How do the pros do this? Resto. question. GM rad shrouds.

[Arnold]

2 piece plastic GM rad shrouds. Getting them off on old vehicles without breaking them. There is of course the odd thread large sheetmetal screw with the 1/2" bolt head. You just turn this. Sure. There is a clip underneath that pretty much always rots/rusts off/breaks.Up here in the salt capital of the universe. SOooo..you try and turn it anyways. There is not enough of the clip left to grab what it is supposed to in the shroud. So away you twist and it of course breaks a piece out of the shroud. Or worse I have seen only a fraction of the clip wrap around the screw and swedge the 2 pieces of the shroud together. There is no way enough of anything left of the clip to grab it with anything before you attempt to turn the screw.

 I used to change only 350 Chev's  so I had a pile of shrouds and often I would get to change them before the clips were rotted.

 I guess in a resto case the only thing I can think of is to somehow get in there with a Dremel or something and grind the bolt head..or the bottom of the screw with what is left of the clip off.

[wayne petty]

can you pull the radiator with the shroud on it so you can work on it on the work bench../

i have held the broken off flat with an adjustable wrench...    a fresh tight pair if channel lock pliers...    sometimes there is enough to grab what's left of the loop with a pair of needle nose..  or get a screwdriver under it and bend it up slightly..

the odd size is probably a 1/4" self tapping screw... with a flange head..

a real special... but gm still uses similar fasteners in current cars and trucks... using sems bolts with captured washers.. think astro van...


as i recall... the fan shrouds are made of ABS plastic... so you might be able to repair it with abs cement from the sewer fittings department at the hardware store... gluing in a new piece...

or using the harbor freight plastic welder ...  or a different brand tool closer to you...

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=plastic+welder


speed nuts

http://dormanproducts.com/c-642-speed-nuts.aspx


there are also... new  replacement upper and lower fan shrouds from several restoration parts suppliers...

[Arnold]

Thanks Wayne..
 I have tried those removal methods. The plastic welding idea..or the abs is great!..Never heard/thought of that. This is not LOL..a resto. I was just curious.