I'm in the process of swapping an ls1 into an lt1 car. I've got the lt removed and working on the wrecked ls car. Can I keep the radiator hooked up so I don't dump coolant everywhere or does it need to come off? I'm trying to keep as much of the drivetrain intact as possible so I have less to put back together in the other car.

 

Drain the coolant into a bucket. If that's too hard for you, this job might be above your pay grade.

 

that's pretty much what I did with the lt car. I just dont want to take it apart more than I have to because I'm putting it right back together.

 

If there is enough room to keep the radiator in place then you can keep it there but you do run the risk of the engine swinging forward when you remove it and puncuring it. If your worried you can cut a piece of plywood to protect it.

 

Drain the coolant. I would never even think about removing an engine with the radiator and hoses still attached. Swapping an engine is hard enough already.

And that old coolant is probably due for a replacement anyways. ☺️

 

Take lots of pictures and notes.

 

There's a drain valve on the bottom of the Radiator, it literally can't get simpler than that. If you can't take the 5 min to pop hoses off and on the Radiator, yea this one is going to be out of your capabilities..

I wrote the book on this 16 years ago....

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