Ben824
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Woodstock, GA
So my 97 XJ has been plagued with a running hot issue since 2011. I had a CSF 3 row brass radiator for 7 years up until 2011 before temps began to creep up and I discovered it leaking. I made the mistake of trying an all aluminum "performance" 3 row radiator from Champion. Went through 5 of those before they said they were not going to give me anymore replacements and just gave me my money back. Stupidly I bought 2 more from Ebay and 1 swamped out under warranty. They all sprung leaks from fractures where the tube met the tanks. Horrible experience over a nearly 5 year period. Decided to go back to what I knew worked, CSF. Well the CSF doesn't cool well at all. I consistently have 220-230 temps in the summer. And before you go down that road, I have had the problem after replacing literally everything in the cooling system including heater core and the engine itself, nothing has helped. Here is a list of what I replaced:
- Engine
- radiator (first new CSF replaced under warranty with no change)
- radiator hoses
- thermostat (tried 180 and 195)
- radiator cap
- heater core
- electric cooling fan
- fan clutch (twice)
- converted to all electric fans
- coolant temp sensor (Mopar)
- water pump (twice, before and after the engine swamp)
Nothing keeps the temps down. At this point I am either thinking the CSF radiator isn't what it used to be since the one I bought the first time was back in 2006 so maybe they changed something. Or maybe the condenser is clogged. Visual inspection of the front of the condenser has no signs of clogging but it is the original 20 year old unit.
If the CSF is the problem, if there a OE grade that is thicker than 1-1/4"? Mopar HD radiator is 1-5/8" thick, thicker than even 1-1/2", but I can't shell out another $260 for a stock radiator. Most other OE radiators don't go past 1-1/4"
- Engine
- radiator (first new CSF replaced under warranty with no change)
- radiator hoses
- thermostat (tried 180 and 195)
- radiator cap
- heater core
- electric cooling fan
- fan clutch (twice)
- converted to all electric fans
- coolant temp sensor (Mopar)
- water pump (twice, before and after the engine swamp)
Nothing keeps the temps down. At this point I am either thinking the CSF radiator isn't what it used to be since the one I bought the first time was back in 2006 so maybe they changed something. Or maybe the condenser is clogged. Visual inspection of the front of the condenser has no signs of clogging but it is the original 20 year old unit.
If the CSF is the problem, if there a OE grade that is thicker than 1-1/4"? Mopar HD radiator is 1-5/8" thick, thicker than even 1-1/2", but I can't shell out another $260 for a stock radiator. Most other OE radiators don't go past 1-1/4"
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