Corvette Weekend Projects 2010

The fitting for the upper trans cooler line should now be loosened so the line can be detached from the radiator. The lower trans cooler hose can also be detached after the hose clamp is loosened. Be sure to have a bolt slightly larger than the inner hose diameter handy to insert into the lower trans hose as soon as you pull it free to prevent unnecessary loss of trans fluid.

At this point you can lift the radiator out. Again, having a helper to lift the radiator from the opposite side of the car makes the job considerably easier. Here's what it looks like with the radiator out of the car.

You'll have to recycle the fitting for the lower trans cooler line from the old radiator, since the new one won't have a fitting installed or supplied.

Here's a shot of the spiffy new aluminum racing radiator from DeWitt's Reproductions just prior to installing it. Since aluminum has a much better thermal coefficient (ability to transfer and dissipate heat) than brass/copper units like the one I just took out of the car, I expect my hot 350 to run considerably cooler now.

A little Permatex gasket sealer on the threads of the lower trans cooler fitting helps to ensure a leak-proof installation.

I decided not to run the fin pass-thru retainers for the trans oil cooler through the fins of the new radiator, opting instead to secure the cooler solely through the fins of the A/C condenser; the nylon retainer locks were reinstalled on the pass-thru retainers at this point.

A pair of side-cutters was used to remove the excess length of the pass-thru retainers.

After carefully lowering the new radiator in place on the lower mounts, reattach the upper mounting brackets on both sides to secure the radiator.

Put a little gasket sealer on the threads of the upper trans cooler fitting before inserting and tightening it in the new radiator.

Install and secure the shroud next. While I had help removing the shroud, my helper had to leave so reinstalling it was a solo act. To make life easier, I removed the water pump so I didn't have to wrestle with the shroud too much-a precaution on my part to safeguard the fins of the new radiator from shroud damage. Here's what it looked like with the shroud reinstalled and brackets secured. Reinstall the side radiator mounting bracket bolts, hoses, and the fan and fill the new radiator to complete the project. One final tip: Be sure the petcock on the new radiator is fully closed (petcock distended) before you start to fill the radiator. To prevent petcock breakage during shipment, these are usually in the fully-opened (flush with the bottom of the radiator) position.