The fins on my radiator are bent and i think there is some debris in there.

Also the radiator isn't perpendicular to the ground, it's at a slight angle. Is it supposed to be at 90 degrees to the ground?



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'86 Camaro
2.8 MPFI

 

Fins being bent doesn't matter, as long as it's only a few (like less than half of them).

Take the radiator out and clean it up at the quarter car wash. They always seem to accumulate bugs, leaves, etc. Same for the A/C condenser: you can clean it up fairly well with a garden hose from behind, while the radiator is out of the way.

It only goes in one way, which IIRC is with the top leaned back slightly. As long as air can flow through it, it doesn't care what angle it's at.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

cool, thanks.

So if more than half of the fins are bent i should get a new radiator?

The fins being bent restricts airflow right?

 

You could take the time and straighten out the fins... It could take you a while, but I've heard of people using a comb to do it.

KAM

 

The fins can be brittle though.. bend them back & forth a few times and you'll snap them. So bend once & bend carefully. I've used a small screwdriver before... some places sell a tool for it, but it's a pair of pliers with a special (flattened) end.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
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