Has anyone swapped out the lame and weak 1 core radiator with a 2 core unit. If so, was it a direct fit, etc. Thanx in advance. - Rusty

 

I've been looking for a two row radiator and what you asked is a good question , the other thing is did it give you better cooling ? I'm having a hard time finding a two row , if you can lrt me know where you got yours from . Thank you Ray

 

Found a Radiator from Autoanything.com Its listed as a 2 core/row, but its only single core/row. They tell me it does what a 2 core/row will do. Next is a 2 core/row from Flexalite @ a scant $650+.

 

You're not looking for a two core radiator. The radiators available for the XJ are single core with one, two or three rows. The core is the framework in the middle that has the rows of coolant passages running through it. A two core radiator would be like two radiators sandwiched together, and I don't think anybody makes anything like that for the XJ.

Champion and CSF both make two and three row heavy duty all aluminum radiators that are much thicker than stock and get fairly good reviews on the forums. They run $150 to $200, and you can buy them on Amazon. I'm running a CSF 2671 three row radiator in mine, and so far it seems like a solid product.

Mishimoto just came out with a new HD radiator for the XJ that looks like a beast, but it's $366. The next step up from that is a Griffin, which will run you about $700. These are intended to be used for heavy rock crawling or racing, but it's unlikely you really need them.

Keep in mind the number of rows really isn't as important as the thickness of the radiator. These performance radiators have more cooling capacity because they're thicker than stock. There is also a Mopar HD radiator for our Jeeps that is single row but 5/8" thicker than stock. It probably works just as well as the CSF or Champion.

If you install one of these thicker radiators, be sure your motor mounts are in good shape and consider replacing them if they're old and/or worn. The thicker radiators result in a lot less space between the radiator fins and the mechanical fan. People have gone to the trouble of installing their fancy HD radiators only to have the mechanical fans eat them the first time the engine shifted on the trail.

 

Get over the idea that "more rows = better cooling". It's not true.

Radiator design is much more complicated than that. A particular 1 row radiator might be better than someone else's 2 or 3 row. Or vice versa.


There is nothing wrong with the stock cooling system on these things. Unless there is something wrong with your cooling system, it will keep the engine at proper operating temperature in Phoenix in August in slow traffic. Unless you are doing rock crawling in desert temperatures, the stock system is perfectly fine.

 

Until it's not.

I used to agree, but I have recently changed my thinking on this. The stock system should be sufficient if the system is clean and everything is in good repair. Yet there are a lot of posts here and on the FB groups where people have replaced their entire systems, verified good compression and checked everything else they can think of, yet they're still running hot. I have a feeling a lot of these situations are resulting from transmissions that are on their way out dumping heat into the system, but there was even one recently in which the guy had a manual transmission.

Therefore, I don't think it's necessarily a waste to give yourself additional cooling capacity to protect the engine for when something isn't optimal. The stock system probably would be fine. Even so, I would hate to end up damaging an engine if I have a problem that the little bit of extra cooling capacity could have handled.

 

Here is a picture showing what was discussed in the above posts.
Additional core thickness is key to getting more capacity from a radiator. If you switch from 1-row to 2-row with the same core thickness, the passages will be smaller and less effective at cooling. Also the smaller passages can restrict coolant flow (comparatively) and are easier to clog with sediment.

 

I found that some cores are 1 inch thick and others are 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 thick I know that the thicker the better .I also know the more tubes and fins the better to a point . I would like to know which radiator you use and how much better it worked . I read that they had a HD/towing cooling and that radiator was 1 1/2 thick core but I can't find that radiator . so if you can help me find one for a good price . Thank you Ray

 

anyone looked into the Mopar 5191929AA ?

 

I bought a 2-row from NAPA for the beach jeep I had. About $70

 

Has anybody used Champion Cooling Systems EC1193 All-Aluminum Radiator for Cherokee Jegs have it for $175 or Champion has it for $169 . its a 2 row and the core 1 3/4 thick . and if you have did it fit or did it take some work and how good was it ? Thank you Ray

 

wow I guess no one has used Champion 2 row All-Aluminum Radiator I thought it was a good radiator ?

 

I may be wrong but I believe that isn't a very good radiator. Or is it csf? Many on here recommend a stock replacement from autozone. Aluminums are hit and miss.

 

A lot of people have used it. They just don't happen to be reading this thread. I suggest searching for reviews, since this isn't the only website on the internet.

Some people have wonderful things to say about the all aluminum radiators, while others don't. There's no consensus. When I was looking for mine, I was hoping for a clear winner. There wasn't one. There were people who had seen failures. There was a lot of negative commentary from people who had never used one but seemed to feel they needed to justify their choice of the cheaper radiator. There were people who had good results.

I found so many conflicting opinions that I just had to pick one and go with it.

From what I can tell, the majority of the people who recommend the cheap plastic tank radiators from Auto Zone seem to do so because of the warranty. You buy it assuming it's going to leak, then replace it when it does, treating it like a regular maintenance item. If it doesn't ever break, yay. Personally, I went through three leaking plastic radiators in three years and decided that was BS, warranty or not. My CSF has been in there for more than three years now with no problems at all.

 

This is pretty much what I found while looking for an aftermarket replacement. I did a fair amount of research on Champion and CSF and ended up buying an OEM replacement from Autozone for ~$100. The cheap aluminum ones just don't seem to last.

I was interested in the Mopar OEM "Max Cool" HD radiator but couldn't find enough info on it to justify the extra money. I never see temps higher than about 100* and my AC doesn't work so I don't really need the extra cooling.

edit: Refer to extrashaky's post above. That's a better response than mine.