I found a shop in Anoka, in the old NAPA store building. "Tom's Radiators"
Went up there today and dropped off my original '65 2-row Harrison. We chatted awhile and Tom showed me some of his work. (I don't know jack about recoring a radiator, but the massive Mopar unit he just finished and showed me looked beautiful).
He's going to re-use my top & bottom tanks, and the steel-wrap mounting flange (with my electric fan mounts). He'll install a new 3-row core, and do a little "custom/stealthy" work for me.
The LT-1 uses a closed-loop/recovery cooling system (the stock Impala/Roadie radiators have no pressure cap or fill bung). He's going to close off the '65 radiator cap opening with a brass disc, and in this disc will be an "air-bleed" fitting. I'll cannibalize a radiator cap (cut the inner spring/gasket/sealing thing off) and this will just be a cover for the air-bleed.
Quote: $420... Not too bad considering I can get a new 3-row (non-Harrison) from any of the Chevelle suppliers - without my mounts or air-bleed - for $375 - $395 PLUS Shipping.
Hindsight is 20/20 I probably should have had the dang thing DONE when I did the conversion - and not missed Rock Falls, or a few days cruising, or the clean-up of the engine, or....
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 14, 2011
Sounds like he knows what he's doing and should do a good job. Price doesn't sound out of line for today's prices. I have $500 in my Harrison look-a-like 4 row and shroud with shipping for the '66...
Chris R said
Jun 14, 2011
Its nice to know there are still shops out there like this. These type of radiator shops used to be on every corner.
jim larson said
Jun 15, 2011
Lost in the 60s wrote:
Sounds like he knows what he's doing and should do a good job. Price doesn't sound out of line for today's prices. I have $500 in my Harrison look-a-like 4 row and shroud with shipping for the '66...
Mitch, did you go with a fan clutch or the standard 4 blade fan with a spacer? If spacer, where did you find an aftermarket spacer with a height of about 1 3/8"? Thanks.
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 15, 2011
jim larson wrote:
Mitch, did you go with a fan clutch or the standard 4 blade fan with a spacer? If spacer, where did you find an aftermarket spacer with a height of about 1 3/8"? Thanks.
I bought a 4 blade and 7/8 spacer at the Buick swap meet a couple weeks ago. 1 3/8 would put the fan too close to the rad.
jim larson said
Jun 15, 2011
Lost in the 60s wrote:
jim larson wrote:
Mitch, did you go with a fan clutch or the standard 4 blade fan with a spacer? If spacer, where did you find an aftermarket spacer with a height of about 1 3/8"? Thanks.
I bought a 4 blade and 7/8 spacer at the Buick swap meet a couple weeks ago. 1 3/8 would put the fan too close to the rad.
Thanks, on my 4 blade fan without a shroud, the original spacer is 2 1/4". With the shroud its suppose to have a spacer just ulnder 1 3/8". With the 66 Eaton fan clutch the back of the fan blade sits about 1 3/8" from the water pump hub. But I have the short water pump. Do you have the long water pump for the later years?
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 15, 2011
Short pump and correct pulleys. The fan is just a little over half way into the shroud, which I've read is about right.
jim larson said
Jun 16, 2011
Lost in the 60s wrote:
Short pump and correct pulleys. The fan is just a little over half way into the shroud, which I've read is about right.
If you ever run into a 3857042 spacer about 1 19/16" height and have no use for it, I'd be interested. Right now I have a factory 3 row Harrison and brackets, repro 66BB fan shroud, factory short pump, and factory pulley , factory eaton fan clutch and factory fan blade. Blade sits a little more than 1/2 way into shroud. Trying to decide if I should have the fan clutch rebuilt (runs about $200 plus shipping). So thinking about going back to the 4 blade fan (which I also have) and then I would need that spacer to use the shroud. If I don't use the shroud then I would use the 3876828 (2 15/32") spacer.
I just put a repo fan clutch in to see if it works any better than the eaton clutch. Mounting height is 1.4" from Hayden. There catalog has the wrong clutch listed for the 66 BB. The one they list is for the SB. The one they list for the 65-66 BB corvette is the correct one for the 66-68 chevelle BB.
Your spacer measurement is confusing to me; but then you have a 4 row aftermarket radiator. I know the 4 row is approximately 5/8" thicker than the 3 row; but thought the mounting brackets used to mount the radiator to the radiator support were the same and the shroud was the same.
SShink said
Jun 16, 2011
Sorry Jim and Mitch. Maybe start another thread on your cooling discussion?
Back to the original topic... John how long will it take them to rework your rad so that you can get back on the road?
John D said
Jun 16, 2011
Hopefully it'll be done this week, should be cruisin' by Monday!
John D said
Jun 21, 2011
My "new" 3-row radiator is in, and is just wonderfulness.
Tom (Tom's Radiator, Anoka) did a fabulous job .
You'd never think that "Harrison" didn't build this thing. He "un-ding'd" the top & bottom tanks, did my little custom requests, and handed me a brand-new, 45 year old radiator.
I found a shop in Anoka, in the old NAPA store building. "Tom's Radiators"
Went up there today and dropped off my original '65 2-row Harrison. We chatted awhile and Tom showed me some of his work. (I don't know jack about recoring a radiator, but the massive Mopar unit he just finished and showed me looked beautiful).
He's going to re-use my top & bottom tanks, and the steel-wrap mounting flange (with my electric fan mounts). He'll install a new 3-row core, and do a little "custom/stealthy" work for me.
The LT-1 uses a closed-loop/recovery cooling system (the stock Impala/Roadie radiators have no pressure cap or fill bung). He's going to close off the '65 radiator cap opening with a brass disc, and in this disc will be an "air-bleed" fitting. I'll cannibalize a radiator cap (cut the inner spring/gasket/sealing thing off) and this will just be a cover for the air-bleed.
Quote: $420... Not too bad considering I can get a new 3-row (non-Harrison) from any of the Chevelle suppliers - without my mounts or air-bleed - for $375 - $395 PLUS Shipping.
Hindsight is 20/20
I probably should have had the dang thing DONE when I did the conversion - and not missed Rock Falls, or a few days cruising, or the clean-up of the engine, or....
Sounds like he knows what he's doing and should do a good job. Price doesn't sound out of line for today's prices. I have $500 in my Harrison look-a-like 4 row and shroud with shipping for the '66...
Its nice to know there are still shops out there like this. These type of radiator shops used to be on every corner.
Mitch, did you go with a fan clutch or the standard 4 blade fan with a spacer? If spacer, where did you find an aftermarket spacer with a height of about 1 3/8"? Thanks.
Thanks, on my 4 blade fan without a shroud, the original spacer is 2 1/4". With the shroud its suppose to have a spacer just ulnder 1 3/8". With the 66 Eaton fan clutch the back of the fan blade sits about 1 3/8" from the water pump hub. But I have the short water pump. Do you have the long water pump for the later years?
Short pump and correct pulleys. The fan is just a little over half way into the shroud, which I've read is about right.
If you ever run into a 3857042 spacer about 1 19/16" height and have no use for it, I'd be interested. Right now I have a factory 3 row Harrison and brackets, repro 66BB fan shroud, factory short pump, and factory pulley , factory eaton fan clutch and factory fan blade. Blade sits a little more than 1/2 way into shroud. Trying to decide if I should have the fan clutch rebuilt (runs about $200 plus shipping). So thinking about going back to the 4 blade fan (which I also have) and then I would need that spacer to use the shroud. If I don't use the shroud then I would use the 3876828 (2 15/32") spacer.
I just put a repo fan clutch in to see if it works any better than the eaton clutch. Mounting height is 1.4" from Hayden. There catalog has the wrong clutch listed for the 66 BB. The one they list is for the SB. The one they list for the 65-66 BB corvette is the correct one for the 66-68 chevelle BB.
Your spacer measurement is confusing to me; but then you have a 4 row aftermarket radiator. I know the 4 row is approximately 5/8" thicker than the 3 row; but thought the mounting brackets used to mount the radiator to the radiator support were the same and the shroud was the same.
Back to the original topic... John how long will it take them to rework your rad so that you can get back on the road?
My "new" 3-row radiator is in, and is just wonderfulness.
Tom (Tom's Radiator, Anoka) did a fabulous job
.
You'd never think that "Harrison" didn't build this thing. He "un-ding'd" the top & bottom tanks, did my little custom requests, and handed me a brand-new, 45 year old radiator.
See y'all at North St. Paul!