Radiator support seal question

[Jim M.]

I just received my new radiator from Dewitts. Went to install it and notice that the vertical radiator support seals that I purchase from Zip does not look like the illustration in the assmble manual. All the other seal look similar but the two vertical seals appear to be smaller than OEM.
Does anybody have dimensions on the original seals and a pic of the front of the core support with the radiator installed so I can see how much the seals overlap the support towards the radiator?
68 327 350hp 4spd.

[Jack C.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

3/8 x 5/16 is the size out of my 68 BB on the two verticle pieces that are original. The AIM shows that they are attached to the radiator support, but on my 52,000 mile car with original radiator that I took out last week, were attached to the radiator itself. BTW they are on backorder from Paragon.. Home Depot has nice replacements if it gets down to that. Dewitts is shipping me a new radiator (I hope) next week.

[Jim M.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Thanks Jack for the reply. Your dimension seem kind of thin for my application.

[Alan S.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Hi Jim,
The two vertical seals on my 71 with aluminium radiator are 1 7/16" x 1" x 16 3/4" . There are 2 holes for push-in fasteners but none were installed. There was just 'pressure sensitive adhesive'. This allowed the seals to be just snugged up against the side of the radiator enough to leave an imprint in the seal of the side of the radiator plates. The one on the passenger's side also has the imprint of the lower radiator hose as the seal passes beween the radiator and the side of the hose.
Regards,
Alan

PS: If you try to line up the holes for the 'push in fasteners' it forces the seals so far toward the center of the core support you can't get the radiator in it's proper place.

[Jim M.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Alan
Thanks for the reply. The question I had is the adhesive side of the weatherstrip exposed between the radiator and the support when view from the front?
Thanks, Jim

[Alan S.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Hi Jim,
I relating what I see on my car.
The opening in the core support (side to side) is wide enough compared to the radiator to allow about 1/4" to 3/8" of the sticky side of the seal to be visible on each side of the core from the front of the core support.
Regards,
Alan

[Patrick H.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Now, I don't get a dime for saying this, but this is one part I'd get only from Dr. Rebuild if you want the correct fitting part. It may be that the part doesn't fit because... it's not correct.

Yeah, I know, it's hard to believe that there's a repro that doesn't fit correctly.

Patrick

[Jim M.]

Re: Radiator support seal question

Pat Thanks for your dime. It amazes me that being in the twenty first century with all this high tech that aftermarket companies cannot reproduce a product that was design over forty years ago. I have heard from several people since I joined this forum about DR.Rebuild. Sounds like he is the man! I will give him a try. Thanks again!!