. No install problems on my 92.
Bernie

rickneworleansla

The only piece of shroud you trim is the center. The sides are left alone. So there should be no issues with vacum. If the condensor is not in there it will be even easier to fit in. My trans cooler is on the front of the condensor and the lines still reached. I have noticed a drop in temperature in stop and go situations. So far I'm liking it!

ScaryFast

Mine's almost in. I needed to cut the upper rubber mounts as expected, they were identical to the instruction sheet.

I didn't finish like I wanted to because I needed some fittings for the oil cooler. I thought the ones in my current external cooler would fit but they're different threads. Tom (or anyone), what is the thread and fitting size for the EOC in your radiator?

I'll start a new thread since this one is less specific...