Radiator Mount Stiffener

[XCRN]

I have now cracked open my radiator twice and I am fairly certain it is the fact of an aluminum radiator mounted to the flexing grill and causing the tubes to crack at the tank. A stock plastic tank radiator is out of the question because LS. I am now considering my options, one of them is making a cradle mount where the radiator can sit "loosely" or having a thick plate laser cut that matches the mounting pattern on the grille and will stiffen the area where the radiator will be. I also considered the idea of making some kind of extension where the radiator can mount to the frame directly but that seems like it would be too much of a PITA to attempt and there is just not a lot of room to work with. I would like to try and repair the radiator again instead of spending hundreds on a new radiator, but I want to make the mount better and hope that fixes the issue.

Has anyone had these issues of too much of a flexible mount on too rigid of a radiator?

 

[jjvw]

You have something else going on because the radiator supports are not moving around enough to crack apart the factory radiator. We don't see that.

 

[ColoJeep]

You have something else going on because the radiator supports are not moving around enough to crack apart the factory radiator. We don't see that.

He doesn't have the factory radiator , sounds like an aftermarket all aluminum type.

 

[jjvw]

He doesn't have the factory radiator , sounds like an aftermarket all aluminum type.

I understand that.

 

[Gilaguy23]

I wonder if you could rig up the mounts using rubber isolators with studs at either end to allow some give. Pretty easily available on McMaster Carr, scamazon or the like.

 

[mrblaine]

A stock plastic tank radiator is out of the question because LS.

As stated, you likely have something else going on. And as you noted, the stock radiator has a plastic tank and it never fails due to the grill shell flexing which would rip the little square nuts out of the molded in pockets they live in that attaches the radiator to the mounting flanges. They are not very robust and the grill shell is very stout and not prone to flexing at all.

 

[Gilaguy23]

Chineesium alloy radiator??

 

[XCRN]

Chineesium alloy radiator??

No idea but what isnt anymore. But its a $400 radiator from a company in MI.

 

[Apparition]

No idea but what isnt anymore. But its a $400 radiator from a company in MI.

Superior?

 

[XCRN]

Superior?

Correct

 

[mudmaster]

I have a Mishimoto radiator and have had no issues. Like has been stated already it seems there's another issue going on.

 

[Apparition]

Correct

I know Tox went that route but he hasn't tested his as far as I know.

 

[XCRN]

I have a Mishimoto radiator and have had no issues. Like has been stated already it seems there's another issue going on.

Thats probably going to be my next route. I dropped the radiator off at a local repair shop see what they find. We will see if $50 will fix it or if I need to drop a few hundred on another.

 

[XCRN]

I know Tox went that route but he hasn't tested his as far as I know.

When I first had it repaired, it was like April of last year and have been a little more aggressive with the TJ now than in the past. It lasted until now, though I think there was always some kind of leak since when I spray off the grille area with the hose I see what looks like coolant being washed away on the ground. It just got bad enough now there was an active leak from being parked and I saw a bunch of green around where the tubes meet the tank.

 

[Apparition]

Thats probably going to be my next route. I dropped the radiator off at a local repair shop see what they find. We will see if $50 will fix it or if I need to drop a few hundred on another.

I've been leaning towards Wizard Cooling for mine but haven't fully figured out what I'm running for a fan yet.

https://wizardcooling.com/

 

[XCRN]

I've been leaning towards Wizard Cooling for mine but haven't fully figured out what I'm running for a fan yet.

https://wizardcooling.com/

I saw some of their rads and they look like nice units, not cheap but neither is this hobby if you want to be serious so I am not opposed to something like that. I will say though I have been very happy with the Flex-a-Lite off the shelf fan from Oreily's. I think this last trip I took to Silver Lake in Sept it was the first time it was not enough. I could do one or 2 hotlaps around the full park before it got hotter than I am comfortable with and had to sit for a bit to cool down for a few minutes. Though I think it has more to do with my under-hood temps and not being able to evacuate the hot air fast enough since the hood is insulated and the stainless 1-3/4 primary headers are not helping that either. I think it's time to look into louvers and ceramicoating the exhaust over winter.

 

[SkylinesSuck]

Under hood temps have zero to do with your engine coolant temps.

 

[XCRN]

Under hood temps have zero to do with your engine coolant temps.

I partially disagree on that from personal experience. I have a $500 beater TJ that I took to Haspin last Fall with a stock hood and temps got highish and I had to sit and wait a few times. Ended up swapping on another hood with louvers I had lying around since I needed that stock hood for something else and ran the piss out of it again in Haspin this past Summer and temps never really got above operating temp and I did not need to sit and wait like last time. So it helped in my situation then with no other changes made to it.

My LS TJ maintains temps great just driving around and stays at thermostat opening temp of 187 on my commute to work, just not during sustained high rpm spirited driving. Plus when I was running it hard, IATs were getting above 160+ and I think the factory tune starts pulling timing when above 100 so I need to lower my under-hood temps regardless.