Radiator: OEM style auto vs. OEM style manual vs. high end aluminum (done right)

Feralkid

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I know every one is going to decide oem is best. I probably will too.

I desire internet autism tonight. Think of this thread as like an engine oil thread, but for cooling systems. Radiators being the main topic.

You fine gentlemen of this esteemed forum and so on... advise against altering oem configuration in any way, but... what if conditions call for it?

For instance, canada, gets cold, plastic gets brittle, aluminum may be better suited, no?

And what conditions do an oem style configuration excell over full aluminum?

Hopefully this turns into a war.

Jerry is banned from this thread btw, lul.
 
I’m your huckleberry, I replaced my leaky plastic tanked radiator with an aluminum one well over half of my Jeeps 20 year lifespan and I also have an electric fan and I continue to be happy with it. MMV
 
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I’m your huckleberry, I replaced my leaky plastic tanked radiator with an aluminum one well over half of my Jeeps 20 year lifespan and I also have an electric fan and I continue to be happy with it. MMV
Yes, that's what I was considering. I already have an electric fan installed. I figured if I could install a higher efficiency radiator the fan would run less often. Not that it runs an obscene amount with the oem style rad that's in there now, I'm aiming towards optimization.
Plastic kills sea turtles, aluminum causes alzheimers, take your pick.
Frivolous concerns young lad. We'll all be dead in 2 weeks anyway. Check the news. Theres a common cold virus going around. You're probably already infected, I don't know what to tell you. Best to stock up on tp, hunker down, and wait for death's cold embrace.

Bizarro-Grim-Reaper-Pizza.jpg


Optimization.
 
I've been considering this radiator as my next replacement.

https://www.coldcaseradiators.com/product/87-06-jeep-wrangler-tj-yj-aluminum-performance-radiator
Glad to hear @DrDmoney has had good experience with aluminum.
Play the odds. For every 100 aftermarket full aluminum radiators installed, I see a failure rate of about 70%. For every 100 OEM plastic and aluminum radiators installed, I see a failure rate of less than 1% and that's being generous because of the 30-40 I've personally installed and used, my failure rate is 0.

If you want more exact personal experience. I've installed and worked on 12-14 rigs with aftermarket full aluminum radiators. Of those, exactly 2 are still in use without having to be replaced under some warranty failure and 1 of those is a replacement for another very expensive one that failed that they wouldn't warranty.
 
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My aftermarket OEM style radiator broke last weekend. I ordered a Mopar unit. It was just over $300 shipped to my house (auto trans).

I barely drive my Jeep and I figure this is the last radiator I’ll have to buy for it.
 
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