The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk HELP! Bottem radiator tank too wide??

I h ave a 53 3100 with a 55 235. i had to get a new radiator a American eagle brand, from ebay, and today it came, the bottom tank is about a inch wider then the stock. it wont go down and gets caught up on the grill support bars inside the grill. what do i do.

If it is an inch wider you need to send it back. But I suspect you are talking about an inch thicker. In that case you may be able to shim it if you have fan clearance.

thicker . correct, sorry. i cant even get half way down.

I have the same radiator. While they are advertised to fit your
3100 they are not advertised as being the same dimensions as the thinner 6 cylinder stock radiator. Mine fits fine and needed only minor adjustment of the mounting holes to be bolted in.
I am confused by your statement "gets caught up on the grill support bars". Your radiator is mounted on the engine side of the radiator support isn't it?

He has a later model 235.
One solution to the water pump to radiator clearance problem is to move the radiator forward. Someone might have moved the radiator forward from the original location.

Grigg

drewP,
the bottom tank hits the crossing rods that are welded in place, the radiator only had about .5 or .75 clearance to begin with, and was about 1.5 inches thick, the one the sent is about 2.75 thick and wont fit, and has trans cooler bungs that stick out even further

grig, i know the 235 is a lil longer then the 216 but the clearance distance betweent the radiator and the fan was just a closer fit, my radiator wasent mover forward, and worked fine with the stock radiator. I think the one they sent might be for a v8 conversion,

the one on the left looks like my broken rad, the one on the right is the one they sent

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i465/bigdrewvigil/al080071.jpg

the pics entirely dif hen the one the sent, and has a arch for a hand crank, (47/52 RIGHT? ONE OF THOSE WOULD HAVE WORKED)

THEY ALSO LISTED HEIGHT AND WIDTH, AND INLET SIZSES BUT NOT THICKNESS oops sorry for the capitols


Core Dimensions: 20 3/4" high x 19 1/4" wide (2-Row Core with 1" Tubes).
Overall Dimensions: 26 3/4" High (Including Cap) x 23" Wide.
Upper inlet: 1 1/2" located on Center.
Lower outlet: 1 3/4" located on Passenger Side.
Trans/Heater: Yes.
BRACKET Mount System.
OEM style brass petcock. drain.
Billet style fill neck construction NOT STAMPED.

so beware when you buy, im so bummed out. t

would it fit if you relocated the mounting flanges on the radiator?

I purchased a radiator from U.S. Radiator and when it arrived the top tank hit the top of the radiator mount.
The mounting flanges were welded in the wrong location. ...pic...
...pic...
U.S. Radiator, UPS picked up the wrong radiator and sent me out the correct one in a few days. No additional cost to me.
I give that company high marks for the way the corrected the problem.

exact same thing happened with my new radiator. I haven't decided what to do yet. probably just shem it out until I come up with a better plan.