Anybody got any recommendations on a drop in radiator for my 97 sport i’m not trying to spend a bunch of money but I need something reliable.
Radiator suggestions for 97 TJ 4.0
- Thread starter Hudson843
- Start date
The ONLY radiator you should use is Mopar. If you do some research you'll quickly find out why.
The radiator is NOT the place to cheap out, trust me.
The radiator is NOT the place to cheap out, trust me.
Fully concur. Get the OEM radiator and a new OEM radiator cap.
If you are unsure of the maintenance history, now would be a good time to overhaul the system. In addition to the radiator you should replace the water pump, hoses, tstat, cap, and flush the heater core.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
The Mopar radiator is hit and miss.
They definitely have had their share of egg on face.
The other stuff is pretty much equal as well. It's just not a good design.
I'm a stickler on good parts and know the ins and outs of that world...quakity parts are worth it but we've seen just as many mopar radiator issues as other brands.
But it's not like brand X is so superior to the mopar radiator. They're all kind of ok...or kind of shit pending your glass of water evaluation.
The key is lack of stress. It's absolutely paramount to have a healthy cooling system in place. Water pump, heater core, rad cap, proper working thermostat.
They just aren't radiators good for adversity whatsoever.
They definitely have had their share of egg on face.
The other stuff is pretty much equal as well. It's just not a good design.
I'm a stickler on good parts and know the ins and outs of that world...quakity parts are worth it but we've seen just as many mopar radiator issues as other brands.
But it's not like brand X is so superior to the mopar radiator. They're all kind of ok...or kind of shit pending your glass of water evaluation.
The key is lack of stress. It's absolutely paramount to have a healthy cooling system in place. Water pump, heater core, rad cap, proper working thermostat.
They just aren't radiators good for adversity whatsoever.
I got about 80k on the factory one before it cracked, 60k on a napa replacement and going strong still
Just checked my records-127k on my first radiator, and still have the second radiator (working well), coming up on 282k miles on the Jeep.
Well, now I've gone and jinxed myself.
Well, now I've gone and jinxed myself.
X5 on the Mopar radiator recommendation. There are many so-called OEM replacement radiator that will "drop in" but so far, we haven't found one that works/cools as well as the Mopar does. And to be sure there is a lot of junk out there where radiators are concerned... store brands especially like Duralast, online brands like radiator.com, Mishimoto, etc. are known for problems like leakage or they just don't cool well.
While the early Mopar radiators that were installed in 97-98 had leakage issues, that was fixed in the mid-1999 model year. All Mopar radiators have an all aluminum core and they work well despite a few clueless types that like to bash them. Personally I haven't had a Mopar radiator issue since around 1999 and it's the preferred radiator for those of us who regularly wheel in hot desert conditions. If the OE cooling system didn't work well in hot desert conditions we'd be pushing something else.
While the early Mopar radiators that were installed in 97-98 had leakage issues, that was fixed in the mid-1999 model year. All Mopar radiators have an all aluminum core and they work well despite a few clueless types that like to bash them. Personally I haven't had a Mopar radiator issue since around 1999 and it's the preferred radiator for those of us who regularly wheel in hot desert conditions. If the OE cooling system didn't work well in hot desert conditions we'd be pushing something else.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
Sshhh...
Don't tell captain face palm.
Perhaps he's just never seen the infamous split on said Mopar radiator.
I've lost count of the ones we replaced.
Not sure who captain facepalm is, just stating my experience.
My factory radiator was at least nice enough to split open in front of me as soon as I popped the hood to start a head gasket replacement. Was just replacing that to fix an oil leak, not because of overheating or anything
You're in a very distinct minority of those who don't recommend the Mopar radiator. And you received another face-palm reaction due to your continued low signal-to-noise (good info-to-bullshit) ratio.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
Good lord...
"All mopar radiator have an aluminum core"
They sure do... as does the aftermarket.
See Jerry the problem isn't the aluminum core that you somehow think is exclusive to Mopar...
It's the shit plastic that finds its way into some (not all) but some of their radiators no matter the year. Hence why I clearly said Mopar radiators are hit and miss and it's completely in lieu of year.
X2 to the mopar, but also make sure you get a mopar cap!!! When I replaced my radiator I just went with your average storebought cap and it was always burping and spitting out coolant, I went through about 3 different caps until a mopar cap solved my problem
Of course Mopar is not the only radiator with an aluminum core. But there are even 100% aluminum radiators that don't cool as well as the Mopar design does.Good lord...
"All mopar radiator have an aluminum core"
They sure do... as does the aftermarket.
See Jerry the problem isn't the aluminum core that you somehow think is exclusive to Mopar...
It's the shit plastic that finds its way into some (not all) but some of their radiators no matter the year. Hence why I clearly said Mopar radiators are hit and miss and it's completely in lieu of year.
And if you knew WTF you were talking about where the history of Mopar radiators was concerned you'd know the leakage issue was up through mid-1999 and was fixed after that with a redesign. I have not had another Mopar radiator issue since the redesigned radiator came out in mid-1999.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
It must be lonely scoreboard watching. I think I gave that up around...well I never did that childish BS.
In the world of fixing this stuff mopar radiators do NOT have a sterling track record. Split radiators is not uncommon whatsoever.
I don't know exactly what the fix was but the issue was the seam between the tank and core was leaking. That's what was fixed. I had 3 Mopar radiators split open between mid-96 when I bought my '97 TJ and mid-99 when they fixed the problem and I received the new design under warranty. I haven't had a radiator problem since.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
The world of Jeep isn't exclusive to you.
I could show you some 97,98 with original radiators without issues.
I can also show you 02,03 and so on with split issues.
The plastic problem is a hit and miss problem throughout the entire TJ decade run. Period
OP
And we wish we knew of a less expensive alternative radiator that was worth installing without it being a crapshoot That is the Holy Grail that is, so far, unfound. @mrblaine has been searching for a less expensive alternative since he does a lot of fixes of overheating TJs but his usual recommendation is still usually Mopar.