KLR

I'm in the middle of installing a new OEM radiator using the directions from clark's garage. I have everything disconnected and the original radiator is free from its mounts, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the thing out of the car from above.

Can it be removed with the distribtor cap in place? If so, how? I've tried all sorts of manipulations and just can't get it to rotate enough to come out through the gap between the distributor cap and the driver's side frame rail. Alternatively, can the radiator be removed from below if I disconnect the oil cooler lines and remove the oil cooler. I have to disconnect the lines anyway to install a KISS cooler, the oil cooler is already disconnected from the radiator support, and the oil is already drained, so this is easy to do. If this stuff were out of the way, could I just drop the radiator out of the bottom of the car?

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PorscheDoc

Go out the bottom with it.

KLR

If I disconnect the oil cooler lines and remove the oil cooler, is there adequate room to remove it from the bottom?

I tried removing the mount below the radiator (see pic below) once I was able to tilt the radiator out and lift it a couple of inches, but the sucker wouldn't come out after I took the two bolts off of either side. The mount seems to be pinned in by something above it.

TRP951

On my old n/a that I had I lifted the rad and then tilted the bottom out and went out the bottom

ApexCars

I just finished taking mine out. It doesn't seem like it will come out the bottom, but it does. I assume that you have the fans out. You won't have to remove the oil cooler lines. After you remove the bolts from the bottom plate, push up on the plate and push it toward the back of the car. Once you get one side out, you can wiggle it around and get the other side. It takes some determination. Then justt work the rad down around the other lines and hoses and out the bottom. Believe me, I had problems also. I think the clark's writeup is good but it needs a little more info. I don't recall it ever saying anything about the bottom support bracket.

Anyway, just keep wiggling it and it will come.

PorscheDoc

Those bolts in the picture you show do not need to be removed. That panel stays there. You just lift and push the bottom of the radiator off of that crossbrace.

Ski

You can also loosen up the top bolts, remove the rubber mount insulators and lean it back and tack out the top. That's pretty easy.

TRACKIN951

Taking it out the top is easy. Just remover the distributor(2screws) and coolant crossover pipe and she should come out granted you followed the rest of the directions. Fans have to be off as well. Thats how I did it at least!
trackin951

hp18racer

I did exactly as TRACKIN951 did with mine. Clark's messages look like they are really 944 N/A specific. I found his instructions on removal and installation of the distributor very helpful.

35thSLP

I went out the top with mine when I installed my new griffin radiator.

KLR

Thanks a ton for the responses guys, it's much appreciated. I do indeed have the fans out, the coolant crossover out, and the radiator is free from it's mounts. I can lift it to the point where it hits the distributor.

So it sounds like to pull it through the top, the distributor cap must come out. I assume that if I remove the cap and leave rotor in there would be enough clearance?

To get it out of the bottom, I don't see how it could be possible on my '87 without removing the oil cooler. There is a metal pipe attached to the oil cooler that runs at an angle and blocks the path out of the bottom on the passenger side. To get the lower radiator hose connection on the radiator to clear this pipe so I could lift the radiator up a couple of inches, I already had to remove the mounting bolts for the cooler and shift it an inch or two. Given that the two mounting bolts are removed and I have to break the oil cooler lines anyway for the KISS project, should I just break the lines right now and pull the cooler out? This seems like it would be easier than going the distributor cap route. Anyone else ever do this?

Geneqco

The bottom plate is very difficult to get back in once the radiator is in position - it will probably end up with a permanent bend.

ApexCars

Mine is also an '87 and I also thought there was no way it would come out the bottom, but it did. Dropped it down and moved it toward the driver's side. I had the wheels off so that may help you. It drops down till it hits the oil hard pipe and then the drivers side should be able to wiggle down at an angle till you can slide it toward the drivers side enough to get the rad past that oil line. Pulling the distributor cap is actually very easy anyway if you want to go out the top.

skene

I pulled mine out the bottom two weeks ago. I had to undo the two bolts holding the oil cooler on and pull off the bottom bracket thing. It was a piece of cake once that was done. BTW, pulling off the distributer cap still didn't give me enough room to pull it out the top, it was binding on something and wasn't going to happen.

I had to work a good bit to get the bottom bracket back in once I had the new radiator in. I'm sure something got a bit bent doing it that way, but it all screwed together in the end.

anders44

did you guys remove front bumper to do this? or is it not needed?