I think my radiator just bit the dust.

00 XJ, 4.0L, AW4, towing package

Thankfully, I was already home and not in the middle of my hour long drive from work. I can't tell exactly where the coolant is leaking from, but the hose on that side is new and dry so I'm figuring the plastic tank let go. Assuming it is the radiator, I'd rather replace it with an all metal version. Problem is, I don't know who makes a good one. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

radiatorbarn.com cts rad's 2 or 3 row

Water Pump ?

Most of your rads are plastic tanks and alum core.. It is hard and expensive to find a all metal one now a days... good luck...

Sniper_Clown said:

Most of your rads are plastic tanks and alum core.. It is hard and expensive to find a all metal one now a days... good luck...

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No, www.radiatorbarn.com sells 2 core all metal csf ones for less than 200$

radiatorbarn is as good as any for a radiator vendor.

Consider installing a new water pump and 195 degree thermostat while you are at it.

Your engine from the factory came with the 0331 cylinder head, which has a nasty habit of cracking if the engine is overheated. You do NOT want an overheat; hope it didn't overheat when the radiator failed.

birchlakeXJ said:

radiatorbarn is as good as any for a radiator vendor.

Consider installing a new water pump and 195 degree thermostat while you are at it.

Your engine from the factory came with the 0331 cylinder head, which has a nasty habit of cracking if the engine is overheated. You do NOT want an overheat; hope it didn't overheat when the radiator failed.

Click to expand...

The head is really the only thing I'm worried about. I *think* that it waited until after I got home that evening to let go. I'm pretty good about checking the gauges while I drive and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. If the head is toast then I'll buy the "improved" casting and maybe have it extrude honed before I install it.

Anyway, I just picked up a brass/copper CSF brand radiator from a local shop. It's supposed to be a three row, but I haven't looked at it closely to verify yet. I was planning on a new water pump and thermostat, plus a new lower hose(the upper one is only a few months old). I guess now I need to decided whether to buy a high volume pump and thermostat versus regular parts. BTW, this jeep has never run hot...not even pulling a trailer up a mountain at low speed with the A/C on. The high volume pump and thermostat would more or less just be extra insurance.

New radiator is in and I've put a few miles on the jeep. I didn't want to wait another week for a new pump to get here + time to install it, so the old pump is still there. I did replace the thermostat(195 degree). Our temps here are around 70-75 right now and the jeep will *just barely* hit 210 on the gauge. Average gauge temp before was just a touch over 210. The electric fan hasn't come on even once, though before it would cycle on/off pretty regularly at idle.

Time will tell, but I think the three row from CSF is definitely worth looking into for the guys with cooling problems.

Champion makes an all aluminum full welded 3 core radiator that alot of guys are liking. I have their 2 core and it is a very good radiator. The only problem is the transmission lines of the Jeep are not compatible with the fittings they used for the integrated cooler but some minor modification of the transmission lines, some short lengths of fuel hose and some hose clamps and you will be good to go which is what I did and it worked like a charm. If you aren't afraid of some minor modifications then that is a great route and you will probably never need another radiator.

I also had the CSF 3 core all metal radiator and it lasted me 7 years before it started leaking where the tanks and core were crimped together. But the CSF is a true drop in replacement with zero modifications needed and you will get a good long life out of it. The two radiators are comparable in price with the Champion being $199.98 and the CSF ranging between $190-$230 depending on who you buy it from.