Guitar Dude 33

My original radiator is leaking like crazy. After 14 years, looks like it’s time for a new one. I was looking on the Quadratec website, and I saw this CSF radiator.

http://www.quadratec.com/products/51210_6200.htm

Seems to be great; all metal, 2 row. I think i want to go this way, and not with the single row, plastic tank ones that you can pick up at advanced, napa, etc… Only question is if anyone has used any of the CSF radiators? Any luck with them? Is it odd that they said it is compatible with the 2.5L and the 4.0L?

Also, I tried checking out Radiator Barn like everyone suggests, but they only seem to have the single row, plastic tank ones available.

ZINGGG

CSF makes some of the best radiators out there. You'd be very happy with the one you linked at Quadratec.

playbass

I put in that very radiator a few months back, I bought it from radiatorbarn for about 40$ cheaper though? Strange that they don't have it now.

It seems really well built and it did have a noticeable impact on cooling, but my old radiator was so clogged and leaky it's hard know if I had a good baseline of comparison.

wtabke

A few weeks ago I put in a 3 row from Radiator Barn - so far, so good.

Seems to be running about 7 to 10 degrees cooler than with the stock radiator.

jakbob

I had a csf three row from radiator barn. Eventually the tanks on the side expanded. Didn't leak, but then my fan clutch decentigrated and took it out. Put in a autozone one, no issues. I wheel my truck hard, and only have the mechanical fan. No overheating.

Radiatorbarns on back order, that's what they told me when I was trying to get a warranty replacement (the bulging and I hadn't overheated once)

Just some food for thought.

playbass

I've heard that the 3 row is very thick and leaves little room for error between the fins and the fan clutch. With the 2 row I have and a Hayden fan clutch there is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of clearance between the radiator and the fan clutch.

Coach

i don't know anything about those radiators but I do know rockauto has a new one for $78.

djb383

Do a little research and u will understand why auto manufacturers have gone to aluminum core rads for 20+ years and why modern rad design have gone to very a wide row. The rad in the link show the core thickness is 1 5/16". OE stock 1 row is 1 1/4" thick. I'd bet the space between the 2 row rad in the link is at least 1/4" thus making the actual tube width than flows coolant less than OE.

wtabke

With the (3) core, I have a bit over 1" of clearance between the fan clutch and the radiator - for me, that is plenty.

Also, there is more to a radiator than just the size and number of the tubes.

The object of the radiator is not to see how much water you can push through it. The object is to see how much heat you can remove from the coolant.

I will take more smaller tubes, made out of higher quality/more durable material any day - I don't have any engineering analysis to prove the 3 core is any better than a 2 core, but for the $40 diff, I went for the more cores.

Guitar Dude 33

Playbass...did you have any fitament issues with installing the CSF? All the old trans lines connect up ok?

djb383

Times have changed and so has radiator design. Some engineering folks will disagree and say the more water u can push thru the rad, the better. Take a look at the rad in virtually any modern vehicle.....the core is aluminum, they usually have 1 very wide row of tubes (to increase the coolant flow), a high fin/inch count and most have plastic tanks.

http://www.stewartcomponents.com/tec...ech_Tips_5.htm

Modern 1/2 ton P/U's with 10K lb tow ratings have rads with wide tube aluminum core and plastic tank design......why, because they are very efficient at cooling when the vehicle is hauling/towing heavy loads. For example, go to radiator barn and enter '07 Silverado, Ram, F150 and Tundra. All but the Tundra are 1 row aluminum core with plastic tanks.....the Tundra is a 2 row aluminum core with plastic tanks.

I'm just suggesting the OP do a little radiator research......and yes, a new OE style 1 row rad will out perform/cool better than any old plugged 5 row rad.

wtabke

It may function perfectly well but having worked in the automotive industry my entire adult life, I would have to say the 'why' is because it is the cheapest possible way to accomplish the task. Lightest, cheapest material and the least number of parts.

Guitar Dude 33

That's the kind of info I need. There's so many choices out there, it's hard to figure out which to get. It's mostly a DD with light trail runs on the weekend. With this being said, anything has to be better than the stock leaky old radiator I currently have. Any specific rads that anyone recommends (other than the sold out radiator barn ones)?

djb383

.....and I'm sure u've seen lots of changes in the automotive industry and many improvements as well, not to mention price increases.

Our XJ is a DD as well and with that in mind, we didn't want the down time of mail order warranty adjustment so we bought our new OE style rad locally.....$110, iirc.

I'm not knocking CSF Rads, I'm just saying do some research and choose wisely. Auto mfgs. haven't increased tow/haul ratings and warranty periods buy going cheaper....they've done it by using better design/materials.

jakbob

I offroad my truck a lot. Autozone single core. Never overheated or even running hot. But I did also replace all my other cooling components as well.