72 Eldorado Radiator Cradle - HD Cooling -vs- Std Cooling

[John McLaurine CLC 17181]

Hi CLC
Finally installed radiator cradle to frame today (Im guessing on how the outer cushions are arranged), only to find out my radiator wont fit in my cradle!  But Im pretty sure I know why, my Eldorado originally came with HD cooling, the cradle I have (long story, its a replacement cradle, I dont have the original anymore) must have come from a std. cooling equipped car.  (See long story below)

Parts book shows same PN for both std and HD cooling - (1.270 -- 3515466) with an annotation that rework is required for HD cooling cars.  Can anyone shed some light here?  What rework is required?   I know the bottom channel (of the cradle)  will need widening to allow the radiator to fit flush down into the bottom channe... I think this is where the rework is required, as my radiator wont fit down flush into the channel.  I vaguely recall my original cradle had been modified (by the factory i seems?) 

Long story:  Back when I started disassembling my Eldo over a decade ago, I discovered that it had been in a collision - front right fender different color (under the el cheapo paint job) and the cradle in the right front (battery box area) was tweaked moderately bad.  I happened to be in AZ a few months later for work, so I arranged an extra day travel time and went to DVAP - cool place btw! - to get another cradle and some other misc pieces.  Upon arrival of the replacement cradle, I disposed of my original one (one mistake of many I have made). I have since learned that there were two cradle arrangements for this vintage Eldorado - Heavy Duty / trailer-towing equipped and standard cooling.  My Eldo has (had) the HD cooling option.  Well, fast forward about 12 years and Im finally getting around to installing the cradle back on the car.  Only to find out the one I have is a standard cooling cradle.  But the parts book only lists one PN for both HD and Std cooling, so Im wondering what I need to do to get my radiator to fit into this new (old) cradle.

Pic 1:  The cradle finally back in its place!
Pic 2: Closeup of petcock drain - cant really tell, but radiator isnt sitting flush in the channel- too wide perhaps?
Pic 3: Other side of radiator (drivers side) - in addition to not fitting in the channel, it would seem the angled reinforcements might be the problem?  Does rework mean I need to cut these out?  The flange where the tanks attach to the core is where contact is occuring.
Pic 4: This obviously wont work


thanks a bunch
John McLaurine

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

John,
I'll go out and look at mine in the AM, but it is obvious that something ain't Kosher.
Greg Surfas

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

John,
I can't see what the radiator is resting on on it's  from the pictures, but there should be two rubber pads that have round tabs that go into the radiator cradle.  The top hose connection (inlet) fits through the bent (upper) section with just enough clearance for the hose to fit and the drain petcock fits snugly in the lower cradle with just enough space to turn the petcock.
From your pictures it looks like the radiator is setting too high.  Is there something holding it up?
Is it remotely possible that you have the wrong radiator?
When it comes to the difference between standard and HD radiators, it is in the core thickness  and the dimensions of height and width are the same.
Greeg Surfas

[TJ Hopland]

Are you sure you have the correct cradle?   I know they made significant changes up front there for 73.   I would imagine that its also possible that an Eldo and C car were different. 

I thought the HD cooling was a 3 row vs a 4 row radiator and a different fan but I could be wrong. 
I thought even the tank size was the same between the 3 and 4 row so the mounts would be the same.     

[John McLaurine CLC 17181]

Greg - I removed the rubber pads, thinking that might be the reason why the radiator wasnt sitting flush.  I need to remember to put them back.

Also, maybe I wasnt clear in my ramblings, but this radiator is the same radiator that fitted the original cradle.  I changed cradles, but not the radiator.

The cradle did change for the 73 and up, but when I was at the yard, I made sure to pick one from a 71/72, I guess they could have sent me a different one, but it looks like the proper cradle according to the blurry diagram in the parts book.  Anybody know if the cradle has a PN stamped on it?  If so, where?

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

John,
It may just be the picture, but mine doesn't seem to have as great a "bow" in it.
Greg Surfas

[John McLaurine CLC 17181]

Heres the page from the parts book.  Various pieces are different depnding on HD or Std cooling.

john

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

John,
Is the radiator cradle too narrow for the radiator to drop the extra inch and one half it sits too high?  It appears from your pictures that is the case and the cradle might be "opened up just a bit where the two tanks set inot it.
Greg Surfas

[John McLaurine CLC 17181]

Greg,
That is exactly the problem.  I need to widen the cradle where the radiator is too wide, which is the tank-core flanges.

Parts book even has a note saying that rework is required for the HD cooling, I was just wondering if anyone knew what this meant.

For now, Im thinking I will break out the ol Dremel tool and cut some notches in the lower cradle/channel and see what that gets me.

John

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

When the Factory mention something like "Re-working" a part, that is exactly what they mean.

Modify, and if you can get hold of a copy of the "Serviceman", that covers this sort of thing, it will describe the steps, and how much metal to remove, and or replace after removing.

Bruce.

[Joe G 12138]

     I find this string interesting, although too late to help me as I sold the car several years ago. I ordered a new radiator for a '72 Eldorado. I found it very tight, and it sat like your pictures and kind of wedged in the cradle, ; didn't want to drop down. I called the supplier. He asked me the standard questions" With Air Conditioning? Convertible?  That's a heavy duty. That's what I sent you!  Rechecked part number on carton, re-measured, etc. Vendor said part was right: it was mine to deal with.
     I ended up slightly bending lower edges of cradle outwards. Still was binding. Then It got stuck so I couldn't get it in OR out, in the position like your picture. So, it appeared that if I was about to cause some damage either going in or out, so what's to lose? I greased up the cradle and applied excessive force and jammed that thing in there, thinking that the next guy to pull it will be cussing me out severely. It will have to be cut out with a sawzall most likely.
    I'm not recommending doing this. It's a miracle the thing didn't leak. But now I know why I was having the problem......2 different cradles!
    Great forum.....always something to learn!
                Joe Gibeault