Harrison Radiator Applications & Identification for A-Bodies

Another thing to note here, 1972 radiators are totally different then the 68-71 style rads.

The 68-71 rads have the Radiator cap parallel to the ground, while the 72 rads have them at an approximate 30 degree angle.

If you look at the pic from the 72 book you will see that all the rad codes have changed.
Duane

 

...yes, makes my job easier, for '72 that is...

 

I was thinking the same.

 

My latest '70 AM has 12 Revs (4-24-70 being the latest) & my latest '71 is 6 Revs. (don't remember the date). I also have earlier versions of both pages. I have 2 different versions of '72 AM's but didn't get to look @ them.

The AM charts seem to confirm that the only way to get an SW was w/AC & HD cooling. What I don't understand is that the charts seem to omit the non-A/C & HD Cooling combos which if the theory of how this all works is correct, would just get the same radiator as an A/C car w/o HD cooling but you'd think there'd be some note to that effect.

 

Seemingly any GSX (A1 or not) w/AC should've come w/an SW since apparently all GSX's came w/one cooling upgrade so AC would've been the 2nd but in your case being a Stage 1 it definitely should've. Whether it actually did or not?...

 

Dano,
On the later 1970 assembly manual page (from the Dec 1969 AM), that is attached to the very first post on this thread, where does it say that a Stage 1 got any type of upgraded radiator.

That page does not even reference anything about Stage 1’s.

Unless they are including it in with the cars with the HD option, but I don’t see that working after looking at the rest of the sheet.

Now I believe the earlier version of that 70 page talks about Stage 1’s but not the later one….and this is going from memory. If someone posts the earlier page we could check it out.
Duane

 

...true, but '70 GS455 order form A1 option included HD Radiator (SJ), and 3.42 posi (G1), which I think is what engineers considered a cooling upgrade requirement, not A1 per se. Note '70 GSX option included G1 but not A1 and got first radiator upgrade. Only A/C got you second. Since G1 was part of A1 for non-GSX 455s, that was regular pathway to first upgrade. I'm still fuzzy on I7, and in '71 I3 and I7. Hoping '70 AM cooling options page from Section 0-12 (hint, hint) will help clarify whether there was a direct path to an SW, or as I suspect it took 2 requirements...

 

Moreso than just a HD Radiator, A1 included all of I7 (also a 3.64 unless w/AC when it got 3.42) whether or not it shows on the chart. Being that it's not on the chart were some cars possibly built incorrectly? Maybe so although seems more likely that the correct Radiator was on the POBF or GMAD build sheet which is more likely what the line worker was referring to. The chart, as I'd noted above & unless I'm missing something, also doesn't seem to take into account a non-AC car that was ordered w/I7.

In '71, the order form (not the chart) seems much clearer to me. I3 was just a Radiator upgrade on an A/C car & I7 got all the HD cooling components on a non-AC car. In '70, I7 also got all the HD cooling components on a non-AC car but only a Radiator upgrade on an AC car. My question to @Mike Trom was did I7 therefore cost less on an AC car in '70?

 

...that was supposed to happen back on post #78...

...agree, based on "I6 Required" text, I3 strongly suggests SW, but when reviewing AM page 0-12.10, I3 is UPC V03, which is also part of I7 UPC Y40. If you read I3 and I7 without regard to the other, they almost make sense. I7 NA w/A1 or I6 because either option gets I7 stuff. Comparing, I3 is in direct conflict w/I7 specifically because of "with A/C only." At this point, if V03 reference in I7 is correct, then UPC V03 is wrong for I3, or if I3 correct, then V03 wrong in I7. What do earlier year AMs say about V03?

 

This is from the 1970 price list and order form. I will let you guys figure it out

 

“This thread is like peeling an onion”,

This is how you figure things out. You look at the Factory information in all it’s various forms, and cross reference everything. You also look at the parts on the cars and see where/when things changed.

Then once you have that you try to put the pieces of the puzzle together until it makes sense. Sometimes you still can’t understand how everything worked, so you ask questions of the Engineers or guys that worked at the Assembly plants, or people from Fisher body, or dealerships, that is if you are fortunate enough to find them.

And then hopefully you get to finally figure everything out.

Sometimes the answers you get are not what you figured they would be, like the Pliacell vs Spiral shocks, or the painting schemes on the GSX’s, but you take it to the end and see where it leads……and if it ends up pissing some people off, well that’s just the way it is.

There are so many people in the Buick community that have helped gather information so we could piece together the histories of our cars. Many of them have done this with no idea of how their info was used to solve questions, but they gave it willingly for the cause and we all thank them.

It is often very hard to “backtrack/deduce” the answers after the fact, but that is what all of us have had to do to figure things out.
Duane

 

Just as I thought it should be - Thanks! I3 in '71 cleared up the confusion of having 2 different I7 options in '70 - One for A/C cars and one w/o.

 

...Mike's price list post clarifies the relationship between I6 and I7, and by extension '71's I3. First I7 (without I6) got you everything that came with I6 except the A/C. If that included an SW radiator, as implied by "Extra" in radiator description, what would be point of the second I7. Since first I7 could be ordered for a 350 or 455, do we believe a 350/455 without I6 got an SW when I6 gets SJ. Moving on to second I7 description, 350/455 with I6 and I7 got an SW. OK.

"N.A. W/A1" in first and second i7 seem to agree with our SJ/SW upgrade understanding. In first, I7 w/no I6 gets SJ, so "N.A. W/A1" makes sense because A1 gets SJ. Makes sense in second because A1 w/I6 gets SW. The "Extra" in "Extra Heavy Duty Radiator" in first I7 description seems wrong.

I'd like to see a pre and post GSX '70 AM, 0-12 Heating and Cooling page, and 11-4 Radiator Assembly page, to verify effect GSX intro had on radiator choice...

 

Not sure if this helps, 1970 option code list dated Dec 1969. It mentions GSX.
There was no mention of the alternate I7 Heavy duty cooling code as shown in the price list.



70 GSX window sticker. Came with HD Cooling

 

69 Stage 1 Bulletin, shows H/D cooling as part of the package.

 

I agree 100% and to add even more to your analysis, we know I7 alone didn't include an SW as we have many documented non-AC Stage 1's that came orig. w/SJ's.

Furthermore, your assertion about I7's "extra HD Radiator" wording in '70 being "wrong" (at least in the instance of an non-AC car & hence the confusion & addition on I3 in '71) is absolutely proven out on the '71 order form where that wording was changed. I3 is worded "extra HD Radiator" whereas I7 was changed to "Heavy-Duty Radiator.

By gosh, I think we finally have this down.

 

...thanks, definitely helps, Mike. Reinforces assumptions I've made. And since I know zip about '68-'69, anything official is gold...