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So each side of the radiator has one of these rubberized flappy thingys that seem to make no sense to me. What are they and what purpose do they serve?
Passenger side of radiator area. The block of wood is temporary hood support. Just to left is a strip of sheet gasket like material, fastened with one retainer. I make no sense of it. Similar one on other side of radiator, in similar distressed condition.
Those rubber curtains are more or less a “front shroud”.
They inhibit, or ideally prevent, incoming cooling air from going around, under, or over the radiator core and force the air through the core.
Yes they are important. Especially as Summer arrives, you want as much air going across your radiator core, i.e., through it, as possible. The better you can prevent air from going around the tank ends, or under the bottom of the core, or over the top of the core, the cooler your car will run.
Fusick at least used to sell this stuff by the roll known as “masticated rubber”. Feel free to follow your factory diagrams, or, heh, heh, roll your own.
Looking at condition of what is left of these two seals would seem to indicate that they have not contributed anything to radiator efficiency in a long long time. Fusick does indeed sell them, although they do not look exactly like what I have in the way of profile.
A question I have…..Did the 350 and 455 engines use the same radiator? I look at that radiator and it appears to be overbuilt.
The passenger side of my car does not look like either one of them. But I have shears! And can make stuff fit.
I believe there were 2 flavors, with or without ac.
Im thinking you are exactly correct. This was an Arizona car, with AC of course. I’m kinda embarrassed that I even posted this. Out in the shop today, and I could make sense of it better. Right side piece is still intact, but really old and brittle. When I rotated it upward, it made perfect sense. The corner cutout is for AC hoses. Left side, half of it is missing, so scratched my head over that one? Thought it was maybe battery related stuff. But I can now see the purpose is to try and seal airflow around the top radiator corners.
What Eric was sayin. AC cars are notched around the hoses
Glad you found the parts you’re looking for. The factory solution should really help cooling if my experience is any guide. Just remember as you’re putting it in to minimize any air gaps that would allow air to to anywhere but though the radiator core.
That’s when you might get curious about trying to go one better on the factory. Or not. On my ‘66 big cars there are no reproductions, so I had to make my own. I approached as a fun cheap project to get the cuts and shapes right while using the factory attachment holes as designed - and then added a bit closed cell foam tape more on top to block the air going over the radiator. I also had to take my time on the lower curtain which prevents air from going under the radiator.
You’ll like the result which ever way you go. Have fun!
I bought the new Seals, and kept walking past the mournful front end of this Cutlass way too many times. Radiator Sheetmetal in bad need of a cleanup, so thinking if I can get this area repainted and cleaned up, I can install the new seals. Again, this car reared up and bit me, but glad it happened now and not later when the major work is done and I want to drive it. I have rented a coolant pressure tester to see if the coolant leak is a hose or hose connection or if the radiator needs to be repaired. Hard to find radiator shops anymore.
Really a dirty mess, and the more I thought about it, I decided now is the time to clean up,and paint the black metal.
Removing four cap screws gets the top radiator holder off the car. The underside is just as bad, maybe worse than top side.
This gave me a good chance to look down the inside of the radiator. What I am seeing may be an issue, maybe not, but there is a puddle of coolant in the bottom radiator holder.
So…figuring I will probably need to pull radiator, I removed fan and shroud. Way easier to clean everything up off the car.
I am about 75% of the way through making the engine compartment a much prettier place.
Epoxy primed parts.
Masking off the remaining Sheetmetal on the front end was a rotten little job, but once done painting the epoxy made an immediate appearance improvement.
Got many of the front end parts painted or cleaned up. Found a radiator shop to evaluate the radiator leak. No easy task in Eastern Iowa. Cedar Rapids area has about a quarter million people. Once (60’s-70’s) there were 3 full service radiator shops. Last one closed just this year. I think I have found one about an hour away. Don’t really want a plastic/aluminum radiator, so will pay more to repair and keep the original part if it can be saved? We will see?
Things are gonna look a lot better under the hood. Just getting there slower than I like.
Black is two coats of catalyzed urethane single stage. It looks so much better.
I was thinking the trans cooler lines would give me a tough time, but they came loose easily.
When I changed the coolant after getting the car, the petcock didn’t want to turn, and I couldn’t seem to get a tool on it. So I took two 3/4” nuts and welded them together. Then slotted one nut to allow it to fit over the petcock. Now I can get a socket or wrench on it and open the **** easily.
More area to clean up and paint. I now have all frame rails painted bottom and outside edges and some places inside edges. Now I can get this area rust cleaned and treated.
The radiator mount steel isn’t beyond saving. I saw a lot of these brackets for sale, so they must suffer rust out a lot?
With radiator out, the front part of engine is also a little easier to access.
