johnj92131 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Looks like I have a crack in the radiator plastic tank for the second time in 7 years. What upgraded replacement radiator have others used? I see 3 row all aluminum radiators on EBay for $140 and up. Also see "replacement" radiators for $45 and up, still on EBay. Have not called Jeep for another plastic tank radiator. Nor have I started checking local radiator shops, yet. Might even see what I can find in TJ, they have a ton of Cherokee/Comanche's there. Suspect they buy their parts in San Diego and install them in TJ. (For those of you not in Southern California - TJ = Tijuana, Baja California Mexico) Is there anything seriously better than the factory radiator for a reasonable price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Define, 'reasonable price'.... :brows: I have been researching MJ/XJ radiators for the better part of the last year for my '92 project. Based on what I have read: - The CSF all metal (brass/copper) 2 or 3 core radiator is pretty popular, bolts in with no issues and generally lasts about 5 years before it leaks. It also uses an odd ball sized cap. - Champion 2 or 3 core all aluminum requires some sheet metal massaging to get it to fit along with transmission cooler line modifications. The TIG welding looks horrendous on these. Seems they start to leak in the 1-3 year range. Customer support seems sufficient and will generally replace your radiator if it leaks. - The FF Dynamics 2 or 3 core all aluminum radiator looks similar to the Champion in photos, but has much nicer welds and doesn't feel "flimsy" like some say the Champion unit does. Radiator cap is the same as found on some V6 Mustangs. Has a Life time no questions asked warranty. Optional 3 fan upgrade with fan controller available. This guy is a little pricey but sure looks nice. Radiator + Fans + Fan controller is about double what a Mopar radiator costs. - Griffin all aluminum. Apparently it doesn't fit worth a damn in a stock MJ/XJ. It is the most expensive radiator I have come across that is not 100% custom. - Vista Pro 2 core all metal (brass/copper) direct replacement. I have found a few positive reviews on this one, but not much else. - There are not many reviews on the stock replacement (plastic/copper) radiators other than what you can find on amazon. I currently run a Griffin 3 core in my TJ (the Jeep, not the location :rotfl2: ). It has been rock solid and cured my highway over heating it was having with the AC on. In my '86 2.5 MJ I have been running a stock replacement Spectra Premium. It has worked flawlessly and was a simple bolt in affair. The temperature gauge stays steady regardless of temperature/load. When the factory radiator started weeping @ 70K miles in the Hemi WK, I replaced it with a Spectra Premium as well. It has been install for less than a year, but the Jeep does run a touch cooler than it did with the factory unit. When it come time for me to purchase a radiator, I think I will choose either the FF Dynamics Aluminum or the Spectra Premium Plastic/Copper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Good rundown, best I've seen. :thumbsup: I went with the FFD 2-core ($200 shipped) after trying a couple of the other less expensive rads on your list. None helped much, but the FFD cured all cooling issues with the stroker, especially the stuck in traffic on 199* days. It's about 1/4" thicker than most, but that required no modifications. If a radiator can be beautiful, this one was. The welds are works of art, and it's a solid heavy unit. I did however have to mod the lower auto tranny coolant aluminum elbow by using a tubing bender to tighten up the bend radius a bit for better clearance from the frame - no biggy. Customer support was great - I wanted a petcock instead of the supplied plug and asked. A quality brass petcock arrived a couple of days later in the mail free. Three plus years later - all is well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share Posted July 26, 2014 87Warrior, Very nice rundown of your research. Thank You! The FFD looks a bit pricy at $500 from their web site (their extreme TT Kit) but includes 3 new electric fans. Not sure it includes a transmission cooler. From Don's post above, the radiator may be available without the electric fans. Guess I need to call them. Spectra Premium. Good to see your experience with them. $100 shipped on Ebay. Nice price too. Checked with one local shop, supposed to be reputable. Hate all aluminum radiators, says never seen a good one (CRAP?) Suggests Aluminum/plastic replacement for $195 Radiator Lady, on So. Cal Craigslist. Sells Aluminum radiators. Quotes $300-335. Turns out to be "imported" (more CRAP?). She makes aluminum radiators for $600. Good for 1100 horsepower, she says. Makes FFD look better priced, doesn't it. Given hornbrod's experience with the FFD 2 core, looks like a 3 core is totally unnecessary. Back to researching more of 87Warrior's list. My radiator leak is still quite small, so I may have a week or two before it is a real problem. Plan on keeping the cap loose till then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Don, did you order the FFD radiator straight from FFD? The only distributor I can find is on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 No, purchased it on Ebay from FFD's Ebay seller, spikedcollardogs. Sent them an email asking for the radiator only w/o the fan setup. Details here on my Dual OEM Aux Fan Installation post. http://comancheclub.com/topic/7895-dual-oem-aux-fan-installation/?hl=electric+fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
az comanches Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Just ordered a CSF three core all metal from J.C.Whitney. 191.00 and free shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbyrambler Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 SpectraPremium CU1193 - - $77 total - - eBay from Pep Boys - Summit will price match - - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spectra-Premium-Radiator-/161372823912?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item259291e168&vxp=mtr Dunno about running with cap loose - - 4 or 7lb cap would be better'n loose - - - - - 4#'s a good tool - - I've used a 4lb for years on coolant//radiator replacement - Purges air really quick - Turn off engine when the bubbles stop - cool down doesn't take long to safely swap wi 16lb or whatever spec'd & your done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metrictonner Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I quit buying parts on Ebay a looooooooooong time ago. I bought a Vista-pro at Rockauto for $102 back in 2011. It is plastic/aluminum for the heavyduty cooling system. No problems yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 SpectraPremium CU1193 is a single core radiator. Do not see a multicore radiator on the Spectra site. That $77 CU1193 at PepBoys looks very good IF the single core radiator is the OEM standard. Need to see if the leaky radiator is a single core or not. It has been trouble free for 7 years (till now). So this may be the way to go for me. But, I did get a lead on a used Hesco aluminum head, if the price is "reasonable"... it could give me a reason to put a stroker together. Reasonable would be under $1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Turns out it was a tube in the radiator that failed, not the plastic tank. Ran out of time for a DYI repair, so turned it over to a local radiator shop. Charged me $195 for a single core replacement radiator, $140 for labor, $30 or so for antifreeze, $15/20 for some additive, the rest was tax. Total $420 out the door. But it is done now. So need to see if I did any long term damage to the engine. The DYI cost would have been $150 or so with just a stock single core radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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