waltermitty

What the #@*& happened to The United States Of America???? The greatest country in the world and we can't get parts that fit our vehicles.

My $200.00 three row Radiator Barn CSF radiator isn't the drop in they said it was. Studs are welded on the top where I have no holes, studs are welded on where I have studs already and to make matters worse one of the brackets is cracked nearly halfway across. It is obvious it was cracked when the paint went on.

I opted for the high dollar dealer water pump hoping it would last longer than a year. While comparing the two pumps I noticed the hole in the pump housing that lines up with the head is 3/4 blocked with casting material that was never properly machined. I used a die grinder to open it up and smooth the passage. The area of the pump where the pulley is located for center is to small to be of use so I'm certain the pump will fail prematurely due to vibration. It is an inferior product by a wide margin. After telephoning the parts department at the dealer where I bought it I was even further disgusted.

The fan clutch I purchased at Auto Zone because the dealer didn't have one in stock. Got it home, attempted assembly and it didn't fit. Went back to Auto Zone, dude says it the correct part number and it should fit.

"It doesn't fit dude!" Well I can have a heavy duty one here for a a Grand Cherokee on Monday. I got my money back and went to Napa. It is physically different dimensions but the fan bolts on.

:g uns:So I'm dead in the water until I hear from Radiator barn.:gu ns::guns :

TheJerm

We are capitalist so we rather pay sweatshop workers in china pennies per hour to make stuff so we can reap the greatest profits and savings.

waltermitty

Hey Jerm...I guess I should have posted on the chat thread. Just blowing off steam. I'll let you know what the RB says about the rad. I was hoping to have the job done in a few hours. Now the Jeeps gonna be down for days. I'm pissed!

TheJerm

Yea i dont have any advice other than check the parts before you buy it in the store and buy the right parts the 1st time lol If you take the part with you into the store you can usually get the right thing.

djb383

If it's not too late, can u post a close-up pic of the new rad? How many fins/inch? How many tubes vertically? Copper/brass or aluminum?

waltermitty

The new rad is a 3 row copper/brass. It looks like a fairly nice unit but a little cheesy in the spots that matter...like the mounting brackets. Also, it looks like a "one size fits all" application theory. To make this one work I'll have to drill a few extra holes and make a trip to the hardware store for some nuts. I'll also need to figure out how to get the studs out of the rad support so the welded on studs can go thru the holes. For $200.00 you think they could provide mounting brackets that are not made of solder, some hardware, drilling templates, and some directions. This one is boxed up for return to the factory because one of the mounting tabs is cracked.

I did take some photos with a side by side comparison of the rads. I also took some of the Mopar replacement water pump with a partially blocked supply port complete with before and after photos. There are comparison photos of the original pump.

As many Cherokees are still in service and owners wanting to upgrade you think the vendors would have their **** together a bit better.

waltermitty

I'll get the photos uploaded as soon as I calm down...maybe today sometime.

Bustedknuckle

Moved to CherokeeChat.

grsmnky1

I thought mine was wrong also. But on top of the radiator in your jeep are the rubber mounts that bolt to those wrong looking studs and makes them correct. Also I would not accept any product with a factory painted over crack, bad form on the manufactures end. My first radiator from them only lasted 1year then leaked because I didn't send it right back when I noticed a few cores looked insufficiently soldered, my bad. I sent them some pictures and the day after recieved a new radiator.

waltermitty

That is good news! Maybe the replacement for my replacement isn't going to be as tough as I anticipated. Did you get instructions with your rad? Mine just had a warranty form to fill out.

grsmnky1

No instructions. But if it's helpfull I found it's easier to unbolt the upper rad support from the front fiberglass rather than leaving that L bracket in and trying to slide it and the radiator out from under it. The tranny lines were a pain but once I got the crud out from inside of the plastic clips they would finally squeeze together and release.

JeepingDan

I have a CFS Rad and a water pump from the dealer. Never had an issue with installation or function.
Sure you got everything installed correctly?

ck1

I am surprised as mine dropped right in...no issues at all...good luck
Cameron

waltermitty

New day-new attitude.

Did anyone's CSF rad come with directions or is there a write-up of the CSF install?

I need a replacement anyway as one of the mounting tabs is cracked halfway through.

Here is a side by side comparison of the two.

waltermitty

As you can see on the top there are three studs welded on each side.

My original doesn't have the studs. So what is the manufacturer's recommendation regarding the install?