Installing new radiator today.. can I leave the condenser in and/or prop it up?

[Jeff K]

I'm installing the new radiator today, I'd like to keep the condenser in place (more or less) so I do not have to disconnect the hoses and lose the freon. Is this possible? It's bolted on to the radiator by 4 small bolts it seems.

Any tips?
Thanks
Jeff

[DMCMW Dave]

I'm installing the new radiator today, I'd like to keep the condenser in place (more or less) so I do not have to disconnect the hoses and lose the freon. Is this possible? It's bolted on to the radiator by 4 small bolts it seems.

Any tips?
Thanks
Jeff

Yes, it is. Rotate the whole assembly so that what was on the passenger side is now on the ground. Leave the freon lines connected to the condenser. Replace your radiator and rotate it back up in place in one piece. You might have to cut a zip-tie or two but there is plenty of freon hose to do this.

[stevedmc]

I removed/reinstalled my radiator a week or so ago and basically did what Dave said with no condenser problems at all.

[David T]

You may have to cut the studs/bolts holding the condenser to the radiator. Do not let everything hang on the hoses. Tie it up to keep the strain off the hoses and fittings. Be gentle with the condenser, it is only soft aluminum. You get more room if you take off the sway bar brackets to the crumple zone and let the sway bar drop.
David Teitelbaum

[Jeff K]

Thanks everyone for all the great input. That worked perfectly! :wiggle: I rotated it to the side, propped it up on a piece of wood and attached the radiator/fan unit. Dropping the sway bar helped immensely too.

I filled it up and bled the system, working fine! I just have put the shroud back on! (uugghh)

Jeff

[Henrik]

I'm replacing my radiator but I'm having the hardest time removing the radiator shroud (http://store.delorean.com/p-9672-radiator-duct.aspx). Does it have to be removed to get the radiator outta there (I believe the answer is yes)?

The good and bad news is that it is perfectly fitted onto the body but this also gives it no wiggle room to shimmy it loose. It shows as a two piece unit on DMC's website. My unit is one piece which may explain why it is hard to get out.

Let me hear from all of you that have done this before.

[kings1527]

I'm replacing my radiator but I'm having the hardest time removing the radiator shroud (http://store.delorean.com/p-9672-radiator-duct.aspx). Does it have to be removed to get the radiator outta there (I believe the answer is yes)?

The good and bad news is that it is perfectly fitted onto the body but this also gives it no wiggle room to shimmy it loose. It shows as a two piece unit on DMC's website. My unit is one piece which may explain why it is hard to get out.

Let me hear from all of you that have done this before.

Hi Henrik,

Very easy to do. The repro pieces are two-piece like Houston's website shows and you have the original one-piece. It's basically bent/folded in strategic areas and tucked in place. When you have the surrounding nuts removed from where you can see them holding the shroud in place, just pull it out. It takes a little bit of effort but you'll just slightly bend it and pull it out. I think this is the reason why they went to the two-piece: less manipulation on the piece itself.

[SS Spoiler]

I had the one piece shroud also, ended up broken so I yanked it off. Because I went with a three core radiator
I figured it wasn't needed. So far no sign of overheating. Maybe it helps that I live about 60 miles from Canada....


Paul Cerny #2691
Kalispell, MT

[Henrik]

Very easy to do.

It certainly wasn't easy; maybe it was the cold temps that made it stiff, but after quite a bit of manhandling it eventually came out. Re-assembly with the new radiator looks very straightforward. Thanks.

[Henrik]

I figured it wasn't needed. So far no sign of overheating.

I'm in Texas so once that shroud goes back on I will make sure it is as well-sealed as I can possibly make it.

[dn010]

Mine is a PITA to remove as well, it is a lot of bending the plastic but eventually it will finally break free when you've got it in the right position. It is especially worse if you've got rusted rivnuts with the bolts only half out of them as well, that is my next project! I think it is easier to reinstall then it is to remove the shroud, mine is a 1 piece shroud as well.

[DMCMW Dave]

Note that when you reinstall it the top two rivnuts appear to be in the wrong place. They are. Sometimes the factory guys put a couple of roof hinge shims on the bolt to hit the shroud, but the shroud is such a tight fit there it isn't particularly necessary.

Also the factory used stainless screws into aluminum rivnuts on those 4 bolts, which happens to provide an excellent example of why stainless bolts into the engine are a bad idea. They will never come out on cars that were exposed to water under there.

[dn010]

Also the factory used stainless screws into aluminum rivnuts on those 4 bolts, which happens to provide an excellent example of why stainless bolts into the engine are a bad idea. They will never come out on cars that were exposed to water under there.

That is good to know! Guess this means mine was altered at one point since I have a nasty rusted mess that I have yet to cut out & clean up...:sad30:

[Henrik]

Note that when you reinstall it the top two rivnuts appear to be in the wrong place. They are.

Yes, I noted exactly that. I can see how hard this must have been to design with a proper alignment given that this was pre-CAD and 3D solid modeling.


... but the shroud is such a tight fit there it isn't particularly necessary.

Yep, it's supertight so no fasteners needed in that place.

[DMCMW Dave]

Yes, I noted exactly that. I can see how hard this must have been to design with a proper alignment given that this was pre-CAD and 3D solid modeling..

The part I find amusing is to consider the production process. The fiberglass tub is molded as two huge fiberglass pieces and joined together. At some point in the process they overlay the tub with a drilling jig, i.e. a form with a bunch of holes in it, that a worker uses as a guide to drill all the holes in the body. At the next station, someone installs all the rivnuts.

It appears to me that the factory never corrected the problem. It would have taken someone to drill a couple of new holes in the jig and fill or mark the ones not to use. Either nobody on the factory floor ever complained, or they never thought it enough of a problem to deal with. Which is wasn't.

[John U]

So when I end up breaking the small studs that attach the Rad to the condenser, what is the best way to reattach the rad? Drill out the studs on the condenser and use bolts?