Engine/ Radiator clearance. Issue?

['67Satellite]

Well I got the engine bay cleaned up well enough for me to put the motor in the GTX this weekend. Blasted the K-frame and dressed things up a little. The motor went in easy enough, and the radiator did too, as it was all pulled out of my '67 Satellite just a few months ago.

The issue i'm having is that the clutch fan and shroud i was using on the Satellite doesn't work on the GTX. They're the same year, and the same body. So i really don't understand what's changed.

Now the cooling system is a bit of a Frankenstein. I have a 26" radiator with C body brackets and a C body shroud. The fan i have is from a 70's Dodge truck. Like i said before, it all fit on the Satellite before.

I guess my question is, given the right parts (B body brackets and shroud, and B body fan) is the 3 inches between the rad' and the engine enough to fit the correct factory parts? Or is something amiss?

 

[twinscrew698]

I would look at how you mounted the Motor Mount Brackets to the Motor itself.
That would put u too far forward if installed wrong!
How does the tranny mounts line up?

 

['67Satellite]

I would look at how you mounted the Motor Mount Brackets to the Motor itself.
That would put u too far forward if installed wrong!
How does the tranny mounts line up?

You might be right. I put both mount behind the ears on the block. I might have mixed them up, i'll check when i get off work. The transmission isn't installed yet so i haven't touched the mounts.

I hope you're right about the mounts, dumb mistake. But it would be a lot cheaper to move some mounts than it would be to buy all new cooling parts.

 

['67Satellite]

BUMP!

Anybody out there with a ruler and a couple minutes? I just want to know if this is normal, or if my parts are conflicting. Like i've stated, the motor mounts are good and the parts fit just fine in my same year Satellite.

 

[64SF]

I can check my set up tomorrow.

 

[67 coronet]

i have run into that problem before,never did figure out why.switched to a flex fan and shorter spacer at first.then went to a dual electric setup later on.

 

[wannadrag]

Checked my 68 GTX,Champion 3 row.4.5" off the lower pulley to the radiator.I have a fixed non clutch fan with a 1" spacer and have 1" between the fan and radiator.

Also looking at your pic it looks like the lower tank is touching the strut rod?Is it a 4 row radiator?I have about 3/4 to 1" down there.

 

['67Satellite]

Checked my 68 GTX,Champion 3 row.4.5" off the lower pulley to the radiator.I have a fixed non clutch fan with a 1" spacer and have 1" between the fan and radiator.

Also looking at your pic it looks like the lower tank is touching the strut rod?Is it a 4 row radiator?I have about 3/4 to 1" down there.

With the current setup (C body brackets) there's about an 1/8th inch gap between the brackets and the strut rods. Which is about the same as it was on the Satellite. I've looked through everything and I just can't seem to find the issue. This weekend i'm hoping to install the transmission. At that point i'll be able to see if it's really where it needs to be or not. Right now i'm assuming it'll fit just fine and i'll just have to update my cooling system with the correct B parts.

Also, to answer your question about the core. It's an original core, 3 rows i believe. I'll check later today.

 

[ws27]

Just a suggestion 67, but try to find someone near you with a similar car and drive train to come to you. You'll go nuts comparing measurements online. It's much easier with the two cars next to each other so you can go back and forth several hundred times. Also two sets of eyes are always better than one.

 

[Grabinov911]

Hey "Satellite"

Hey Sat I have a 70 RR (in Southern CA by the way if it helps) which looks just like your GTX in the engine bay pics - right down to the radiator which nearly rubs on the strut bars. It's a 383 car and I am running a Bouchillon Performance viscous fan clutch and flex fan, but they are stock dimensions. I have 4" from the front of the pulley to the radiator core, and even so, the fan is only about 1/8" from the core! I was a little worried about it at first but Bouchillon said it was ok - engine does not move fore and aft - and they have been right so far.

I am not sure that you can fit the required parts in only 3". As was suggested, maybe the engine mounts are swapped?

WS27 may be right that chasing numbers over the internet is gonna be tough, but I took these measurements in an attempt to help:

Drivers side rearmost (outside) valve cover bolt head: 3.25" to firewall (approximately)
Driver's side forward most valve cover bolt head: 11" to radiator core
Power Steering cap (looks just like yours) to radiator core: 7.75"

 

[64SF]

I have 4 1/4 inchs at the measurement area you pictured. I have a 440/727, 26 Inch three core radiator (original from the Satellite) in a 67 Satellite. The car was originally a 318/904 car with a/c.

- - - Updated - - -

I have 4 1/4 inchs at the measurement area you pictured. I have a 440/727, 26 Inch three core radiator (original from the Satellite) in a 67 Satellite. The car was originally a 318/904 car with a/c.

- - - Updated - - -

I have 4 1/4 inchs at the measurement area you pictured. I have a 440/727, 26 Inch three core radiator (original from the Satellite) in a 67 Satellite. The car was originally a 318/904 car with a/c.

- - - Updated - - -

I have 4 1/4 inchs at the measurement area you pictured. I have a 440/727, 26 Inch three core radiator (original from the Satellite) in a 67 Satellite. The car was originally a 318/904 car with a/c.

 

[67 gtx cov]

heres my set up

 

['67Satellite]

Well, last night i got the transmission up and the drive shaft on. And even after that, i'm left with about a 3.70" gap from water pump to radiator. That's pretty much what "67 gtx conv" has in his pictures. And i feel that with the rad' brackets i have, that's as good as it's going to get. Looks like i'll at least need to buy the correct clutch for my fan. It seems like the right one would have a shorter shaft and will fit in this space. I'll buy a correct shroud eventually too.

Thanks for all the help guys, i guess the old Satellite was a little tweeked.

 

[HT413]

Hey Sat I have a 70 RR (in Southern CA by the way if it helps) which looks just like your GTX in the engine bay pics - right down to the radiator which nearly rubs on the strut bars. It's a 383 car and I am running a Bouchillon Performance viscous fan clutch and flex fan, but they are stock dimensions. I have 4" from the front of the pulley to the radiator core, and even so, the fan is only about 1/8" from the core! I was a little worried about it at first but Bouchillon said it was ok - engine does not move fore and aft - and they have been right so far.

I am not sure that you can fit the required parts in only 3". As was suggested, maybe the engine mounts are swapped?

WS27 may be right that chasing numbers over the internet is gonna be tough, but I took these measurements in an attempt to help:

Drivers side rearmost (outside) valve cover bolt head: 3.25" to firewall (approximately)
Driver's side forward most valve cover bolt head: 11" to radiator core
Power Steering cap (looks just like yours) to radiator core: 7.75"

i have 3" from rearmost driver side valve cover bolt (on center) to firewall.
I have 11-5/8" from front most driver side valve cover bolt head (on center) to rad core,
Yet i also have 3-3/4" from rad core to water pump flange.

Hwever, I recently realized that i have a 26" radiator on a 22" rad support. The rad brackets actually push the rad toward the motor maybe 3/8 at the top of the rad and more like 5/8 at the bottom, maybe a bit more.

- - - Updated - - -

My car was originally a 318 car but now has a 413 out of a 72 motorhome.

 

[moparbud66]

I did the same conversion but with no clearance problems. Put a 440/727 in place of the poly 318/727. The tranny mount was right on the money. I also had a 22" hole so I cut 1" out of each side of the core support and moved the openings over another inch and welded them back in. I have a 26" radiator out of a c body and it looks and fits well. I'm picking up a 66 coronet 4 dr. for parts, same year (66) and noticed that it has a 26" radiator. Maybe the A/C cars came that way. Anyway good luck, I don't think it will be too tough to get the clearance you need.