Radiator plastic drain-petcock replacement

[br1anstorm]

Forgive me if you have mentioned this already but did you look into the carrier (UPS/FEDEX) regarding their gorillas handling of the package and possible replacement of the part? Or the seller for its poor packaging?

The last radiator I got was packaged with styrofoam insets at the top and bottom that would have protected the corners in case of a reasonable drop.

Hello weebur. It wasn't quite that simple! The radiator was a one-off, being sold by a trader at a bargain price because although brand-new it was for an LHD vehicle, for which there's not much demand in the UK. Maybe it was a mis-ordered part? Anyway, I thought it was a stroke of luck for me.

It looks as if - somewhere along the way - the box had been opened, possibly by the trader selling it, presumably to check/verify what it actually looked like and where the fittings were**. Then it had been repacked in the box. There were indeed four styrofoam "pillows" in the box - which weren't shaped or fitted, but which presumably were supposed to wedge into the four corners and hold the rad in place. They were just re-stuffed in the main part of the box along with some cardboard and shredded paper. So the rad was not held in place but could slide around inside the box. That's how the petcock got whacked while on its way to me.

The good news is that when I told the seller he refunded my money which was pretty decent of him, but said it wasn't worth paying carriage to return the rad. The bad news is that as I paid a bargain price, I didn't get much of a refund! And of course the other bad news that there was no available replacement, as this LHD rad was a one-off. Hence my attempts to make it use-able.

As I think I said earlier, life is never simple, especially if you have a US-spec LHD Jeep in UK, and need parts!

That was long answer to a short question. It's true that my XJ has done well - 19 years on the original rad, and I only replaced the original exhaust 6 months ago! Luckily I had the Jeep from new, and used it overseas for many years in hot dry places. It has only recently had to cope with the UK's salty roads and winter weather.

** Note for those who may not have realised: apparently the radiator for a RHD (UK etc) vehicle has the transmission-cooler inlet and outlet connections on the other side, below the top hose connection rather than the filler-cap. Seems bizarre, since that is the hotter side of the radiator, but I guess it has to do with the routing of the tranny pipes. But that is why they are different parts with different numbers, and not interchangeable.

 

[carves]

** Note for those who may not have realised: apparently the radiator for a RHD (UK etc) vehicle has the transmission-cooler inlet and outlet connections on the other side, below the top hose connection rather than the filler-cap. Seems bizarre, since that is the hotter side of the radiator, but I guess it has to do with the routing of the tranny pipes. But that is why they are different parts with different numbers, and not interchangeable.

Yes very bizarre ... especially for sale in hot RHD countries ...

Worse still on a RHD ... Is that the factory fitted, external aux cooler is no longer, additional cooling for the tranny oil ... compared against the LHD setup.

The rads interchange ... even the fanshroud mounts, match up according to those that have done it ... you just need a few lengths of rubber tranny hose and some clamps ... if you bother to use the intank heat exchanger.

 

[crimsondragon]

Wow. That is one busted up radiator. How do the fins just go missing?? I'm surprised your Jeep wasn't overheating. Or the plastic end tanks lasted as long as they did. Usually they're the first to go and leak. Had to replace my radiator with an all metal one when I saw my end tanks leaking.

 

[djgrayxj]

Note from DJ
To br1anstorm I would think it would be a good idea to secure your rubber drain hose very well near your repaired radiator drain connection. You don’t want it to be bouncing around as you drive down the road, this will cause unwanted stress on your fractured repaired area, and this would not be good.

Here is some general information for you that you may not be aware of.
Valeo the maker of your replace radiator is in the UK and Eire I think
http://www.valeoservice.com
The Valeo programme covers 95% of the European car park, with 2,900 part numbers in 13 product groups, including all types of cooling systems (water, air, oil, gas, cooling liquid), but also water pumps, thermostats and EGR valves and more.

Now here is some general trivia information I discovered regarding replacing radiator drain cocks if any one happen to be interested.

This is the link to Dorman products:
http://www.dormanproducts.com/
If you enter this statement in the center search box Cooling, Radiator Drain Cocks you will open a list of 25 different drain cocks,now scroll down to item # 61126 this is probably the replacement part for a lot of our Jeep radiators if you want one, second choice is item # 61129.
NOTE; these are both 5/8”-18 screw-in type so a short 5/8”-18 brass bolt with a little thread sealant is a more permanent fix.

Now if you happen to have a radiator that is like OP br1anstorm replacement radiator Item # 61134 might be what you need.

More trivia Info if you happen to be interested, if you enter Brass Fittings, Drain Cocks in their search box. You will open a list of about 15 different Brass drain cocks if you are ever looking for one.

 

[PapaPump]

Great repair! My Jeep was given to me by a friend that had overheated it, replaced the water pump to no effect, and then driven it hard until it wouldn't run. It was so hot it scorched the hood. He then called me up and said he was done trying to fix it, and that I could have it if I could get it home. Well, it started right up when I went to the woods to get it, but it had a serious knock and would overheat very quickly. I pulled the thermostat and drove it home without incident. Later on, I drove it in a move 400 miles or so, still without a thermostat, and still knocking. I had to run the heater on high over some grades, but it made it. Eventually, I replaced the engine, because I suspected the initial problem was not the water pump, but a blown head gasket. Well, when it still overheated, it was on to the next component, which shoulda been the first: the radiator.

I found a brand-spankin'-new one in a junkyard jeep, and promptly purchased it, excited and proud of the deal I'd just made...until I got home...same freakin' broken-ass petcock pipe as OP's. My repair was to simply stuff a brass plug in there and JB weld the crap outta it. It's held for two years. I did let it cure for two days after drying it as best as I could and blasting it with air. Your solution much more elegant though.

My radiator looked a lot like yours when it came out too. Can't believe I didn't notice during the engine swap or water pump change. It was just intact enough to fool me, but when touched w/ a screwdriver, would turn to dust.

The marine plugs that were mentioned in this thread may have actually worked. I know of a boat racer that uses them in place of freeze plugs for easy water evacuation.