Radiator: Same for manual and auto?

Hi, what great site you have here, wish i'd found it years ago. Did a brief search, found great advice I will def use in the future. Hoping somebody can shine some light on this for me.


I just got a new radiator for my 92 5spd 4wd. Upon removing old radiator and inspecting new one, they are slightly different. The knew one has tranny cooler lines. The new one also does not have same core support screws on top. Also new one is not as flush on the bottom near the mounting posts. Guy at radiator shop assures me the radiator for auto/manual trans is the same, and that he gave me correct part. Not sure I can even make this work as the bottom has more junk on it than my OG rad.

I bought two radiators for my Cherokee and they fit both a manual and auto trans so they are universal. Since you have a maunual you can leave the tank for the cooler lines alone or plug them up since you don't need them. I have seen people on the trail that run their power steering fluid thru that trans cooler. As far as the extra stuff on it, both of mine had different things attached that i just ignored and they fit fine. Just give it a try.
Randy

What brand?

Most rad companies only make one, for auto and manual; the difference being you won't use the tranny cooler lines.

Why the other stuff, such as the core support screws are different, I don't know why. Can you take some pics of it?

I'll take pics right now.

OK, camera no bueno. But, I added some extra bushing to the bottom posts, discarded some original brackets from the top so I could use the new radiators incorporated brackets. Trimmed a thingy or two. It's all bolted in, nothing appears to rub where it shouldn't. I am heading out to get a new cap, thermostat, water wetter, coolant, and distilled water as advised in another thread.

Thanks all.

Joel

every radiator ive ever swapped on xj's has required me to take the top core support mounts off the OG radiator, thats nothing.

if it's a cherokee radiator, mount it.
we cant tell, cause you havent posted pics.

Bigjfb said:

Hi, what great site you have here, wish i'd found it years ago. Did a brief search, found great advice I will def use in the future. Hoping somebody can shine some light on this for me.


I just got a new radiator for my 92 5spd 4wd. Upon removing old radiator and inspecting new one, they are slightly different. The knew one has tranny cooler lines. The new one also does not have same core support screws on top. Also new one is not as flush on the bottom near the mounting posts. Guy at radiator shop assures me the radiator for auto/manual trans is the same, and that he gave me correct part. Not sure I can even make this work as the bottom has more junk on it than my OG rad.

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Check for the AT cooler fittings. Aftermarket repalcement radiators usually have the cooler in the radiator tank (so it may be installed in MT- or AT-equipped vehicles,) while the OEM radiators for MT rigs do not.

AT radiators may be swapped into MT vehicles without incident. In fact, both of the MT-equipped RENIX rigs I've had ended up with AT radiators. The AT version is somewhat more efficient than the MT anyhow, since it has to handle the added thermal load of "cooling" the transmission fluid (although I'm not impressed with the idea of running hot oil through a heat exchanger in hot water. Hah? I'd rather run an external cooler with a thermal bypass valve instead.)

However, if you have an AT rig, you must have some variety of transmission fluid cooler - "internal" (inbuilt to the radiator) or "external" (separate small fin-and-tube liquid-to-air heat exchanger.)

Has anyone thought about using the heat exchanger for power steering on a 5-speed? I thought of it but never did it. Just wondering whether anyone's actually done it.

Matthew Currie said:

Has anyone thought about using the heat exchanger for power steering on a 5-speed? I thought of it but never did it. Just wondering whether anyone's actually done it.

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Just my opinion, and I live in So. Cal., but why warm up the P.S. fluid running it through the radiator.

When I replaced my noisy P.S. pump I added an aux. motorcycle cooler I had laying around to the return line. My '96 5 speed, 4 cyl. has a separate P.S. tank making it simple.

PhotographerMike said:

Just my opinion, and I live in So. Cal., but why warm up the P.S. fluid running it through the radiator.

When I replaced my noisy P.S. pump I added an aux. motorcycle cooler I had laying around to the return line. My '96 5 speed, 4 cyl. has a separate P.S. tank making it simple.

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Well, I was sort of thinking more of cooling it when things get really hot, but of course you're right that it's simpler just to give it a little cooler of its own.

Matthew Currie said:

Has anyone thought about using the heat exchanger for power steering on a 5-speed? I thought of it but never did it. Just wondering whether anyone's actually done it.

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A great idea in theory if the heat exchanger actually did any cooling....otherwise it would ensure that your P/S fluid was running around 200-210 (minimum) all the time.

PhotographerMike said:

Just my opinion, and I live in So. Cal., but why warm up the P.S. fluid running it through the radiator.

When I replaced my noisy P.S. pump I added an aux. motorcycle cooler I had laying around to the return line. My '96 5 speed, 4 cyl. has a separate P.S. tank making it simple.

Click to expand...

I bought a little cooler for that, never installed. The attached reservoir and all the hoses to do it just didn't seem worth it. With a separate reservoir, might be easier.

I just vowed to keep the fluid flushed at regular intervals and monitor.