VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Top radiator support bars '31

On my '31 coach, there are two bars that come out of the firewall and mount with a single bolt to the top of the radiator. I just tried to reinstall my hood and it no longer fits. It seems the radiator cannot push back toward the windshield far enough so that the hood can slide into place. This upper radiator mount (the two bars) won't allow it to go back far enough. It seems as though I should be able to loosen the nuts on either side of the firewall and adjust the hood alignment so that it fits properly. Does anyone have any tips I need to be aware of before trying this for the first time?

Thanks,
Brandon

Brandon,
There is no real process to this since there are so many variables. I'll try to mention some of each.

I'd first measure my hood along the top (center) hinge. That will be your starting point. You'll want to begin with that (but add about 1/4" to it for clearance. Then prepare the wishbone rod with a nut on each bar. Make sure that they turn easily (even loosely). And be sure to have the large washer between the nut and the firewall.

Now. insert the wishbone into the firewall. Measure the distance from the top center of the firewall (where the hood hinge is) to the front flat face of the wishbone (where it mounts to the radiator). Check to see how the front hinge relates to the flat face. Adjust your measurement to the hinge if it's different than the flat face.

Then adjust the two nuts (on each leg of the wishbone) while measuring them to the front center hole in the flat face. What you are trying to accomplish is having both legs the same distance from the firewall - until the MIDDLE measurement is your original hood measurement (plus approx 1/4"). Once you get the center to your target length, AND have both legs the same, then you're ready to START the hard part. Ha!! You thought that this was the end, right?

Remember the "variables" that I mentioned? Well, here they come. Among the issues that you might run into are that your radiator is tilted in a couple of different ways. One side might need to be a little higher than another. Or the radiator needs to have the bottom of it a little more forward, in order to align with the edge of the hood. Or it might need to be rotated (driver side forward, passenger side back == or vica versa) in order to match your hood, or the shape of your firewall when the hood rests on it.

So the point is that it will take some ongoing testing and re-testing before you get the radiator lined up so that it matches your hood, and so that the hood matches the firewall - as best you can.

Good luck. Take your time. Hopefully you're working with the hood BEFORE it gets painted. And make sure that your radiator shims are installed at the bottom before you begin this process.

--Bill Barker

To add to Bill's fine details, once you have the V brace close to proper length (you mwentioned 2 bars, I assume you have the proper one-piece Vbrace), then you will need to back off the nuts on inside of fire wall about 3/4" in order to allow the rad shell to go forward enough to insert the hood center pin in the chrome ferule on the rad shell when you place hood in place. Then tighten the inside cowl nuts snug, and start process as Bill describes.

When I did mine, I centered rad shell at top first, then made sure it was vertical from front view (by tapping bottom one way or the other, lesaving bottom carriage bolts loose) then with lower bolts snugged only, checked for any need to push one side of shell forward or rearward (to get rad parallell to cowl. Then check hood gap all over and see where you are. Depending oon what you see, fine tune following same proceedure. Only at this stage will you need to determine if any shims are needed at rad shell mounting point to crossmember. Occasionally, shims may be needed one side only, or both sides if rad shell needs to be raised a bit to get hood alignment perfect. From what I have been told, these cars did not have shims in this location coming from factory.

It perhaps goes without saying, all of this assumes the cowl is close to where it is supposed to be, both in height (3/16" pads under front mounting bolts), and is perpendicular to frame and is also perfectly vertical when plumbed along front of cowl. If any of these alignments are off, getting the hood aligned is problematic. I think one previous post talked about the importance of "parallellism", which is what you are trying to achieve here, hood parallel to all 3 sides of cowl and to all 3 sides of rad shell.

Just went through all of this recently with my 31'. I think it must be realized that everything cannot be absolutely perfect. As close as possible is what I settled with.

Just remember these are high volume production low priced Chevrolets. They are not hand built Rolls Royces. The fit better than early Corvettes but not like a Cadillac.

?? My '31 Coach hood gaps came out virtually perfect by following the proceedure above. While at the factory they may have said "close enough is good enough", if you have patience, there is no reason gaps cannot be perfect. Not very hard to achieve. Mind you, I did all the fine fitting before hood was painted, and it did require several rounds of adjustments.

Thank you, everyone. I just got off work and though it's very, very hot out today I'm going out now to work with the hood and radiator.

Thanks again,
Brandon