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CSF 3 Row Radiator the best way to go?

If you go to Champions sight you will see they list the same rad for all of the open systems. A few eBay listings have the year range wrong.
 
Price is now $249! - but still shows free shipping.

Milford Cubicle II said:
The champions are freaking hard to get a hold of!

I snagged a brand new one off ebay for $200 shipped....
That was a week ago and now I found some from a different seller and bought it as fast as I could....
I've found that the best way to find these things is to search "jeep cherokee all aluminum 3 row radiator" in ebay. The part number is CC1193.

According to ebay, there's still 5 left from the seller I'm buying from if anyone's interested. $209 shipped.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0566801042&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Click to expand...
 
So I went to install my champion aluminum 3 core today.

It doesn't work, the fit is awsome but the transmission cooler lines are not correct for my 97 XJ. The stock lower trans line is a quick connect fitting and the radiator just has male flare fittings for both lines. The upper flare fitting is smaller than my stock line is also. I just contacted the seller so we will see what they say.

Its been 8 years since I last had any dealings with the radiator on my jeep(stroker install) so I didn't catch that the trans fittings were wrong out of the box. I could make this work but this is one of the few areas IMO where stock is good. There is not many other parts of my jeep that I have forgotten what they looked like lol.
 
So before you make posts like this you should check the box for adaptor fittings lol.

There is two of the quick connect adaptors in the box, however my jeep only requires one of those so the issue with the top cooler line is not resloved. The ebay seller is prompt to respond to questions though so I am sure I will get it worked out.
 
OK update, this thing is a piece of shit. I had to clearance the jeep to clear the adaptor for the transmission line and make a fitting for the upper line.

The deal breaker? Once you assemble the rest of the core support there isn't any room to turn the radiator cap so it comes off.....FAIL. Then as I wrestle with this piece of shit i notice my hands are turning silver because the cheap ass paint to make the aluminum look better is rubbing off on me lol.

It fits the jeep great, but if you plan on hooking up transmission lines or filling it with coolant than this is not the radiator for you!

I will say radiatorsforless.com seems to be great to deal with. He offered a refund before I opted to modify my transmission lines so I just sent an e-mail about this.
 
BlueCuda said:
OK update, this thing is a piece of shit. I had to clearance the jeep to clear the adaptor for the transmission line and make a fitting for the upper line.

The deal breaker? Once you assemble the rest of the core support there isn't any room to turn the radiator cap so it comes off.....FAIL. Then as I wrestle with this piece of shit i notice my hands are turning silver because the cheap ass paint to make the aluminum look better is rubbing off on me lol.

It fits the jeep great, but if you plan on hooking up transmission lines or filling it with coolant than this is not the radiator for you!

I will say radiatorsforless.com seems to be great to deal with. He offered a refund before I opted to modify my transmission lines so I just sent an e-mail about this.
Click to expand...

Man I am disappointed to hear this because I was seriously considering purchasing one of the champions to go in my 97 to replace my worn out CSF 3-row.
 
The place I bought it from says he has never had any issues. Maybe I am just crying about it lol but the radiator cap should come off.

I am on the road this week but I will post pics when I get back.
 
A removable radiator cap is a somewhat reasonable request.
 
Man, you guys with the complaints about worn-out csf-3s and the champion make me want to ride out the 15yo stocker. I don't have to worry about tranny lines(AX15 for Life!), but would want to be able to take the cap on and off w/o any issues.
 
gradon said:
Man, you guys with the complaints about worn-out csf-3s and the champion make me want to ride out the 15yo stocker. I don't have to worry about tranny lines(AX15 for Life!), but would want to be able to take the cap on and off w/o any issues.
Click to expand...

seriously. i am unsure what brand to get for my next radiator. or copper/brass or aluminum.
 
Just to throw my 2 cents in on this one -

I recently replaced the stock POS radiator out of our '97 with a CSF 2-row all metal. It was painted black, which I wondered about also. But anyway fit was excellent and so far it is working just fine. Unless something happens and this radiator doesn't last, I'm inclined to say it was a good purchase and this one is better than the stock one with plastic tanks. I got mine for $157 from radiatorbarn if my memory serves.
 
gradon said:
Man, you guys with the complaints about worn-out csf-3s and the champion make me want to ride out the 15yo stocker. I don't have to worry about tranny lines(AX15 for Life!), but would want to be able to take the cap on and off w/o any issues.
Click to expand...

Thats not bad for a stock radiator and I tend to go by the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" for alot of things so if you aren't having overheating issues then don't mess with it unless the coolant is rusty brown. I only got 7 years out of my stock radiator before it started leaking from the plastic tanks and the Jeep started overheating. Put in the CSF 3-row and it held temps at 200-205 all the time no matter what for a good solid 6 years and then last summer it would creep up to 215 in drive-through lines but the electric fan would kick on and bring it back down to 210.

I am thinking about going with another CSF 3-row since it lasted me 7 years so far and it fit perfect but I don't know I'm still undecided.
 
Got my 3-core CSF radiator from Dirk at DPG offroad. Like Eric, I was kind of weirded out by the black paint it had on it, but I haven't had a single problem with it since I put it in 3 years/50k miles ago. Fit like a glove other than I think the cap just barely touches the core support when I try to take it off. My temp gauge rarely moves above the 210 mark, even when sitting in traffic in 90+ degree heat. Still on the stock water pump and thermostat/housing too.
 
It's normal for brass/copper radiators to be painted black it's to reduce oxidation. The paint on the core should be very thin almost like overspray.
 
i never had a problem on the east coast with my CSF 3 row in my old jeep, had it for 4 years and its in a buddy's XJ now. driving out west with a loaded truck (+/-105F ambient temp) on the highway, around town and wheeling i sat at about 215F. going fast in the desert i could only drive for 15-20 minutes before i hit 240... had an aux tranny cooler and the new style efan too.

still not sure what i'll get for this rig when the stocker goes, might pony up for a nice aluminum one.
 
XJLI said:
driving out west with a loaded truck (+/-105F ambient temp) on the highway, around town and wheeling i sat at about 215F. going fast in the desert i could only drive for 15-20 minutes before i hit 240... had an aux tranny cooler and the new style efan too.
Click to expand...

that is my problem right now. playing in the dunes for about 10 minutes is about all i can do. just got back from a weekend out in the dunes. didnt get to drive the XJ as much or as hard as i had hoped for this reason
 
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