My new firebird has an electrical fan, and the radiator is held in by bailing wire.

I cant remember what is supposed to hold the radiator in from the factory, and I am tempted to think it was the fan shroud, but Im unsure. If thats the case, I need to know what your supposed to do if you upgrade to an electrical fan?

Also, I cant for the life of me figure out what is supposed to hold the bottom in... I know this thread is useless without pics, but I dont want to pull the rad out (It seems secure right now) until I can remount it correctly.

Pictures would be fantastic!

little rubber bushings one the bottom couldn't find em on paddock though. this is the top. little rubber bushings on it too i think. https://www.paddockparts.com/Paddock/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=15541&gift=False&0=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D5%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D%2CCamaro&1=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D130%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D0%2CCamaro%20Heating%20%26%20Cooling&mscssid=003E5B99D88A641FE8AA3F16455F94D3

been 5 or 6 years since i messed with my 79, been working on 3rd gens. Hope I'm not getting them mixed up.

Yep, the radiator is squeezed between rubber mounts that fit on the edges of the side tanks. Top is held in the rubber mounts by the bolt on plate that goes across the front of the core support.

Like tom said, the rad is just sitting on the rubber mounts on the bottom ledge. The top plate bolts to the core support and holds the top of the rad with another set of rubber mounts. The radiator hoses and (if auto) the trans cooler lines help to hold it in position. the shroud bolts to the top mounting plate on top and clips into the bottom support ledge, adding further support to the radiator itself.

Small Block Part # 371189
http://www.nastyz28.com/~copo/images/rad%20support%20SB.JPG

Big Block part # 6264100
http://www.nastyz28.com/~copo/images/rad%20support%20BB.JPG

Thanks for all the swift responces, by looking through the hole where the front grill is supposed to be I can see one of the rubber feet is still there, pinched between the radiator and the core support, indicating the radiator has fallen down and forward.

All I need then is the 3 other rubber mounts and the top part, that's fantastic! Thank you all :)

If it's also gone, don't forget the fan shroud. Even though it's not really something that holds the radiator, it does help tie everything together as well as help the cooling process.

Could someone please provide a picture of the lower core support without the radiator in place?

The rubber radiator mounts, Im being told there is supposed to be something on both sides of them to keep them from shifting forward or back, but Im not 100% sure that I believe him...

If it's also gone, don't forget the fan shroud. Even though it's not really something that holds the radiator, it does help tie everything together as well as help the cooling process.
For sure, but with the aftermarket electrical fan on there, I don't know how difficult that would be to find.... or how much it would cost O.o

Small Block Part # 371189
http://www.nastyz28.com/~copo/images/rad%20support%20SB.JPG

Big Block part # 6264100
http://www.nastyz28.com/~copo/images/rad%20support%20BB.JPG


So all small block cars use part number 371189? Even the ones with HD cooling and/or AC? Specifically wondering about the later years when they all were small blocks.

Edit... Looked at my 81 isolators (pictured further down in post 13) and they look similar to the "big block" ones???

It's probably a bad idea to say "This part number is for small blocks" lots of guys run different radiators then stock. Heck I'm running a V6 cooler in front of my engine ...

That's how Energy Suspension sells their radiator isolators as well, small or big block.... http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=71711

Steel...

This is how the rubber isolators sit on the lower rad support...

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6268/rad001800x600.jpg
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4999/rad002800x600.jpg

Please ignore how filthy my rad support is. :eek: Hopefully it'll be cleaned up and painted within a month along with the rest of the front end. :bowtie:

Its strange, is this the same on a firebird as a camaro?

Also, is it removable from the core support? I am confused since I dont seem to have the same piece you do...

Should be the same. Different width rads had the rubber holders in different places, you can see the other mount spot beside the rubber in RePhil's pics. They do remove, grab and pull. If the don't fit the rad, just drill a hole in the rad support and put them where they need to be.

If you're going to keep the electric fan, you don't need the stock shroud either.

Ok, Im posting up what I have, and I dont understand why it looks so different from the other pic that has been posted up.

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/1250/downsize1.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8111/downsize2.jpg

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3407/downsize3y.jpg

It looks like if I had all four of the radiator mounts (I only have 2) and set the lower ones right up against the small tabs you can see in the first pic, then the radiator would be sitting with the bottom towards the nose, so it seems like it would almost not need a tab on the other side of the rubber mounts. I would be tempted to drill a hole for the little rubber nipple to go through though.

The top pieces look like they may need to be bent back into shape, (Someone may have leaned on them) but after setting the radiator in place, it didn't seem like I would need anything other the rubber mounts.... am I totally wrong?

If you're not already familiar with it, here's a link to a 2nd gen Firebird/TA forum... http://www.transamcountry.com/community/

They might be able to help you out better than us since there obviously is a difference in the rad supports.

So all small block cars use part number 371189? Even the ones with HD cooling and/or AC? Specifically wondering about the later years when they all were small blocks. have NO idea what the difference is but it shows 2 different part #s for the 21 inch radiator and the 26 inch http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh155/stinsonz/radiator.jpg

Thanks for the exploded diagram... I can now see that as I have rust on mine and I'm installing a gear drive Procharger I can now cut out the bottom portion of the rad support without the car caving in!!!