I am looking for thoughts on how to remove my 1967 L71's radiator to have it re-cored. After 58 years, the radiator finally blew. The car is an original car and would be a 4-bow-tie candidate if I were to go in that direction. It was judged top flight at a regional level event over 20 years ago. Though I'm not considering future judging at this point, I do want to keep it original.
Some of the advice I am getting is a bit contradictory concerning how to remover the radiator. The directions in the 67 Service manual do not note removal of the water pump as a step, but since you have to remove both the fan shroud and the radiator together, there seems to be no way past the water pump. And it's not a small gap to overcome - more like 2 inches. I recently moved to Florida, but my trusted mechanic (one of the best C2 guys in Michigan) told me that the water pump needs to come out. Yet I hear from other people that it does not.
A couple of hours trying to get the radiator/shroud out without the removal of the water pump has me believing my mechanic. So, this is more of a Hail Mary pass. Is there a silver bullet that I seem to be missing?
A couple of pictures below. The radiator and shroud ready to come out and a picture at the 2012 Eyes on Design show at the Eleanor and Edsel Ford home.
IMG_3376.jpg008.jpg
Some of the advice I am getting is a bit contradictory concerning how to remover the radiator. The directions in the 67 Service manual do not note removal of the water pump as a step, but since you have to remove both the fan shroud and the radiator together, there seems to be no way past the water pump. And it's not a small gap to overcome - more like 2 inches. I recently moved to Florida, but my trusted mechanic (one of the best C2 guys in Michigan) told me that the water pump needs to come out. Yet I hear from other people that it does not.
A couple of hours trying to get the radiator/shroud out without the removal of the water pump has me believing my mechanic. So, this is more of a Hail Mary pass. Is there a silver bullet that I seem to be missing?
A couple of pictures below. The radiator and shroud ready to come out and a picture at the 2012 Eyes on Design show at the Eleanor and Edsel Ford home.
IMG_3376.jpg008.jpg
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