I'm posting this as a helpful hint for removing and installing a radiator in a 1974 L82 Corvette. No matter what I read online or seen in online videos there was no way that I could remove or reinstall the radiator, without breaking something, by myself.

The only way I could get the fan shroud and the radiator in or out was to remove the hood. After trying everything else that was suggested I marked the hinges and with help removed the hood. With the hood out of the way I removed all the bolts but the bottom ones for the radiator support and swung it forward at the top. It was then a very easy job to remove the radiator and the fan shroud and replace it without damaging anything. Even through I marked the hood hinge placement the hood needed to be realigned. I purchased the hood alinement tool Item #: TL-179 from ZIP, which made the aligning the hood a easy job.  Another hint is to have at least three people help with the hood. It makes it a easier and safer managing the hood which is not heavy but awkward to handle.

Greg 

Glad you were able to get it handled. I have remove the raditator on my '74 by myself without having to remove the hood....but it was frustrating. The side bolts for the support did NOT want to give, and I wasn't about to start twisting them off, so I managed to go a different route, removing the fan/clutch, and the shroud would come out far enough to squeak the raditator out ...but it did fight me. I have also installed the hood on it once by myself.....won't be doing that again either....lol

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I did tried with the fan/clutch removed but there was no way it was going to come out that way. There was not enough clearance with the shroud hitting the upper control arms to remove the radiator and leave the shroud in place. 

I have pulled the radiator on my '75 a number of times, and the easiest way I have found it to pull it, the shroud and entire core-support together as a unit.  I could not get the lower radiator hose fitting to clear the suspension any other way.

I tried to do it this way and I couldn't get it all to move together. By removing the hood I was able to move the top of the support far enough forward that it was just a matter of lifting the radiator out and replacing without difficulty. It seems that each individual car has it oddities that dictate different methods. Why that is I don't understand, they should all be the same.

Removing the bolt & washer from the upper control arm front bushing on the passenger side gives enough room to eek the shroud past the control arm...

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"

You did better than me.  I bought my car 20 years ago with a bad radiator - first thing I did to it was replace it.  It took me several days and I was beyond frustrated.  (before this forum existed) I ended up breaking the shroud - a mixture of an accident and frustration.  I was fortunate that the break was pretty clean and also fortunate that I worked for a company at the time that fabricated in aluminum.  The guys in the shop made me up some top and bottom brackets to bolt it all up back together.  To this day I have the same "custom two piece" shroud that now makes it a piece of cake to get it and the radiator out, without removing the hood.