Wrangler TJ Radiator Replacement

Thank you!

I also am curious if replacing my thermostats and water pump while I'm at it would be good preventative maintenance, or isn't really needed at the moment? (I have a 2002 TJ, so it's 15 years old)

I still am young, so I am not sure if spending money on preventive maintenance outweighs saving money in general.

Do them at the same time, especially if it's 15 years old. The thermostat and water pump aren't that much more, so it would make sense to just do it all at once (when you can afford it), so that way you've got a brand new cooling system that's good for at least another 10+ years!
 
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Thank you!

I also am curious if replacing my thermostats and water pump while I'm at it would be good preventative maintenance, or isn't really needed at the moment? (I have a 2002 TJ, so it's 15 years old)

I still am young, so I am not sure if spending money on preventive maintenance outweighs saving money in general.
Mine is a 1999 TJ and while I had the radiator out I might as well change the water pump and Thermostat too...Id hate for them to go and have to go through the whole process again....I just though if the radiator has gone the other bits of the cooling system might not be far be hind it haha......after the water pump was off I did notice the seals weren't looking the best so glad I'm glad I did.
 
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It is obvious that soon my radiator will need to be replaced, as I have already stated. And as well, the water pump should be replaced to be safe since my Jeep is 15 years old.

But, where do I draw the line on all of these replacements?

1. Mopar Radiator
2. Water pump
3. Thermostat (w/ new gasket)

Is anything else really of a concern?
 
Like you said, your jeep is 15 years old now. Hoses should be looked at. Upper/Lower radiator hoses, both heater hoses.
 
I mean is it worth waiting a few more years? To avoid spending a bunch of money right now when it's not necessarily needed?

There's a saying that goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

While I believe that applies to a lot of things, I don't think it applies to a cooling system on a vehicle with high miles. Why you ask? Well, because if your cooling system fails, it will leave you stranded (possibly in the middle of nowhere, or a trail) with an expensive tow bill.

Once a cooling system has 100k plus miles and 10+ years of use, I think it's time to start thinking about replacing it.

All you'd really need to replace is the radiator, thermostat (and the housing gaskets) and water pump. You could replace the upper and lower radiator hoses, but those should be fine unless they appear visually beaten.

I'm not saying you need to do it today, but when the funds permit, I'd do it sooner rather than later... Especially since you're constantly dealing with that crazy Texas heat, which is going to be harder on a cooling system than more mild temperatures.
 
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Hoses deteriorate from the inside out, so It can be tough sometimes to know what kind of shape they are in, other than the obvious cracking or softness. I'd change the hoses before I'd worry about the water pump. But, like Chris mentions, a cooling system with that mileage on it, in harsh conditions (Texas heat) is a ticking time bomb, IMO.
 
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Why not go with aluminum?

Oh man... I can't answer this directly, but I believe it was @mrblaine who schooled me on aluminum radiators and why they weren't all they were cracked up to be. Hopefully he can provide some insight into this.
 
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That's why I was vacillating about this; it's a critical component, but it ain't broken yet.

But, thank you! I will start to price everything and change it all out while I have the grill off to replace my AC clutch!

And @Jay, I originally considered that. However, in my experience I prefer OEM parts, and have been convinced to go with a Mopar radiator in this case by other forum members.
 
When something goes, I always upgrade if possible. Are there advantages to an aluminum radiator?
 
When something goes, I always upgrade if possible. Are there advantages to an aluminum radiator?

The problem is, often times an "upgrade" is not actually an upgrade at all, it's nothing more than marketing gimmicks.

A perfect example of this would be the Synergy ball joints. You'd assume they are an upgrade over the stock ball joints because their marketing would have you believe that. When in fact, it's quite the opposite. They are crappy ball joints that fail prematurely in comparison to the stock ball joints.

Sure, this isn't always the case, but I think that often times it is. As for the aluminum radiator, I can't remember what @mrblaine was telling me about those things, but the bottom line was that while they appear to be an upgrade, they aren't any better than the OE Mopar radiator.

I mean hell... If your factory radiator can last nearly 200k miles and 10+ years... That's a high quality part right there. Because remember... Nothing lasts forever.
 
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There are many advantages to an aluminum radiator, so many in fact that the vast majority of TJ's came with one from the factory.

Haha, I love it!

I think he's referring to an all aluminum radiator without the plastic end caps. Somehow I think you already knew that though :D
 
Damn. I guess my oversize tires are pointless since they didn't come stock. Lol
The TJ has a lot of areas that can benefit from aftermarket upgrades, the cooling system is just not one of them. Lots of us wheel out in the deserts of SoCal, me included, and if the factory cooling system wasn't adequate, you can bet we'd be experts in knowing how to upgrade it so it was.

We are however expert in realizing the factory cooling system is more than up to anything our local deserts can throw at it. We have come to realize through experience that "upgraded" aftermarket radiators are anything but upgrades, they seldom even come close to performing as well as the OE Mopar radiator with its all aluminum core does. It would be very tough to find an aftermarket radiator that even equalled its cooling performance and tougher yet to find one that outperformed it. And it'd be a lot more expensive than the Mopar. Really. :)
 
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