Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

From below: Alternator mounted low and deep TH350 aluminum pan. :metal:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

C10 back on the ground. Daughter-in-law just loves what I did to her brand new 65-foot RV pad.

Good ol' Grandpa. :lol:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:metal: Right on Mac!!! Lookin' Good!!!!

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

OK Mac, how about some remnant metal laying around, like square stock. Or go get some in a width close to but greater than the radiator and then saw off a couple pieces an inch wide, cut out one side and make your own 'U'. Drill 'em and bolt 'em in. Another thought,:lol:.

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:smoke:

Yep - and that could easily be accomplished at the shop - even with some aluminum bar stock. What I’m concerned with (and haven’t dug it out of my storage boxes yet) is the top piece that bolts to the truck - near the hood latch. Logic would dictate that the width there (radiator tank cross-section) is identical to the two lower mounts.

All surmountable with shop work, but I was actually wondering if there was an applicable after-market solution that is designed for Chevy trucks of our vintage.

The rubber trimming idea may work fine - we’ll know by the weekend. I have a tendency to over-dramatize these types of things, but I want to install it once and not start hearing a tell-tale rattle in about 5,000 miles.

I find the latter infuriating.

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Nice pics!!!

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

It sounds to me like your radiator mounts are going to have to be either altered or custom make some new ones. Ones for the factory 4 row core radiator may work, but they are hard to come by. I made some once out of 1/2" x 1" x 1/8" channel and just cut the rubber cushions in half. And yes the top radiator bracket is the same size as the lowers.

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Well, that answers that. Brought the rubber kit to work today - will see how this stuff cuts and/or grinds. Push comes to shove: Cork Tape. Really don't look forward to cutting those big rivets out to alter the original set-up.

Thanks for the input.

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

my rivets came out pretty easy.....pilot hole through the rivet, then drilled it out with a 3/8" bit, then a hammer and chisel finished them off. Just need a good sharp bit. I have a $20 set of DeWalt pilot point bits from Home Depot...they cut like butter and stay sharp

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:smoke: Well, that turned out better than I thought it would.

Band-sawed the rubber pieces with a super-fine blade and it worked!

Only had to do the two end pieces (because these pieces are jointed and relieved at the corners where they bend) that actually contact the sides of the radiator's tanks, while leaving the center part (that contacts the top and bottom) stock thickness.

Quickly learned that it's not good enough to just support the sides of a piece of rubber being shoved through a band saw, but after it is separated it tries to go down the 'rat-hole' where the blade comes down.

:lol: Put a thin piece of plywood under the rubber and cut it at the same time.

Bingo. And I didn't even lose the end of a finger! :metal:

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Thats great Mac. Glad to hear your kicking some a$$.

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Yeah - can't wait to get home and try them out. Just didn't want to do the hyper-press-fit on the brand new radiator tanks. Cut right at the base of the lead-in chamfers. These are the stock strips:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:waah: :waah: :waah:

The C10’s radiator shroud kicked my caboose on Saturday.

The placement of the radiator itself (after cutting the rubber mounts and using high-temp black silicone to fill any voids) went perfectly, all without tearing up or altering the stock "U" pieces riveted to the frame and as part of the upper support piece.

Then came the "Chicken or the Egg" routine.

My initial fan (the one from the straight six engine) is a nice S/S unit, with an extruded aluminum spacer that bolts to the water pump. Assembled it up and put a dial indicator on the pulley: Within .003 - good enough.

Put on the V-belt and adjusted the alternator. Perfect. Thanks for the belt number, BTW. Tried to slide the brand new shroud over the fan: D’oh! Same size as the opening. (Don’t ask me why I didn’t check first - cause I never do!)

Had a smaller diameter 6-blade fan from the Chevelle - with another spacer (not pressed into the fan) so we put that one up and check the run-out.

Shroud fit with about ¾" clearance all around. Messed around with the shroud mounting hardware and had to modify the very bottom of the two pieces of sheet metal coming off the radiator support - to make it fit.

Now here’s the fun part. I put four ¼" diameter S/S studs in the shroud to hold it on to the truck’s sheetmetal, already had the radiator in place and bolted in, and couldn’t get the shroud back in place - with nuts on the studs, because there was no way to tighten the nuts on the inside of the shroud housing.

Couldn’t point the studs inward on the passenger side because the battery tray gets in the way - and there’s no way to get your hand in past the fan, because with six smaller blades - from the top or the bottom approach.

Again: D’oh!

So my next idea is to put studs in the sheetmetal, use large fender washers to spread out the load on the sides of the shroud (because every one I’ve ever had starts cracking at the mount holes once the material gasses out and becomes more brittle), with some silicone in between - just for good measure.

Yes - I know: Too much drama, but the radiator’s lower hose spout wouldn’t allow me to put it in after the shr0oud was mounted.

Arrrrrrggggghhhhhh! :sumo:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Dang Mac,
Sounds like a Abbott and Costello episode...:lol:

Hope it works out and if it does post some shots of the set up.

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

True Dat. ;)

I think I'll notch the bottom of the molded shroud, where the little hose detent is - about an inch in so that the radiator's lower port can swing in without taking the shroud off at all. Just have to stop at NAPA and get some 1/4" ID fender washers to make it happen.

Don't know how you guys are mounting your fan shrouds - but this is nothing near stock.

And yes - I'll get some pics of this complication.

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

and just think...........some people call our hobby "FUN" :lol:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

And as long as the Chevelle continues to run - it will remain so.:lol:

But the minute I have to rely on it as my daily driver - it will become a major PITA. :sumo:

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:haha:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:lol::lol:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Part Number: GM AU 3972148 UX

That’s the upper radiator hose that will actually work with my new radiator and my little ‘283’ with the oil filler tube in the front and a 360 degree swivel thermostat housing.

What a quest! After trying at least 6 "stock, will work perfectly, this is the one you need" hoses - and spending 45 minutes in the last NAPA Store in my part of SoCal last night - to no avail, took a lunch time jaunt over to Original Parts Group in Seal Beach (about 15 minutes from the shop) and patiently waited 30 minutes for my turn at the counter.

The dude wrote down a couple of part numbers and took my thrashed example hose (with no markings or reference numbers to refer to) and ten minutes later emerged from their warehouse with what appears to be exactly what I need!

Customer Service: Who would have thought?

A little trimming on the thermostat housing end of this hose (about 3") and I should be able to fill the system with anti-freeze. I’m quickly running out of excuses.

Mac. :chevy:

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

:metal: (Logan's Happy for GrandPa)

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Congrats Mac.
keep the pn# for later.......

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

That hose looks a lot better than that flex hose I ran. Does the grandson help you on the truck?

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

Every chance he gets, but my daughter-in-law makes me suffer for that, severely. Guess 2-1/2 year old boys aren’t supposed to handle tools and get their hands dirty. Who knew?

;)

Re: The 283 Rebuild Begins
 

What? At that age I was throwing mudd at girls and getting into trouble most of the time.