newbie pulls motor radiator bolts?

[jvandyke]

Got an engine hoist and load leveler from Harbor Freight yesterday, got the fluids drained. Bonnet removed.
Wondering how to unbolt the radiator? Need to pull the grill to get at the bolts?
Will need to figure a dip stick issue too, looks like cobbled up job to me. Read full but only drained 2 quarts worth. Just rests in tube with loose fit, no rubber, some sort of extension tube and it looks like it leaks (could just be a valve cover leak, I KNOW that leaks, it's a pretty polished one with a cork gasket and it may well be the wrong gasket).
Any help on the radiator bolts appreciated.
Other than that, following Haynes manual method.
Have not ordered any parts yet as I thought I'd wait to see for sure what I need. Likely will do clutch disk and release bearing in any case. What's the best source for these? Moss? or shop around?

 

[Baz]

Take the radiator out still in the cowl.
The cowl has very few fittings.
There are 4 bolts (2 each side) of the front as you look at it from the front, you need to remove the grille to get at these. A deep socket helps with these, and you can get to the nuts on the other side with a open ended wrench.
Then there are 4 screws, 2 on top of the cowl, and two more down below through the grille just either side of the oil cooler.
That should get the cowl free.
As long as the hoses are off, it should go back about 1/2" and then up, being VERY careful to keep the cooling fan out of those radiator vanes.

 

[jvandyke]

Hmmmm, hate to admit I'm still confused. Pulled the grill but heads of the bolts I'm after are behind the first panel. Looks like I can access the heads through the wheel openings though.
'63 Midget if it matters.

 

[JPSmit]

You shouldn't have to go behind the fenders. - here is the front of mine (it's a '76 so the air intake is on the other side) BUT - the rectangular opening is where the shroud/ rad goes - you should not need to go wider than that.

If you look carefully, you can see 4 captive nuts - 2 each on each of the uprights framing the opening - does that make sense? - they sit out like little bumps.

Also, on mine, if you look down along the rad, at the bottom, you will see a piece of sheetmetal on a 45 degree angle (not in this picture - you have to be standing over that car) - that had two more screws in it holding the shroud in place.

I realize this is clear as mud but re-post if I'm confusing

JP

https://tinyurl.com/5lynq8

 

[JPSmit]

If you zoom this picture - you can see the bottom flange and the 2 slots the screws on the shroud fit in

https://tinyurl.com/5ajjo7

 

[jvandyke]

Thanks, I got it. Access hole for two top bolts are there, one behind the horn, the other nearly blocked off by oil cooler lines. Lower two and the one behind the horn had to be gotten through wheel well, easy. Top passenger one effectively blocked by oil cooler lines but got it through the access hole and by removing the heater air intake duct and reaching through there. Easy peasy now I know how, isn't that always the case. Learning curve! Just those four and it lifted out. Three different size bolts/screws, mix of SAE and Metric. Nice. Thanks, making progress.....slowly.

 

[JPSmit]

great!

 

[jlaird]

I would bet all those fastners started out life one size and SAE. Intresting what folks do.

 

[jvandyke]

Now I need advice on getting the oil cooler line off the rear of the block. Is there a good tool for this? Standard wrench won't fit on there given the wonky angle. Open end wrench with a bend? Everything I've got that has a bend in it is on the box end side.
Can't even nail the size.
3/4 is big. 11/17 is small. Could it really be a 23/32? My 18mm fits pretty close.
Hey, it's still fun........for now.

 

[jlaird]

I use a large cressent to break it loose after removeing the dizzy.

 

[jvandyke]

Okay, got that too. Had to remove the lines at the oil cooler so I could take the twists out as fitting didn't want to spin independent of the nut. 3/4" was right after all.
Now I've still got the starter on and the dizzy, dynamo is off. I also still have the header/intake/carb still on the engine. I think I can get the header downpipe free and must miss the steering rack, I can't see why the dizzy or starter need come off, doesn't look like clearance would be an issue.
Now I have to decide how to hang the motor and I'm nearly ready to lift (still have to go below and disconnect all that stuff)
Opinions on lifting options welcome. Valve cover studs look tempting.

 

[jlaird]

Do not need to do anything to intake, carbs and exhaust except remove the 5 bolts that attached them to the engine. Then pull them away and tie them back out of the way. Yea I know that one nut is a bear but it is doable. Saves a lot of time.

 

[jvandyke]

I've already got everything off the carb and the downpipe free so unless that's a bit mistake, I was going to just leave the manifolds in place with the carb.

 

[jlaird]

You surely can unless you need to pull the head.

 

[tony barnhill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Need to pull the grill to get at the bolts?[/QUOTE]
On a '63 - YES!

& you've got several things in your way that aren't supposed to be there: oil cooler in wrong place; horn in wrong place

 

[jvandyke]

Engine is free of the car! Really hard time getting the angle right, even with a thing I got at Harbor Freight that was supposed to help with that, I thought. Half way there.....sorta.

 

[Sqrrig]

you've got several things in your way that aren't supposed to be there: oil cooler in wrong place; horn in wrong place

OK Tony, I want to put an oil cooler on my 63 Sprite...where should it go?

Thanks,
Don

 

[jvandyke]

Now trying to get those four bolts back in. No way. How are you supposed to feed them through the front, through, what is it, 4 panels and into a captured nut (that won't sit straight in its little prison) The panels don't want to stay anywhere near in line. Maybe a bolt going the other way with a nut on the end? or cram screw drivers through to keep three lined up while you fight one then move on? I tried for an hour and didn't get one. What's the trick?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Patience. Honestly, that is the job I dread most when pulling an engine. Do your bolts have tapered ends? If not then taper them and it will be 100x easier.