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Source for 4 core upper radiator mounts, 81 and up? (mid size bushings?)

I got the 3 core energy suspension mounts. They are long enough to fit in the 4 core mount I got from LMC, and do fit a much thicker radiator than the factory 2 core mounts, but still a little short to fit the radiator in. I will figure out a way to trim them since there is plenty of material. I will take some pics in case it helps anyone down the road.
 
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Facing this now on my Suburban. I am currently fighting a radiator that is slightly too short top to bottom to be tight in the mounts, too wide for the bushings (or not wide enough for others), and almost the right length between bushings.
At least all my parts are "guaranteed to fit", LOL.

How did this end up working out for you?
 
I bought these...I can get them from my distributor if anyone needs a set, but shipping one small item isn't cost effective.

Energy Suspension 3.6117G Radiator Insulator – Energy Suspension

teamenergysuspension.com teamenergysuspension.com

And I made the groove a little longer with a die grinder and a carbide burr.

You can see on the left side of the middle bushing, there is plenty of material to remove another 1/4" almost to make the groove that much longer. I did that to all 4 bushings and it fit perfectly. The bottom one was the factory 2 core. The middle one is the shorter energy suspension poly bushing, the top one is the 4 core longer energy suspension bushing. I made one in between out of the middle one.

20230201_160215.jpg
 
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I tried everything. Three and four core bushings, big block radiator mount, home fabbed brackets, considered making my own out of high temp silicone.... All were too short/long/or not thick (tall) enough.

I finally bought an extra set of brackets and cut the very end off of one pair.I cut a longer end off the other set. These were welded to make a longer bracket that was made to fit my "custom" bushings (about 1/2 inch longer than factory bracket). For the bushing I used 5/8 heater hose with a cut to allow it to bend. This is retained nicely in the grooves of the bracket and holds the radiator snugly while the hose allows some give.

These are the left over pieces after cutting to get two longer pieces .

Bracket cut.jpg


This is the welded, extended bracket
Extended bracket.jpg

In the pic the engine side is a little loose and sticks out from under the bracket. Another piece of hose was cut and notched differently to allow the end of the bracket to catch both walls of the hose for a better fit, and the ends were trimmed closer.

Radiator bushing.jpg

Any thoughts or problems you see?

Looking back, I believe I would just get a stock replacement or maybe move to a full 4 core big block setup and source the shroud to fit if I needed additional cooling.
 
That is entirely possible in regards to height, 1/4 inch would make a big difference. I will look into it a bit more. I have several other squares and may be in a similar situation again some day.
In either case, the tanks do not fit the bushings well as the tank edges are square as opposed to being a radius, and the area resting on the bushing is asymmetrical side to side. One company makes a squared corner bushing that straddles the bar between tanks to fit closely and offer support, but their tanks are apparently of proprietary dimensions. And pricey.
I hope this works ok. I am ready to have this back on the road and move on to other projects. The radiator seems secure while still being cushioned well. I will update if issues are noted so that others may benefit from the insight contained in this thread, as I have. Thanks, guys!

Edited to add;
This radiator appears to be the taller size offered. It may be manufactured undersize relative to stock?
 
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flatland said:
That is entirely possible in regards to height, 1/4 inch would make a big difference. I will look into it a bit more. I have several other squares and may be in a similar situation again some day.
In either case, the tanks do not fit the bushings well as the tank edges are square as opposed to being a radius, and the area resting on the bushing is asymmetrical side to side. One company makes a squared corner bushing that straddles the bar between tanks to fit closely and offer support, but their tanks are apparently of proprietary dimensions. And pricey.
I hope this works ok. I am ready to have this back on the road and move on to other projects. The radiator seems secure while still being cushioned well. I will update if issues are noted so that others may benefit from the insight contained in this thread, as I have. Thanks, guys!

Edited to add;
This radiator appears to be the taller size offered. It may be manufactured undersize relative to stock?
Click to expand...

It’s a shame that the aftermarkets tolerances are so loose just so they can save and make as many parts semi-universal fit as possible - quality and fitment take a backseat to maximum profit!


I agree about multiple heights and widths on those brackets through all the years of square production span.
For years I also thought it was because of the front end changes in 1981 but that’s not the case.
I guess these were another easy item that should have been collected over the years - just never thought that square Chevy parts would EVER become scarce…
 
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