Jeep Wrangler TJ Performance PCM Tuning

Blew my radiator

M

meangreen98

TJ Enthusiast
Original poster
Joined
Apr 18, 2018
Messages
299
Location
East Bay, CA, USA
So this morning on the way to work my radiator cracked up top and started smoking like crazy. The temp gauge didn't spike up, it just went a bit past the halfway mark. I then noticed a lack in power in all gears and when i was in neutral the rpm went up to about 1500 without any pressure on the gas pedal. I made it work and turned it off then snapped the photo attached.
What do i do now? wait for it to cool off and in about 5 hours or so, refill the radiator with water and try and make it back home? I work 13 miles from home. is there a temporary fix i can put on the crack to prevent it from smoking?
is there a possibility i may have damaged the engine as well? The lack in power is what scares me at this point.

Any help is appreciated, also I'm obviously on the market for a new radiator now. Does anyone have any experience with the eBay ~$150 all aluminum radiators?

radiator.webp
 
Happened to me half way to Moab a few years ago. Didn't experience the power loss like you have, so that is concerning. Let it cool down completely, top it off with distilled water, get some JB weld, clean the crack with rubbing alcohol and scuff the plastic, then take a knife and "V groove" the crack. Clean again and apply the JB Weld. Let it dry for 4 hours +. Should get you home.
 
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^^^
Thanks, I will try that, as long as it gets me home to park it and replace the radiator one of these weekends.
I'm just scratching my head about the power loss, i just hope its a coincidence and my throttle cable got stuck or something.
 
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So i just cleaned it all up and applied jb weld. Hopefully by the time i leave work in about 5 hours it should be hardened enough to make it home.

having it towed home is also not a bad idea, rather be safe than sorry. If i see it start smoking on the way home, then that's what I'm doing, pulling over and calling for help.
 
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meangreen98 said:
Does anyone have any experience with the eBay ~$150 all aluminum radiators?
Click to expand...

NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO!!!

Don't be stupid (I mean that in the nicest way possible). Do the smart thing and buy an OE Mopar radiator.

I GAURANTEE you that eBay radiator (or any local auto part store radiator) will last 2-3 years at most. Especially those all aluminum radiators, which have been shown time and time again to leak after sometimes at little as 3 months.

How long will an OE Mopar one last? Well, at least 10 years.

Don't make the mistake so many have made, I beg of you.
 
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When I replaced my radiator I got the CSF 2576 radiator and it matched my OEM radiator in every way I could tell. I have read that Mopar just rebrands these MOPAR, but I can't confirm that. It's all metal though.
 
superduty said:
Have it towed back home.

Get an OEM Mopar radiator for the replacement.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Good luck with that, mopar has been starting to use aftermarket radiators now on some models of the TJ, US Radiators carries one of the best radiators in copper brass, no plastic to crack...but you do pay for this level of quality. Look up the number on their website and order from Summit.
 
DieselJeep said:
When I replaced my radiator I got the CSF 2576 radiator and it matched my OEM radiator in every way I could tell. I have read that Mopar just rebrands these MOPAR, but I can't confirm that. It's all metal though.
Click to expand...
So, the CSF is all metal and somehow it matches the OEM Mopar, which has plastic tanks, in every way?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
Well let me state it a better way. I pulled out my metal one and replaced it with a metal one and they matched perfectly.
 
meangreen98 said:
After doing a bit of research i heard the same about those, OEM it is.
Now i found this radiator, OEM, for a great price including shipping.
does anyone have experience with this seller?

https://www.moparpartsoverstock.com...IATOR-Engine-Cooling/11287321/2AMR2101AA.html
Click to expand...

I would jump on that deal in a heartbeat!

On Amazon the radiator for your 98 TJ is almost double the cost!

Radiator: 55037652AA (1998 4.0 with Manual Transmission)
Radiator: 55037653AB (1998 4.0 with Automatic Transmission)
 
I replaced my radiator 2 or 3 years ago. And technically last fall, but that's a different reason.
 
meangreen98 said:
what do you mean?
Click to expand...
It's too cheap. I think the discount that a shop gets if purchasing from a dealer is around $195.

No way a dealer could sell for that cheap unless it's an error.

Further in the description it says:

Magneti-Marelli Offered By MOPAR

No idea what that means, but my hunch is it's not a true Mopar product. It also mentions Middle East group in numerous places in the description.

Finally, the OEM part number isn't shown for the radiator. It has a different part number. Farther down the page there is an OEM part number radiator for $227.


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