Tell me if this rad will fit

[SUX2BU99]

Stock rad from an 84 'Burb 3/4 ton with a 454, so that should be the big boy. My rad is a stock, single core I believe. My core support is currently from a 90 'Burb but the rad fit my previous 85 core support. My shroud is the one that splits in 1/2 which I think is from a 76-77. I don't know what year my rad is from. I do know it's got copper core and brass tanks. My frame is from a 70's truck so it could be a 70's rad or an 80's rad (my truck is originally an 81).

Anyway, I jsut want to know if I'm going to have to buy the shroud as well or if the one I have is okay. I'm sure the core support will fit the rad just fine right?

[HAULIN IT]

Sux, That should be the tall rad...it uses the flat top plate & One piece shroud. I don't recall ever seeing a Two piece shroud for the tall rad, but it may exist. I'm thinking you'll need to get the correct top plate & either get the other shroud or make a filler plate to go down the couple inches to hold the top of your existing one. Good Luck, Lorne
 Here is a picture of the correct 454 stuff for a mid '80's truck

[SUX2BU99]

Thanks Lorne. I appreciate the info. I picked up a 4-core rad from a 90 1-ton on Saturday. I got the top plate too. One thing though, it has an additional port on the passenger side of the rad that the guy said went to the heater. I need to plug that and he said just get a short length of hose, clamp it to that stub and then put a brass plug in the end. Do you know anything about that and what I should do with it??

Also, can I use CLR as a flushing agent to clean the rad??

Thanks!

[Swims350]

yea the newer rads anymore all have the heater hose port on them. When you buy them they come with a thick rubber plug that goes over it like a large vac. cap and clamp it on, it's thick rubber just like a heater hose. Might be easier for you to put a heater hose to it and plug the water pump with a pipe thread plug.

[SUX2BU99]

If I do that, what size would the pipe plug be on the water pump?

[Swims350]

I think it's a 1/2 npt. Then you can take that hose and run it to the radiator but you might need a longer hose.

[SUX2BU99]

Which hose at the firewall connection? Upper or lower?

[Swims350]

not sure do you have ac or no? I can try to look at pics of my old mans 84 his is non ac and his goes to the radiator.

well we might have switched them around on his truck, some of the older pics of his truck when it had a 305 and when they went from core to intake and water pump they were opposite of the way it looks now. looks like the way it was before the top hose went to the water pump and now it's the bottom hose that goes to the radiator, I think we had it wrong there somewhere or maybe somebody else did.

[HAULIN IT]

Sux, Here are a couple pic's...Hope this helps.
 The "extra" hose nipple is best plugged with a pipe plug (3/8" or 1/2" threads right in, I did put a rubber cap on also, however they seem to be real cheap anymore & you can allmost watch them dry rot. 
 I did pretty much understand what you were doing with the short shroud I think, however that doesn't seem like the right thing to do (assuming I was understanding correctly), splitting the Two halves will fix your mounting points, but will make the hole for the fan too big & high.
 Check with the dealer. Those parts (top plate & shroud were available not too long ago...well maybe it's been a little longer than I think, but check. My stuff was bought new from the local dealer in the late '90's
 If your set on "rigging" yours, a plate from the tall rad mounting holes, down at an angle (to line up with the area closest to the engine) would close it off, but allow the air to draw through the whole rad.   
 The bottom holes (like you mentioned) are in the same spots, just the top is different. Lorne


This is the '80's 454 shroud

The only real differences between the '70's shroud & the '80's shroud is the center bolt on the top & the newer one bolts in on the bottom & the older one uses the metal clips.

   

[SUX2BU99]

Thanks Lorne. I didn't see your post last night when I was doing the install but I got it figured out. The top plate bolted in no problem once I straightened out the top seam of my rad support. Rad dropped in nicely. I didn't have any bottom saddles for it to sit on so I took some 3/8" fuel hose and cut 4 lengths of it to sit where the saddles go, and that's what the rad sits on. Put a strip of Goop on them to make them stay put although I'm sure they will with the weight of that big boy rad on there.

Those 3 top bolts that are visible at the backside of the rad that go in the top plate, what are those holding? I didn't have those bolts and am using the top plate as the 'clamp' to hold the rad in, with the 4 bolts that go into the top of the core support. It seems to be holding solid.

I asked the original seller of the BB rad if I could buy the shroud as well but he said the shroud is too short for my fan, since BB engines are longer and it would put my fan outside of the shroud. That made sense so I didn't buy the one he had. I separated the bottom and top halves of my shroud which was easily enough since they were just joined with heavy staples.  The bottom half went in and I really couldn't see how I could access the bolts to hold it in and I don't think I have the speed clips anyway so I just double zap-strapped it  The top 1/2 went in well too, once I cut the horizontal top of the shroud off. It mates up well to the rad top plate. To use the holes in the corner of the shroud there and get it to bolt to the top plate I would need 2" or so thick spacers which I didn't have so again the zap straps were used. And finally to join the 2 halves together, I just drilled two holes on each side of the top 1/2, since there were holes in the bottom 1/2 already due to the alignment nubs, and once again, zap straps came to my aid Bolts of course would be better and I will do that but time was an issue here.  Everything is in solid and my fan clears everything. It's a little close at the bottom and there is a large gap at the top so it's not perfectly centered in the hole but I'm sure it's better than no shroud at all. I took some pics and will post them.

I know where to get a new BB shroud for $50 online and that's what the guy wanted for his used one so that's not a huge deal. Do you think the fan thing makes sense?

I also discovered the rad had a leak so I took it to a local shop where they fixed the leak, cut off that extra heater port and soldered a patch on it and pressure tested it all for $75.  

[HAULIN IT]

Those 3 top bolts that are visible at the backside of the rad that go in the top plate, what are those holding? I didn't have those bolts and am using the top plate as the 'clamp' to hold the rad in, with the 4 bolts that go into the top of the core support. It seems to be holding solid.  

The 3 bolts on the top now hold my plate for the electric fan assy. Originally they are the 3 that hold the top of the shroud in place, I don't see any good reason they wouldn't be there.

I asked the original seller of the BB rad if I could buy the shroud as well but he said the shroud is too short for my fan, since BB engines are longer and it would put my fan outside of the shroud. That made sense so I didn't buy the one he had. Do you think the fan thing makes sense? 

The big block shroud would be a bit farther away from the fan, but it wouldn't be all that much. If it was there...I would have grabbed it. I guess that's how I ended up with the different ones in the picture 
 Not to pick at you, but personally, I'd like to see you "finish" it off a bit better...Get the correct clips, bolts, shroud  ect. You started the "tall rad. swap", make it a quality "tall rad. swap". Just my Two Cents, Lorne