[nickss96]

I will try this again. Somehow the other post is blank and I cannot edit it.

I had a leaking radiator and took the opportunity to replace all of the cooling system, except the heater core and water pump. The pump was pretty new and I decided to roll the dice on the heater core. It may come back to bite me. Anyways, here are part numbers for a stock 1996 Impala SS. You will need to verify part numbers for a 9C1 or Caprice.
*Radiator- Aluminum - Liland Global 1517AA, Cold Case CHI579A, Be Cool 66065. Plastic- GM 52470705, AC Delco 20831, Spectra CU1517. I used the Liland and it fits and works great. You will need a 10 mm silicone cap and clamp if you use the Liland radiator because it has the '94 nipple on it.
*Radiator Hose, Upper- GM 10260864 (rubber), GM 10260863 (SEO), AC Delco 24314L, Gates 22116.
*Radiator Hose, Lower- GM 10237349 (rubber), GM 10197619 (SEO), AC Delco 26030X, Gates 20893.
*Recovery Tank- GM 10273298 (old), 12528777 (new).
*Recovery Tank Cap- GM 25713160, AC Delco RC87, Stant 10239.
*Heater Hose Assemblies: If you buy both of these assemblies, you will have 100% of the heater hoses covered.
*Valve Asm-Heater Water Flow Control (RA lists it as 'Heater Valve')- GM 10258504, AC Delco 15-5508. This is the front hose set with the failure-prone Tee and Restrictor Valve.
*Hose Asm-Heater Inlet and Outlet (RA does not carry this)- GM 10256543. This is the rear hose set with clamp and insulation.
*Knock Sensor- Pull the knock sensors to flush the crud out of your block. Trust me, it is full. Order (2) Standard Motor KS2.
*Thermostat- GM 12555290 (180 degrees). Mine is programmed for 160, so I used a Motorad 307-160.
*Thermostat Housing- GM 10108667.
*Heater Core- GM 52469251.
*Tools- Long reach pliers are a life saver, especially on the heater hoses. Mine came from Harbor Freight, part numbers 38595 & 37909. Always use a 20% off coupon when shopping at HF. Check the wrench size that you need for the knock sensors, I believe it is 22 mm. Get a wrench and a socket. You will need heater hose clamps if you don't want to use the ones that come with the assemblies and also some radiator hose clamps. Some pipe dope for the knock sensors. I ran radiator flush in it for a week, then flushed and backflushed the system until clear water came out. Check both fans for noise while you have them out. Put it all together, add coolant and distilled water, and burp the air out. Avoid getting water on the precious optispark. One forum member had a good idea to bleed air out of the radiator nipple before you plug it. Lastly, use a multimeter to check the cooling system for electrolysis. A procedure is here: http://www.lcengineering.com/LCTechPages/pdf/Testing for Electrolysis.pdf HTH.

 

[babywag]

All the heater hose(s) are available separately for much less $ than the assemblies. Only GM piece I got was the "T"/restrictor dealio.
One of the first things I did on mine after purchase was a heater core & hoses due to the fact that it was disconnected/bypassed by the PO.
Searched & found an NOS heater core on eBay because I have little faith in aftermarket crap made these days.

 

[schlicky13]

*Tools- Long reach pliers are a life saver, especially on the heater hoses. Mine came from Harbor Freight, part numbers 38595 & 37909.

If you want the ultimate hose clamp tool, get one of these things. They are absolutely amazing. I found one that was made in France but I don't recall the brand off the top of my head, this is just an example and judging by the pictures this one was made in Taiwan.


https://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumatic-Tool-9409A-Pliers/dp/B003D3N7YW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546370179&sr=8-3&keywords=hose+clamp+tool

 

[nickss96]

If you want the ultimate hose clamp tool, get one of these things. They are absolutely amazing. I found one that was made in France but I don't recall the brand off the top of my head, this is just an example and judging by the pictures this one was made in Taiwan.


https://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pneumatic-Tool-9409A-Pliers/dp/B003D3N7YW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546370179&sr=8-3&keywords=hose+clamp+tool

I believe you are correct, I just saw a pair of these pliers in our maintenance shop and they obviously get a lot of use.

 

[Renoman]

Additional Radiator Hose, Coolant Hose, Restrictor and Tee Part Numbers

I found these part numbers during my search for alternate radiator and heater hose part numbers and part numbers for the Tee and Restrictor. It should be expected that these part numbers should be confirmed for fitment. These hoses were selected for my '96. Other years and models may differ. The only hose that fit a little different was the water pump to the restrictor. It had a little tighter radius as where it turns in front of the engine. It worked fine, just a little closer to the fan belt than the original.

Upper Radiator Hose - Gates 22116, Dayco 72443
Lower Radiator Hose - Gates 20893, Dayco 71703
Pipe to Throttle Body Hose - Gates 18030, Dayco 87000
Throttle Body to Reservoir Hose - 10219445 (not available), use 24" length of 3/8" straight heater hose or equivalent
Water Pump to Restrictor Hose - Gates 28469
Water Pump to Tee Hose - Gates 28469
Tee to Reservoir Hose - Gates 19625, Dayco 88371
Tee to Heater Core Hose - Gates 19078
Restrictor to Heater Core Hose - Gates 19079, Dayco 87880
Restrictor - 15-5423, Four Seasons 74795 or 5961, 10157988 (I found this part at Auto Zone under part number 74795 at @ $11-$12)
Tee - 12522867 (I only found the one GM part number for this part)

 

[96 Black]

I will try this again. Somehow the other post is blank and I cannot edit it.

...... Lastly, use a multimeter to check the cooling system for electrolysis. A procedure is here: http://www.lcengineering.com/LCTechPages/pdf/Testing for Electrolysis.pdf HTH.

Quite a detailed reference - great for the numbers. Interesting about Cooling System Electrolysis as I've never heard of it before. Read more online (Hotrod Mag.) and apparently another good reason for doing periodic full flushes and using distilled water.

 

[sherlock9c1]

Darn right on pulling the knock sensors to flush the block, ESPECIALLY if you have a '96. But be real careful getting those out if your car is rusty.

 

[Sinister]

Quite a detailed reference - great for the numbers. Interesting about Cooling System Electrolysis as I've never heard of it before. Read more online (Hotrod Mag.) and apparently another good reason for doing periodic full flushes and using distilled water.

You should see what that does to big Diesel engines. Can eat holes right through liners and even the block itself.

 

[Marky Dissod]

… had a leaking radiator and took the opportunity to replace all of the cooling system, except the heater core and water pump. The pump was pretty new and I decided to roll the dice on the heater core.
It may come back to bite me …

LubeGard Kool-It or RMI-25 coolant treatment are both a lot cheaper than a coolant filtration kit.