Radiator Mounting - Chevy Corvette Radiator Electric Fan Install

The thermostat on our project was working fine. We flushed the radiator with a name brand cleaner, installed new coolant with an additive guaranteed to lower temps by up to 20 degrees. No good. We tried a 160-degree thermostat. Still NG. It was simply more than our old girl could handle in the tropical summers it was subjected to. It was at this point that replacing the factory radiator was considered mandatory.

Our trouble became your gain: Super Chevy is able to bring you the exclusive install and test of Flex-a-lite's newest offering, a radiator/electric fan combination designed exclusively for 1968-'82 Corvettes. Flex-a-lite really needs no introduction at this point—it's been in business for 50 years and enthusiasts have been using its fans, radiators, etc., for generations. In recent years, it has been releasing a number of different radiator/electric fan combos for different applications, including '67-69 Camaros and '81-'92 F-bodies. There's even a setup for the current 2010-up Camaro and on the way are Chevelle systems.

There are many benefits to these systems. Yes, they function far better than stock, they're aesthetically pleasing and by ditching the power-robbing clutch fan, you are freeing up 8-10 hp. On top of all this, they come pre-assembled. All you have to do it remove the old cooling system, bolt the Flex-a-lite combo in the factory location, wire it up and you're done. It was remarkably simple and straightforward. We accomplished it one evening after work in our shop, despite stopping for photos, note-taking and a dinner break. We had the benefit of a two-post lift, but it's nothing that can't be handled by anyone in his garage or driveway.

The range of Corvettes are covered by two part numbers, one for the '68-'72 (PN 52180, which we used) and the other for '73-'82 (PN 42181). The former has a side outlet for the lower radiator hose, the latter a front outlet. Our Flex-a-fit radiator is manufactured in the U.S. with a two-row, 1-inch tube all-aluminum core that's hand welded to the side tanks with patented "T" channels to dissipate heat more efficiently. The Flex-a-lite electric fan (PN 180) moves 3,300 cfm of airflow. The radiator can be purchased without the fan if you'd like the former, but not the latter.

For automatic-transmission cars, an optional direct-fit transmission cooler kit mounts a Flex-a-lite Translife cooler to the front of the new radiator. Radiator mounting brackets are included for direct bolt-in fit to the stock location, and the "T" channels provide a more secure attachment for these mounting brackets.

12. Spacers for the sway bar are included for a reason: The bottom of the shroud interferes with the sway bar, prohibiting the radiator from falling completely into the cradles.
12. Spacers for the sway bar are included for a reason: The bottom of the shroud interfere
13. We unbolted the sway bar on both sides and added the spacers. This lowers it out of the way so there’s no interference. Flex-A-Lite supplies the correct length bolts to attach the sway bar.
13. We unbolted the sway bar on both sides and added the spacers. This lowers it out of th
14. Now we have all the space we need (far left) by the sway bar and the radiator combo slid perfectly into the cradles.
14. Now we have all the space we need (far left) by the sway bar and the radiator combo sl

14a. Now we have all the space we need (far left) by the sway bar and the radiator combo slid perfectly into the cradles.
14a. Now we have all the space we need (far left) by the sway bar and the radiator combo s
15. These are the T-bolts on the mounting brackets. You simply slide the T-bolts into the T-channel on the side of the radiator and tighten them. But we’re not ready to fully wang ’em down yet.
15. These are the T-bolts on the mounting brackets. You simply slide the T-bolts into the
16. It’s now time to fasten the radiator to the core support with the supplied bolts. Once the radiator is fully attached, you can tighten the T-bolts. Note: Flex-a-lite supplies foam insulators to mount between the radiator and the core support, but there was no touching in our application so we didn’t need them.
16. It’s now time to fasten the radiator to the core support with the supplied bolts. Once

17. Marc puts the finishing touches to the passenger side bolt. Some cars—ours included—require a different lower radiator hose. We improvised, but Flex-a-lite recommends Eckler’s PN 20469.
17. Marc puts the finishing touches to the passenger side bolt. Some cars—ours included—re
18. Now it’s time for the electrical side of the install. First, insert the temperature probe into the radiator. The best location is put it in the path of the coolant near the upper radiator hose inlet—typically 2-3 inches from the top of the radiator 2-3 inches from the side.
18. Now it’s time for the electrical side of the install. First, insert the temperature pr
19. Then it’s time to mount the fan controller. It needs to be no more than 18-inches from the radiator. We mounted it to the T-channels on the side of the radiator, but learned later this is a bad idea. The heat could cause the unit to fail over time. We’re moving it to the driver’s side inner fender.
19. Then it’s time to mount the fan controller. It needs to be no more than 18-inches from

20. You must attach a spade connector to the fan power feed wire. This will attach to the controller. Whatever you do, don’t attach the power feed to the alternator.
20. You must attach a spade connector to the fan power feed wire. This will attach to the
21. The controller requires a constant 12-volt power source. Optimally, the power feed should be mounted to the battery, but we hooked it up to the battery junction block on the driver’s side inner fender.
21. The controller requires a constant 12-volt power source. Optimally, the power feed sho
22. After that, we attached the spade connector to the appropriate place on the controller. There are only a few wires that go to the controller, but the provided wiring diagram is quite clear and easy to understand for inexperienced enthusiasts.
22. After that, we attached the spade connector to the appropriate place on the controller

23. Next we connected the wiring from the controller to the electric fan. Blue is positive; the black wire is negative.
23. Next we connected the wiring from the controller to the electric fan. Blue is positive
24. When it came time to fill the radiator, we added a bottle of Flex-a-lite’s Flex-A-Chill coolant additive. It’s engineered to prevent scale and blockage, reduce engine temps and extend the life of your cooling system components. We then added about a half a gallon of anti-freeze and filled it the rest of the way with water.
24. When it came time to fill the radiator, we added a bottle of Flex-a-lite’s Flex-A-Chil
25. Here’s the radiator/fan combo installed in the car. We set the controller to come on at 180 degrees. The green wire you see runs from the controller and was spliced into the air conditioning compressor’s clutch circuit. This turns the electric fan on automatically any time the compressor is on. The results have been impressive to say the least. Now, the coolant temp on the high stays in the 170- to 180-degree range, even with the A/C cranking in the tropical summer heat.
25. Here’s the radiator/fan combo installed in the car. We set the controller to come on a