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Replacement radiator

8K views 92 replies 26 participants last post by  Unlimited04 
#1 ·
I live in Mesa az and it gets really hot here. My radiator has a bad leak and I was wondering what the best radiator I could get for cooling my jeep better. Thanks
 
#5 ·
Poison Spider hood vent installation would help greatly, especially if you have (or are planning on getting) a winch. I have a friend that has one on her JK and it does wonders. I'm getting one for mine since I have stock radiator, stock cooling, stinger, and winch and at highway speed, I get zero cooling through the radiator. It's an airdam with the winch but I've seen with the hood vent plate installed (cut holes in hood and install plate from Poison Spider), it DOES lower temps because it gives more airflow.

Just my $0.02...
 
#9 ·
roosr said:
Poison Spider hood vent installation would help greatly, especially if you have (or are planning on getting) a winch. I have a friend that has one on her JK and it does wonders. I'm getting one for mine since I have stock radiator, stock cooling, stinger, and winch and at highway speed, I get zero cooling through the radiator. It's an airdam with the winch but I've seen with the hood vent plate installed (cut holes in hood and install plate from Poison Spider), it DOES lower temps because it gives more airflow.

Just my $0.02...
Thanks
 
#11 ·
I know a while ago someone did a bunch of research using a fan and clutch from (I think it was an Explorer). That supposedly moved more air. You won't find an electrical fan that is going to move more air than the OE clutch fan (assuming it is working properly).
 
#22 ·
That was me. I'm still running the 10 blade fan and clutch from a 93 Exploder. It's been working well with 1 exception. I did have a fan clutch failure that was covered under the lifetime warranty.

The new fan clutch works as designed.

It was 106F here last week and mine never got over 205F even with my AC on according to my aftermarket guage. Another worth while mod is to hog out and smooth the passages in the Thermostat housing.
 
#15 ·
Then you have a problem somewhere that you need to fix, but an electrical fan isn't the answer.

As to the Explorer fan that was mentioned, experiences were mixed. Some people (myself included) tried it and were unhappy with the results and went back to stock. There were some people who stuck with it though I think.
 
#16 ·
Im also in Phoenix and have no cooling problems even with a cracked radiator, idling with AC on. Its a hairline crack that i JB welded for the time bring while i look for a decent deal on an OEM Mopar radiator. Bill Luke Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep has them for about $280-$290 out the door.
 
#19 ·
I'm also in AZ and I was having problems running to hot at speed. I had an all metal radiator purchased from Radiator barn. It never ran cool from day one.
I got an oem style replacement from Napa a few weeks ago. Since then I've put over 1,000 miles on the jeep going from AZ to Utah to drive through Canyonlands nat'l park. Problem gone. Only cost $150, fit right, works right.

Curly
 
#23 ·
I just put a winch on and noticed increase coolant temps while driving down the highway doing 70 mph. It sat around 228 degrees. I attribute this to the engine turning a faster rpm which made the engine run hotter and on tip of that, the winch blocked the radiator. Going slower, at a lower rpm, the engine temps were normal. So I think a winch DOES affect coolant temps at highway speeds.
 
#24 ·
My temp before installing winch & stinger was ALWAYS 210. Never had issues even in San Antonio. After installing the stinger & winch, while UNDER 50 MPH, I run normal and stays at 210. However, when at highway speed (55-60mph) constant speed, it creeps up and stays up. However, when slower, it drops. So it does effect cooling. This has been seen in multiple TJs that are owned by friends, as well as JKs. And these are with smaller winches installed, for example the Smittybult XRC8. Not a huge wench at all, but big enough to cause issues.

As for the fan clutch, if there is no airflow through the radiator, it'll be running at a higher temp & radiating the heat which engages the fan clutch. So the under hood temps do have an effect. Absolutely no way that the under hood temps CAN'T have a factor because it's heat that engages the clutch to run the fan. Which, in turn, can add load to the engine pushing that fan constantly if the temps don't happen to decrease.

Those are the points that I was trying to make.
 
#31 ·
As for the fan clutch, if there is no airflow through the radiator, it'll be running at a higher temp & radiating the heat which engages the fan clutch. So the under hood temps do have an effect. Absolutely no way that the under hood temps CAN'T have a factor because it's heat that engages the clutch to run the fan.
If you have no air flow through your radiator, you have bigger problems.

Again, the fan clutch is controlled by the temperature of the air coming through the radiator, not under hood temperatures.
Dealers still have separate PN# for manual vs automatic. Not just one size fits all.
Radiator for manuals has no ATF cooling tank on the bottom. 100% of cooling fins work on coolant.
The ATF cooling/heating takes place in the lower radiator tank. All the fins in both radiators cool the engine coolant. The OEM radiator for an automatic transmission equipped TJ fits and cools the same for a TJ with a manual transmission...
 
#27 ·
If you went OEM...from Dealer.... it was not cheap! :) But it is probably the best...for manual trannys at least.
Dealers still have separate PN# for manual vs automatic. Not just one size fits all.
Radiator for manuals has no ATF cooling tank on the bottom. 100% of cooling fins work on coolant.
Suggested Retail is $285.00.
Hood louvers will lower under hood temps a lot, but if you are looking for them to change engine operating temps you have other problems.......
Totally agree!
Louvers will do nothing to cool down coolant temps on the road.
There is evidence they help for long term idling (emergency vehicles, etc).....
but that is not a Jeepers main concern.
 
#34 ·
I was speculating that all other things being equal, coolant leaving an auto radiator might be hotter than coolant leaving a manual equipped TJ radiator.

But I'm also curious to see if cooling fin area on an auto radiator is same as on a manual radiator.
JUst don't know but will find put when I get home.:)

RJ
 
#59 ·
But I'm also curious to see if cooling fin area on an auto radiator is same as on a manual radiator.
If both are OEM radiators, they are the same. IIRC

even if its an auto, if your ATF fluid is hotter than your coolant, you have other issues
Nope, that's one of the reasons why the automatic transmission fluid is plumbed through the lower radiator tank.
i've never gauged it, but how cool do you think the return coolant is? i doubt you'd see more than a 30 deg delta, just a guestimation, so we are talking around 180
IIRC it can be closer to 60 degrees.
If you replace an OEM radiator with a Copper/Brass unit, even one labelled 2-tube or 3-tube, you will lose cooling capacity versus the OEM aluminum core.
Did you mean "2 or 3 row"?...
 
#41 ·
OEM is my vote. i replaced mine with an "OEM STYLE" and it ran hotter than my real OEM with a bad leak. how much dust do you get in AZ. i tested my air flow of my old oem and realized it was gunked up pretty bad. i started noticing that everything under the hood would be nasty after i washed it. so i pulled the radiator, plugged it, and left it in some water over night. i came out to a small mud puddle the next morning. so i put my power washer on its lowest setting and washed the radiator in the opposite direction of the air flow. the amount of mud that ended up on my driveway was shocking, and that radiator has never seen mud...just dusty trails.

oh and now my OEM radiator works a lot better. keeps the engine cool and my fan isnt lugging all the time. the results were better running temps, more power and better MPG. I now pull and wash my radiator everytime i change my air filter.
 
#54 ·
lunchbox704 said:
I went with the OEM PART and installed it myself. Spent about $100 and took about an hour. Better than the $500 I was quoted. :cheers2:

PS, mine had an ATF cooling tank but I just ignored that.
Do they have any more for that price? Can you post a link for me, been anxious to get a new one and that is a excellent price for OEM.
Thanks.
 
#56 ·
I just want to talk Physics for a moment. First of all, there are TWO things to consider when selecting a radiator. These are the metal used in the core and the number of tubes in the core.

1) Aluminum cores are best - that is what MOPAR uses in the OEM radiator, along with plastic end caps. YES it is true that copper conducts heat better than aluminum, but you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BUY a copper radiator, and that metal is way too weak and would immediately rupture when the system pressurized. The cheap "Copper/Brass" radiators sold by Radiator Barn and other vendors cool WORSE than the OEM, because brass conducts less heat than aluminum, especially after being painted black. (Black paint is pretty much required or the soldered seams will corrode.) If you replace an OEM radiator with a Copper/Brass unit, even one labelled 2-tube or 3-tube, you will lose cooling capacity versus the OEM aluminum core. You may not realize this is a problem until the first hot weather after the radiator change, which could be months later.

Two brands of premium all-aluminum radiators (i.e. no plastic end-caps) are Griffin and Mishimoto. The Mishimoto 2-tube radiator costs about $350 and offers about 20% more cooling capacity than the OEM 1-tube aluminum/plastic, and offers it at low trail speeds, and they are direct bolt-in. Griffin aftermarket radiators can be configured with various numbers of tubes in the core, and frequently require that you trim sheet metal and use a Griffin fan shroud and/or electric fan, but offer up to 50% or more cooling capacity than the OEM radiator, and are reccomended for up to 5.0L 360-hp blown or turbo stroker Jeep motors.

Premium Griffin radiators are $500 and up, as much as $900 with dual fans and shroud and billet caps. But you can order anything including a unit that will cool a hotrod V-8 engine in a Jeep.

2) The number of tubes in the core is a trade-off and Jeep originally shipped 2-tube OEM radiators in TJs, but switched to 1-tube cores in the later TJ model years. More tubes is better at trail speeds, but at highway speed, more air bypasses the Jeep grille. Fewer tubes does not cool as well at trail speeds, but offers less drag which increases gas mileage slightly and cools better at highway speeds or high altitudes, by allowing more airflow through the front grille. Select the number of tubes according to your needs.
 
#68 ·
I love my Griffin all-aluminum single-row. Very well made and easily keeps the coolant at the proper temp on the hottest days, going uphill in the mountains with the a/c on.

The only reason I didn't go OEM is because my orignial OEM leaked at the plastic tank seams. Also, a friend of mine had the plastic tank on his OEM blow out on the highway.
 
#69 ·
Just remember, just because yours is all aluminum doest mean it can't have problems either. If fact, I think the OEM design is better due to the crimped on tanks, as the tank can flex with the frame of the JEEP and not spring a leak like a radiator that is more rigid. Also how old was yours before it leaked and your buddies blew out on the highway?
 
#73 ·
Jerry Bransford said:
Your cooling system simply has a problem that has made it marginal. By itself, a winch won't cause an engine to run hotter. Those of us with winches & properly functioning cooling system don't see hotter engine temps at all.
But it never got that high before the winch. i was idling in 103 degree heat today and the temps didn't go above 220.

I have installed poison spyders hood louvers. And just recently I've noticed my fan is "engaged" at temps as low as 220. Maybe my fan clutch is going out?

The fact that it only runs higher at highway speed (2500+ rpm) is what leads me to believe the winch and my kc lights on my smittybilt src bumper are restricting airflow.

And btw, I'm using a scantool-like device for temp readings. My dash gauge needle stayed between the 1 and 0 of the 210 mark.

I'm not worried about this increase in highway temps as I rarely drive at that speed except for those rare trips to the beach or ranch. Ideally I'd like temps a little cooler so I was thinking of moving that control box for the winch from on top of the drum to somewhere under the hood to let a little more air by.
 
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