Got a few miles on the car yesterday. First drive since she came home last Nov. She decided to puke coolant after only a few around town miles. It was only 74 out.
I have the base steel "barrel" type fan shroud. She does have a new clutch fan and new brass OE replacement radiator. I need to install the shroud seals that go between the shroud and the rad. They were missing. All the other seals appear to be in place (top of rad to hood etc.) But I noticed that the rad sits towards the drivers side as compared to the shroud. The shroud is to right about 3" meaning the right edge of the shroud is up against the right hand tank. Its off center. The left side of the rad hangs outside of the shroud by about 3". Is this correct?

Thanks,
Dave


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My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

Doesn't sound right, I have a 72 and don't have a metal barrel shroud its all plastic. Seals are real important to get the right cooling. If you over fill them they will puke out what they don't want, mine likes about 2-3 inches below the neck of the radiator. If you had a picture it would be easy to tell

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Remember the engine itself is off-set to the passenger side on these car. NOT 3", of course, but they are NOT centered in the frame. Can't say why your's seems so far off....
Some cars had steel shrouds, some had plastic. I forget which had what.....I'll hafta look it up.
You do need to seal the thing tho...the more air the fan pulls THRU the radiator the better....but you knew that.


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Looking in my Vette Vues fact book, you should have a plastic shrould and no external expansion tank.  So is you fill your radiator to the top, it will puke coolant until it gets it down to where it should be.  The expansion tank is actually the top couple of inches of the radiator.

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I thought only the LT1 got the full plastic shroud in 72 but I gathered that looking at the repop parts at ecklers and how they list them for which models etc. I do have the aluminum expansion tank on the pass. inner fender. The temp needle was just a smidge to right of straight up. I think straight up is 210? I'll get some pics of these parts and post em. I'd rather have the full plastic shroud for improved draw through the core. Might have to find one. She was starting to vapor lock at the gas station. Pulled in, turned it off, heat soaked for a couple minutes and she didn't want to restart. I did at the chin spoiler over the winter. That was missing. Plugs are nice and tan. Don't think she is over lean. I need to check the timing.

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My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

"She was starting to vapor lock at the gas station. Pulled in, turned it off, heat soaked for a couple minutes and she didn't want to restart"

That could be this damn ethanol we have in our gas.  My runs kinda crappy right after a heat soak until it gets some cooler gas in the carb.

Looked in my Vette Vues book again and the big block had an expansion tank, I don't see one in the base small block pics.


|UPDATED|4/8/2014 9:17:59 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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 Mine is base, air, 4 speed, conv, no tank, plastic shroud.

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The plot thickens. Well, I'm happy that I have the overflow tank even if my model was not supposed to. I'll post up the Vin and maybe Joel can tell me the production date....maybe early 72 with some 71 leftovers? On ebay I'm seeing both steel "barrel" and plastic shrouds listed for 68-72. Maybe that is just a fitment guide vs. year correct parts. But, I also see that the fan is offset to the pass. side on the plastic shrouds.....so? I'm contemplating a plastic shroud and electric pusher fan in front of the core if it fits. I have 2 unused fans laying around the shop....would be good for cruise night. 

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My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

71 was the same as 72.  Plastic shroud and no external tank.

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  Don't forget, that if "The General" didn't have a specific part on the line when the car came through, they put something else on it.  My '72 has "Astro-ventilation" windows in it, but the converts didn't have astro-ventilation.

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What the heck do ya call that big gaping hole over the top of yer head? Now THAT'S ventilation!

Convertible glass was different from the coupes, but they ALL(coupes/verts) had the "Astro Ventilation" script on them. But you are right...if the part would fit/function properly, they would substitute stuff like that. I haven't looked(been kinda busy), but I believe the above post on the use of steel/plastic shrouds is correct.




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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

OK, I took the time to peruse my NCRS judging manual.  So here goes:

Base with manual tranny ----Aluminum rad with an aluminum expansion tank.

Base w/AC and or automatic tranny & all L46------Copper rad and NO expansion tank.

Looks like it the car came with an aluminum radiator, then it had a metal shroud and and expansion tank.

Copper radiators came with the plastic shroud and no external expansion tank (except big blocks).

That's for 70, 71, and 72.

Only the base engine with a 4-speed and all the big blocks came with an expansion tank.


|UPDATED|4/9/2014 9:42:57 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Ok well now its a moot point (4 spd, no AC, base 350) since I now match OE...but here are pics I just finished editing!






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My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

Looks like your shroud fits just fine.

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  Mr. Apple,  That be "SOLAR" ventilation

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  That one sure be easier to remove than the Plastic one. If you ever did it, you'll know what I mean!

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Ok so full circle....I still need to correct the overheating. I'll pop the seals onto the shroud this weekend but I doubt that would overcome my over heating issue considering she blew here top at only 74 degrees ambient. That is a new brass core rad not aluminum.

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My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?