I recently installed the whole drivetrain and am getting around to finishing up on it but ran into an issue. I was going to run the factory 1950 caddy radiator but being a chevy motor (bash away, I dont care) the lower water pump outlet exits on the p***. side so a guy I had do the motor motor mounts and such re-routed the the hose down and under the oil pan and back around to the driver side with 6 clamps and 3 elbows and I hated it. I bought a new spec. radiator and got the lower on the p***. side as I needed, but as I was putting the accessories on I noticed I now have a clearance issue with the upper radiator hose pointed right at the belt. I sat and thought it over for a while today and just kept getting madder and madder...I dont think I have the clearance for an underslung style alt. bracket as it looks like it will hit the frame/crossmember. I was also running through the idea of making some type of bracket with an idler puller to have the flat side of the v-belt route it downward and come back up for the clearance I need? Thoughts and opinions on my dilemma? I feel as I keep taking one step forward and 2 back on trying to finish this car. I put a wrench into the rad. hole to show where it is directed at with the belt on (pictured)
This is what I am thinking about doing: Idler pulley (yellow) re-routing extended belt (green) lower to have the clearance I would need and all would be good but I have to come up with some type of bracket. I bought an idler pulley tonight from the local parts store but they didnt offer anything to bolt it to.
Why not try a piece of Coolflex? I've bent that stuff into some ungodly tight bends successfully and the black stuff ain't that ugly. My lower hose on my '35 is a lot tighter than that.
There is a straight up ... Chevy water neck available ... I would get one and then make me a wire pattern out of a old coat hanger. Then go to the local parts house and find a formed hose
Nobody seems to carry the hose that you can flex and it stays in that shape...they offer a universal "ribbed" hose that you can bent but you cant shape it. I havent seen flexible hose at an auto store in a while.
On my SBC, the alternator is mounted on the p***enger side. What's preventing you from relocating the alternator to the p***enger side?
The hose is going to run straight into the v-belt on the path it is currently on. After getting the hose slipped onto the radiator the run-off hose is already touching the belt, the core support/radiator are not as far as the picture shows, the wrench I have in the radiator pipe is holding the radiator away from the belt more than it really should be.
Two thoughts............first....you could have the radiator upper neck replaced with a 45 or 90 degree elbow, aiming the hose toward the p***enger side a bit and using an hose with an appropriate curve to connect the new neck and thermostat housing OR.......if you decide on the idler pulley, why not use the two water pump bolts to mount a suitable bracket for the idler. Since you can still adjust the belt with the Alternator, the idler can be a fixed mount. There may be other alternatives, but those came quickly to mind. Best wishes....... Ray
I am running a pre-'69 water pump, pulleys, and such for the short shaft water pump due to clearance. I have no clearance from the radiator to the water pump (maybe 1 inch). All the short shaft brackets offered and such move the alternator to the drivers side. The alternator was on the p***. side when I started the build but I had to ditch it because the older water pump has no bosses on it for mounting an alternator like the factory one did.
You could definitely shorten the inlet on that radiator quite a bit and give yourself some more room to work with. Make a steel upper hose that curves where you need it to and attach it to the thermo housing and rad inlet with short pieces of rubber hose.
go to napa or advance and ask to study their hoses- you will be amazed at the tight configurations. shorten your outlet as much as you can spare-use a formed 90o to al. pipe the a 90o to the engine. most is preformed. good luck. t.
I guess I could trim off a bit of that upper pipe. That may allow for a bent hose to shoot up over the belt. The steel pipe is a good idea also, like exhaust tubing or something else?
move the alternator to the p***enger side , or leave it where it is and use a short 90 degree hose right off the upper radiator as already suggested.
Hmmm. My alternator mounts to p***enger cylinder head, in that threaded hole to the left in your photos. Then supported off the intake manifold with a small GM bracket.
If it is that is why youre able to run your alt. on the p***. side using a GM bracket. If you changed the pump to short shaft it would not align with the pulley system causing you to use the shaft shaft swap brackets and move it to drivers side.
Judging by your photos there is plenty of room for a tight 90 degree off the water neck on the radiator to clear the fan belt. Take a coat hanger and bend it to what would be ideal and then head to your friendly local auto parts store and start going through the inventory. I have to believe that you will find one that will solve your problem. This is why most Rod shops have a big box of radiator hoses on the shelf - to dig through and find one that works! And what in the heck were the water pumps in your comparison photo? They sure weren't SBC
Yep, makes sense. So back to your dilemma; if you can't do the alternator swap, maybe you can shorten the neck a bit, then run a tight radius copper elbow and pipe across to your neck at the manifold.
napa # 777 is a tight and short 90 with 1-1/2" ID. you could join it to another hose off the water neck with a piece of tubing
You could trim a lot from the top neck, OR any GOOD welding shop could angle cut and re-weld that neck in a more favorable angle. Time spent finding the right hose might do the trick also.
LOL...they were a quick google example, they still give the comparison shot of the difference in depth off the block. Ill go to the auto store tomorrow and see what is available...I just busted *** on this thing from 6am to just about 6pm today and it was to the point of having a mental block not allowing me to do anymore thinking when standing over the car. I posted on here to get the thoughts and opinions flying like I knew they would. Believe me, I dont take any of the expressed options for granted. I appreciate thew help guys.
I'd second or third the idea of getting a shop to change the fitting to a 60 or 90 degree one, plenty of room then.
WOW...how obnoxiously tall!! hahaha...It would probably work but I could never pop my hood to show anyone. I would have to 90* the water neck to the drivers side to clear that upright bracket. Absolute WORST case scenario I could probably use it.
look at hoses for chevy cars of the 80's maybe 82-up camaro, they 90 degree pretty close to the radiator.
I have seen some Chevy vehicles that had a top radiator hose run in that exact location. It may even be a perfect fit for what you show. Yes the top radiator fitting is a little on the long side. It made a tight 90 right in front of where your alternator is. It may have been a mid '70's Chevy van or motorhome ch***is. Possibly a '87 or so chevy small block pickup. I think your existing water neck on the engine intake may work.
The only part I know is going to be an issue is that the pics show the radiator having a ton of room but the core support is only set on the frame horn and leaned away from how it should actually sit. Making it look like there is ton of room that really isnt. The engine is from a 1985 Chevy truck and the water neck was replaced on it because it pointed in the wrong direction for the original upper hose! I cant even remember which way it pointed!
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