Cold Case Radiator Review
In 2014 I installed a Mopar HD radiator (part number 52080104AC) in Scope Creep. It developed a leak this February. I think in the core. It is hard to see anything while it is installed. I may try to have a radiator shop try to figure out where the leak is and if it can be fixed. Sadly, this part number has been discontinued. For some time it had been regarded as the best choice radiator. Oh well. Back to the drawing board.
I know lots of folks are happy with the Spectra Premium (CU1193) so I thought I would give one a try. I ordered one off Amazon for about $125. They aren’t $60 anymore. I received it, opened up the box, and you have got to be kidding me—that is half a radiator. That has to be the thinnest core I have ever seen for a radiator. Have they always been this thin? No matter. I can’t bring myself to run this thing. So, back to the drawing board again.
I will grant the Spectra Premium would probably be fine for most of what I do with my XJ, using it as a daily driver. But I cannot see it working for me when I take my XJ on long trips. One of the things my Jeep must be capable of is driving 1,000 miles, off-roading for 100-200 miles and then driving another 1,000 miles back home. I don’t see the Spectra working for that. Even with my Mopar HD there have been times I have had to turn off the AC in order to keep engine temps down. (Yes, I maintain my AC system. It is really nice to have when the outside temps are triple digits.) I just don’t see such a small heat exchanger being able to meet my needs.
In searching for a reasonably priced, heavy duty radiator, I found the Cold Case MOJ994A. I have heard nothing at all about these radiators, but I saw that they have a lifetime warranty. That piqued my interest. And the price looked reasonable (about $340) for the product. I decided I would order one and check it out.
The first thing I noticed when I received the radiator was this label on the box:
Have to register in order to have a warranty? Not a good sign. I immediately jumped to the expectation that in order for the warranty to be valid the product would have to be installed by a certified shop… ASE Certified, cage free, gluten free, non-gmo… Looking online it does not appear to be that bad. But there are some terms I may have issues with. Among other things is this clause:
Quote: Cold Case recommends using a green 50/50 coolant mixed with distilled water. Using other mixtures may void the warranty.
I don’t use green coolant in anything anymore. All my vehicles have been switched to long life coolants, and I am in the process of getting all of them on Rotella ELC (Cat EC1 spec) coolant. I am tired of trying to keep track of which vehicle runs which coolant, and of trying to keep some of each on hand. Much simpler if they all run the same thing. I also disagree with the choice of distilled water. I believe de-ionized water is a better choice. I will have to see if that decision means there is no warranty on this radiator.
I also find this warning label to be interesting:
I wonder how many stories are behind that one.
Opening up the box was a more positive experience. Very well packaged:
Product is plenty shiny, a feature that is wasted on this application. Once installed you can hardly see our radiators. Nonetheless:
However, the instant I saw this cut I thought something had happened by mistake:
And then I saw there was a matching cut on the opposite bottom corner:
I remember having noticed similar cuts in OEM radiators, although more cleanly made. I believe this relates to one of the biggest issues with aluminum radiators and the reason the fabricated units are possibly more prone to core leaks. The expansion of the cores creates stresses which eventually become cracks. I suspect the plastic tank units with steel upper and lower supports (can be seen on both the Mopar HD and Spectra Premium) do a better job of maintaining structural integrity over time. OTOH, my Mopar HD only made it 7 years. If this radiator actually does have a warranty I might get my money’s worth.
I measured the core with a set of inside/outside calipers and got roughly 2 ¼” thick:
Measuring the Mopar HD the same way I got just over 1 ½” and the Spectra Premium measured 1”
At any rate it looks like this radiator is worth a run. What does it take to install it?