I really need some advice here. I bought a Jegs direct fit radiator for my '85 Trans Am (P.N. 03694.0138) and It wont fit!!! It is too thick and wants to hit the power steering, cooling loop. Also, (and worst of all!) The stock plastic hold down bracket that goes on the top of the radiator and holds the top of the single fan wont fit over it!!! Real problems here! I need my car!! This is a beautiful radiator and I am sick of buying stock ones every couple of years! Any suggestions?

 

This one doesn't sound like a "direct fit" one. Compare it to your old one. If there is a huge difference, chances are, they sent you the wrong one. It sounds like its thicker and taller than it needs to be.

 

Yeah, It is definately thicker. All the hose conn. are in the right places, including the low coolant level sensor. I called JEGS today and they told me that there is a note in their computer that it requires the "long" radiator top mount. Does anybody know what the part # is? Or what year/model I can find it on? The part # on my stock top mount is: 14089301. HELP!!!

 

ide say get some self tapping screws, and make it fit... but i was thinking about getting one for myself nevermind that idea...

 

I would probably get the self tapping screws and do it that way but the top mount dosent even touch the core support once it is on the radiator it is about 3/4 inch too short!!!

 

You have the Northern Pro race radiator. I have the same one in my car.

It is NOT a stock replacement. It's a 3" thick heavy-duty radiator. It will fit, but you will have to do some minor massaging.

You can see all the pics of my install here:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cool...no-direct.html

 

I had a custom one made for mine bout 3-31/2 in thick and had the same probs. luckly my dad is a fab man and welder so he made me a top mount out of some scrap alum. other than making a top mount i dont know what u can do but as far as the power steering lines i bent min a little and it clears. does jegs offer the top mount for that radiatior?

 

Ya they are not direct fits...like you said the power steering cooler lines do not fit without moving them around some. My fans also rubbed the back and the top radiator mount i had to drill 4 new holes through the plastic to get it to line up. Ill eventually just make a new upper mount with sheet metal just haven't got to it yet. I think i also trimmed the lower rad support because the drain petcock wouldn't clear.

 

Yeah, I'm a little angry at jegs. Direct fit my ***! The only notes they had on this "direct fit" radiator are that you "must use long top-mount". I will have to clearance the lower rad support for the petcock also. I wish I could find a decent fab shop around here, but the problems begin there, any shop that will do it for less than 300.oo will do crap work... of course if I want to pay like 500.oo I might get something that will last for a couple of months until it falls apart and the water pump pulley eats the radiator...

 

You shouldn't have to clearance anything for the petcock. Unless there's something different on a Camaro that isn't on the Firebird.

The petcock should be on the driver's side. Mine fit just fine with no clearancing needed. I also replaced all the brass plugs on my radiator with AN pipe plugs. That way none of the plugs would stick out of the radiator.

The one thing I did need to do was slightly knock in the front subframe on the passenger side so I had room to connect the lower radiator hose. I should also note that I removed the factory metal power steering line and installed an after market cooler, which free'd up some space.

I used some scrap aluminum to make a couple brackets to secure the top of the radiator and bolt the stock fans into. All-in-all, the radiator dropped in fairly easily.