I purchased a new radiator and when we slid it down the drivers side bottom went into rubber on bottom, but on passenger side bottom I believe it was off 1/4 inch and would not fit into rubber any suggestions

 

Is this a factory radiator or aftermarket? Do you have the measurements of the tanks, distance between the rib that fits down into the rubber saddle?


John

 

The car mentioned is a 1972 olds 442

 

It is aftermarket and I dont have the measurements, cars at another site, Looked t brcket and it looks like it is welded. Thanks

 

My guess is you have the wrong radiator. The bottom bracket is welded in place, but more difficult to modify is the top plate. I think you'd be better off returning the radiator and getting the correct application. If you don't have an old radiator to measure let us know and one of us can measure ours and send that to you.



John

 

Thanks for your help I do have old radiator, just put it away. I took my old one to local radiator shop so he would order correct one. I never thought to check the distance on bottom of radiator. Problem Is I bought this awhile ago and not sure if they will exchange, nothing ever seems to go right. I didn,t even check top bracket, don,t think I want to. Thanks again

 

Yeah, most of us have been there at some time or the other. Purchase something expecting to install it soon, but don't. Then if there's a problem we're eating it.

If he won't take it back at least you could find out what it does fit and sell it on ebay. You'll likely have to sell it for less than you paid, but at least you would recover some of your costs. John

 

Thanks again,Ill let u know how I make out

 

Hi John, We pulled the old radiator out to compare and it was close, so we tried again and it's not perfect but The bottom bracket is completely in the rubber so it should be ok. Thanks for your help. John

 

On another note I just had a headliner installed that we purchased from ACME out of California. The Problem is it is a little saggy in some spots. The guy who did it said that when the car is closed and heats up in sun that it will shrink some. He had a piece of paper that said the tighter the better. but not to panic that it will shrink. The guy said if it does not tighten bring it back, but I have glass out now and did not want to try and fix after putting glass back in. Thanks John

 

I saw a guy in Mexico that had just installed a head liner in a car (on the street, at the curb) and all he did was to light a sheet of newspaper and with a small flame, four to six inches, waved it all over the interior without touching the headliner and that caused it to shrink and it looked pretty good when he was finished

 

Sorry, but I do not buy the it will shrink when the door/windows are closed. To me that seem contrary to the laws of science. Heat expands/cold contracts?

 

for wrinkles in a headliner use a hairdryer or industrial heat gun. I would also see if the bottom radiator rubber heal can stretch for a better fit if that is what you are talking about.

 

LOL 3 words heat shrink tubing

I have also read that heat shrinks headliners.

does the manufacturer have a website that may yield some helpful info if heat is the reccomendation as suggected above a hairdryer or heat gun will do the job

 

I always wondered why heat shrink tubing seems to defy the rules of physics. Never made sense to me, so I did some research & found the answer. As the plastic/rubber molecules heat up, they move around rapidly & get tangled with other molecules & get wrapped in a tighter knot.