Tools Needed:
- Basic hand tools
- Die Grinder
- Hammer
- Files – round & flat
- Channel Lock pliers
Parts Used:
- Griffin Pro Series aluminum radiator.
- Dual 1″ cores. 31×19″ universal fit.
- Part number 125272.
- Longer lower fan mounting bolts
- Washers for new fan mounting bolts. 4. 3/8″ thick rubber pads
- Monkey shit (I have no idea what the real name is, but it’s more or less sticky goopy crap that comes on a paper roll)
Note:
This set of instructions assumes that you have basic mechanical skills. This procedure assumes that you can do basic removal and reinstallation yourself. If you’ve got the abilities to do this custom work, you’ve got the ability to figure out how to get the simple stuff done on your own. If you intend to use the heater in your car, you will need to have an aluminum 3/4″ OD tubular fitting welded to the radiator to attach your heater core hose. This should only be done by somebody that is very experienced in welding aluminum. The fitting must be TIG welded with a 4043 rod. The radiator is made from 3003 aluminum. It’s important to tack a spot and allow it to cool, and continue that process until the fitting is welded all the way around. If too much heat gets into the radiator, it will crystalize the epoxy that seals the tanks to the core. Measure the location of your stock fitting and ensure that the corresponding location that you choose on the new radiator will not interfere with your condenser lines.
Procedure:
- Drain the coolant.
- On TPI Camaros, you will need to remove the stock airbox including the MAF and the rubber boot.
- Remove radiator fan, and all coolant hoses attached to the radiator.
- Remove the radiator.
- If you have air conditioning, Cut the rubber radiator mounts out of the lower radiator tray. Do this without screwing up the part of the mount that the condenser sits in. Cut in front of the vertical part or there won’t be anything preventing the bottom of the condenser from moving toward the radiator. If you don’t have air, just pull out the lower mounts.
- Try test fitting the radiator. Adjust the power steering lines as necessary (You’ll probably have to push them back, and toward the center of the car in order to provide enough room for the radiator tank.
- Once the radiator is sitting in the bottom of the tray, as far toward the firewall as possible, mark the lip on the lower radiator tray where the tanks & the welds touch.
- Use the die grinder to grind the lip on the lower radiator mount approximately 1/4″ inboard from your markings. Once you cut the lip, use the channel lock pliers and the hammer to bend the lip down.
- Use the rubber pads to make the lower radiator mounts. cut slots into them to fit over the ridges on the radiator core, and cut 1/2 the thickness of the pad out to fit over the weld and the tank. Figure 12 shows the radiator upside down with the driver side pad installed. Monkey shit was used to hold the pad to the bottom of the radiator.
- Expect to test fit the radiator a bunch of times. You need to notch the lower pad to fit around the lip on the radiator support. This will prevent the radiator from sliding left and right. Figure 13 shows the completed pad.
- Expect to keep test fitting. You need to make sure that no part of the radiator touches any part of the car.
- Check for clearance between the tanks and the side of the car. You’ll notice that the tin that travels vertically to the top of the radiator support has a lip that comes very close to the tanks. Use the hammer to provide extra clearance if necessary.
- Position the radiator in a spot that allows proper clearances around all tight spots. Use a sharpie pen to mark the radiator and the radiator support on both sides so that you can reposition the radiator in the same place every time.
- In order to properly position the upper radiator mount, some modifications are necessary. Remove the plastic/rubber inserts that held the stock radiator.
- Cut some more rubber pads. I used the 3/8″ pads along with another 1/8″ pad in order to raise the rubber above the 2 ridges on the core. Figure 14 shows the pads installed.
- Try positioning the stock upper radiator mounting brace into position to see what needs to be cut. Most likely, you’ll need to cut the brace to make room for the tanks & welds.
- If you have a condenser installed (if you have air conditioning, you have a condenser), you’ll already have rubber pads to keep the radiator from hitting the upper radiator support beam. If not, you will need to use some of your rubber to make some. You don’t want the radiator to hit the radiator support beam!
- Check the 4 screw holes in the front. Chances are, you’ll have to slot them approximately 1/4″ to 3/8″.
- If your cutting, hammering and rubber-pad making all wound up being around the same height as mine, that top piece should fit pretty well. Keep in mind that variations may cause yours to fit a little (or a lot) differently than mine did.
- Installing the fan is your next hurdle. You can mount the lower fan mounting bracket in the stock location, but shorten the stock bolts as necessary. Figure 19 is not terribly clear, but it shows that the stock bolt is dangerously close to the radiator. Figure 20 shows 3 bolts. The one on the right is the stock bolt. The bolt on the left is cut too short. The bolt in the center is the correct length for my application.
- When you slide the fan into place, place it BEHIND the lip on the radiator support, not in front of it like you would do with a stock radiator. If you slide it in front, it will contact the radiator. Figure 22 shows the relative position of the fan once installed. You will need bolts that are approximately 1/2″ longer than stock. I used 2 spare bolts that originally held my TPI runners to the intake manifold. Figure 23 shows the stock fan bolt on the right, and the new one with a new washer on the left. If everything does not line up 100% in your application, you can remove the nuts from the upper and lower fan mounts and slot the holes to gain a little extra slack. You can also slot the bolt holes in the fan. In my case, this was not necessary.
- Finish putting everything back together, fill up your coolant and go for a ride!
This information is provided as a guide. It is not my responsibility if you damage your car or yourself by following these directions. If you do not feel that you are capable of performing this modification, leave it to a professional. If for nothing else, reading this will help you to appreciate why the installation is going to cost so much!