What is the current heater core recommendation?

Cornbread

Cornbread

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Hey guys haven't posted in awhile. Heater core is leaking AGAINo_O. I repaired my original 3 years ago and it took off leaking again yesterday, very aggrevating as this job sucks. Whats my best shot on buying a new one that will last? Definitely will not be repairing the original again.
 
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I'd like to know too, I can smell coolant. I've been putting it off since the jury seems to be out and I don't intend to drive it in the winter any more. But it's going to need dealt with soon.
 
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I put in a Four Seasons about two years ago and zero issues. One of the few jobs I only had to do once... unless you count my wife totalling my Jeep and having to frame and tub swap everything...so the dash came out and went in the new tub. No issues with the heater core!

-Mac
 
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There have been at least a couple posters here that have had a Performance Radiator core fail catastrophically at around 1 year, so I wouldn't mess with them. Not sure about the early models but the late model has shown out of stock consistently for a long time so I'm not even sure they're making them anymore.

Unfortunately there's no proven alternatives, just a couple like Four Seasons that so far are still innocent as they haven't been proven guilty.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
There have been at least a couple posters here that have had a Performance Radiator core fail catastrophically at around 1 year, so I wouldn't mess with them. N.
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My heater core from Performance Radiator was installed in December 2018 and is still working as intended. No failures, catastrophic or otherwise.

As for being out of stock on the website, just place a call. The inventory levels on the website do not necessarily reflect availability.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
As for being out of stock on the website, just place a call. The inventory levels on the website do not necessarily reflect availability.
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I found the same thing a couple years ago. Went to place an order online and was seeing OUT OF STOCK. Called them up and had one within 2 days.
 
Ericshere03 said:
I used one of these;
[URL][URL]https://www.thebrassworks.net/products/2002-2006-jeep-wrangler-heater-core[/URL][/URL]

I will say the heat is a little less, it went from scorching heat to nice and hot. But apparently they sell different densities now.

Beautiful craftsmanship and they look to last for a long time …
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Absolutely would avoid at all costs. The baffles in the tank do not seal one side from the other, so coolant just bypasses through the upper tank without actually going through the core. They claim to have "fixed" this with higher fin density — when it's not the fin density that's causing the poor heat output.

Sent mine back once and they simply repainted it and sent it back. Then it developed a pinhole leak and I got the runaround from the owner until the warranty expired. I'd stay far away from this company.
 
acct21 said:
Absolutely would avoid at all costs. The baffles in the tank do not seal one side from the other, so coolant just bypasses through the upper tank without actually going through the core. They claim to have "fixed" this with higher fin density — when it's not the fin density that's causing the poor heat output.

Sent mine back once and they simply repainted it and sent it back. Then it developed a pinhole leak and I got the runaround from the owner until the warranty expired. I'd stay far away from this company.
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Interesting ... I thought I noticed a divider welded between the input and output and the opposite side also has an end tank. Mine produces heat, but I haven't tested it in super cold temperatures ... ill report back... I'd rather have a solid metal core than a plastic one ... brass cores/radiators are easily repairable as well... I got a 50 year old brass core in my corvette as well as a 50 year old brass radiator, The brass used in this heater core is also much thicker than the corvette parts (I have done heater cores on other corvettes)...
 
Ericshere03 said:
Interesting ... I thought I noticed a divider welded between the input and output and the opposite side also has an end tank. Mine produces heat, but I haven't tested it in super cold temperatures ... ill report back... I'd rather have a solid metal core than a plastic one ... brass cores/radiators are easily repairable as well... I got a 50 year old brass core in my corvette as well as a 50 year old brass radiator, The brass used in this heater core is also much thicker than the corvette parts (I have done heater cores on other corvettes)...
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That divider isn't attached to the tank and the core, so water just flows over and bypasses it.

Here's a great way to prove it to yourself. Figure out the total volume of the heater core — its around 300-400mL. Fill it half way with water you colored with some food coloring. Attach a hose (or just run it under the tap) to just one side and run it until the water is clear. Run it for 10 minutes, an hour, however long you want. Flip it over — you'll get 200mL of dyed water out of it. The water going in one side just immediately comes back out the other side. No circulation. That's why everyone complains that despite these being brass, they put out minimal heat.
 
acct21 said:
That divider isn't attached to the tank and the core, so water just flows over and bypasses it.

Here's a great way to prove it to yourself. Figure out the total volume of the heater core — its around 300-400mL. Fill it half way with water you colored with some food coloring. Attach a hose (or just run it under the tap) to just one side and run it until the water is clear. Run it for 10 minutes, an hour, however long you want. Flip it over — you'll get 200mL of dyed water out of it. The water going in one side just immediately comes back out the other side. No circulation. That's why everyone complains that despite these being brass, they put out minimal heat.
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Interesting … I wonder if stock was like this too since the inlet and outlet are right next to each other on the same end tank… I JUST trashed my stock, otherwise I’d take it apart … we are still high 90s down to mid 60s here in the desert, so I gotta while before it can really test it … the good news is no more sweet smell of antifreeze
 
Ericshere03 said:
Interesting … I wonder if stock was like this too since the inlet and outlet are right next to each other on the same end tank… I JUST trashed my stock, otherwise I’d take it apart … we are still high 90s down to mid 60s here in the desert, so I gotta while before it can really test it … the good news is no more sweet smell of antifreeze
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I'd be curious as to how much bypasses in actual use. The cross section of the tubes is way larger, and the flow through the tubes vs through the gaps will balance where the pressures equalize.
 
Also needing to replace my heater core but not sure what to go with.
Not really any definitive answers so far, is Performance Radiators the way to go? Seems to be the general consensus but there are a few that have had problems which worries me.
Problem is there’s so few brass options out there.

Would it be worth looking at getting one built at a local radiator shop?
 
James9100 said:
Also needing to replace my heater core but not sure what to go with.
Not really any definitive answers so far, is Performance Radiators the way to go? Seems to be the general consensus but there are a few that have had problems which worries me.
Problem is there’s so few brass options out there.

Would it be worth looking at getting one built at a local radiator shop?
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Nothing is 100%. Man made things fail. I have aluminum in my Jeep and it's working fine. If/when it fails, I'll replace it again.

I'd probably go with UAC or Four Seasons from Rock Auto.
 
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