OEM heater core discontinued: Best replacement?

Here is a link to the heater cores on RockAuto. They show to have the OEM Mopar in stock for an A/C equipped TJ. I'm not sure what the difference is between A/C equipped and non-a/c. Maybe it has an Evap core attached to it?

Is the OEM core made of copper?

All the other brands they have are made of aluminum. Why is the general opinion that an aluminum heater core is bad? I'd love to have an all aluminum radiator, so stands to reason an alum heater would be ok... I think.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...1777,heat+&+air+conditioning,heater+core,6864

NOTE: I have used Rock Auto for several years and have been very happy with prices and shipping. Never an issue with getting the wrong part.
Ya know that’s the part I needed!! I thought it was 4874 045 but it must be 046 because I have AC. Unfortunately someone else just bought it. :(
 
Man now I can’t figure out if Rock Auto is correct or not. Can anybody verify for me please?
Rock Auto says 4874 046 will fit a 97 with AC but wermopar says that part number doesn’t fit.
From what I can tell it’s for 00-03 but that part is in the 97-99 parts list manual. It just doesn’t specify what it’s for.

The OEM parts manual (pages 453, 454) doesn’t specify that 4874 046 is for an AC equipped Jeep.
Can anyone please confirm the part number I should be looking for?
 
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Don't assume the core is NG and rip out the dash on an assumption, possibly it was clogged ? I would do a simple air test on the core to at least confirm it's bad,

Good point! Is there maybe a “how to” on performing this test you can point me to?
 
Good point! Is there maybe a “how to” on performing this test you can point me to?

All you would need is a couple of short pieces of radiator hose, hose clamps, a plug for 1 hose and a threaded adapter for the other hose so you can hook up an air line and gauge. Pretty much source everything at a hardware store or Home Depot. I would fill the core with about 20 lbs of air pressure.
 
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Man now I can’t figure out if Rock Auto is correct or not. Can anybody verify for me please?
Rock Auto says 4874 046 will fit a 97 with AC but wermopar says that part number doesn’t fit.
From what I can tell it’s for 00-03 but that part is in the 97-99 parts list manual. It just doesn’t specify what it’s for.

The OEM parts manual (pages 453, 454) doesn’t specify that 4874 046 is for an AC equipped Jeep.
Can anyone please confirm the part number I should be looking for?

Looks to me like the 4874046 is for 02-06 RHD only.
https://www.morris4x4center.com/heater-core-4874046.html

And though this is not a Mopar, it’s using the same part # 4874045. This is the heater core part number I’d use for your 97 LHD. And my 99 also.
https://www.morris4x4center.com/heater-core-4874045.html
 
Mopar Parts Overstock list in stock 04874045: '97 WITHOUT a/c all vehicles $340.00 +ship.
04874046: '97 WITH a/c all vehicles and RHD diesel. $272.51 +ship.

phone them to confirm its OK for your TJ.

Regards Geoff

Thanks for the tip but I called them last week to verify they had it in stock and that it was OEM. They told me they didn’t actually have any and that as soon as I would try to purchase it I would have gotten an email saying they no longer had them. I don’t know why they don’t update their stupid website. That is so frustrating when sellers act as if they have the part when in fact they just source them from somewhere else AFTER you buy it from them. I appreciate the reply tho!! Thx.
 
I’ll just pass this along in case it helps anyone. I might give this guy a try. I don’t know anything about this seller but he looks to be parting out a lot of TJ’s and has quite a few heater/ac assemblies for sale in addition to just about everything else on a TJ. https://ebay.com/usr/baseline4x4
 
I looked for quite some time last year for an oem heater core for a 98. I had no luck. Even ordered from two Chrysler dealers who claimed, "in stock", only to receive a non oem aluminum heater core. I had a few different dealers do searches to see if anyone in the country had one in stock and they came up empty.

I was replacing my evaporator and even though my heater core wasn't leaking I wanted to replace it as it wasn't a job I was interested in doing again. In the end I went with an aftermarket aluminium. If aluminum is good enough for the later model TJs and pretty much every other car on the road, I suppose it is ok for my tj. I really wanted an oem copper/brass.

The problem with a used oem one is that you are putting in an almost 20 yr old, or older, used part.

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I hear ya @superduty, I was contemplating having a working OEM used heater core refurbished by a local radiator shop. I just wonder if that would be more reliable than the aftermarket stuff in the long run? That’s pretty much what I’m trying to determine now. I’m fairly confident there are no NOS OEM heater cores (04874045) out there to be had at this point. If there are any, I sure don’t know where the heck to look.
 
Did we just agree that the best replacement is to still try to source a Mopar Heater Core?
Is there a decent aftermarket replacement out there at all? I need to tackle this project this summer and am open/looking for suggestions.
 
Did we just agree that the best replacement is to still try to source a Mopar Heater Core?
Is there a decent aftermarket replacement out there at all? I need to tackle this project this summer and am open/looking for suggestions.

Yes. Try to source an OE Mopar. If not, at that point you're at the mercy of the Chinese, plain and simple.
 
Yes. Try to source an OE Mopar. If not, at that point you're at the mercy of the Chinese, plain and simple.
I looked far and wide and had zero luck finding an oem heater core. If you find one, consider yourself pretty lucky and buy it immediately.

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Yes. Try to source an OE Mopar. If not, at that point you're at the mercy of the Chinese, plain and simple.
I was afraid of that...so all the $40 aftermarkets are where we're at then.
I looked far and wide and had zero luck finding an oem heater core. If you find one, consider yourself pretty lucky and buy it immediately.

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What did you go with? I haven't had good luck in the past buying used Mopar stuff from ebay either...
 
OSC 98024 from rockauto.


I looked for a copper brass aftermarket unit, but to no avail. All the aftermarket are aluminum.

Why I chose OSC?

I ordered a heater core from a mopar dealer online. They claimed they had the oem in stock. When I received it, it clearly was not an oem, but an OSC. That particular dealer uses OSC if they have to replace a heater core and sells them to the public for about $250. I assume, perhaps misguided, that they did some research and the osc was a good unit. But I had nothing else to go on in terms of determining which aftermarket was best.

Changing it out is a nightmare job, so hopefully it lasts. I had to change out my ac evap as it had a leak. My heater core was still fine. I changed it as preventative maintenance. I figured 20 yrs of service was enough.

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Changing it out is a nightmare job, so hopefully it lasts.

Try changing the heater core out on a brand new BMW 7 series... :risas3:

The dealer tech told me it was a $6000 job and took a week to complete!