Need a new radiator.

Woodo68 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:27 am

My 2004 radiator is leaking near the top drivers side. After reading a few posts it looks like this is pretty common. Are any replacements better than others? I found a couple local places for about $175. I have 4x4, AC, Mechanical Fan, I think is has a tranny cooler in the rad.

Thanks,

Woodo

ridenby · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:38 am

Some say buy locally,Autozone,O'Reilys,NAPA,for ease of warranty. I used https://www.radiatorbarn.com/

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:15 am

Woodo68 wrote:

My 2004 radiator is leaking near the top drivers side. After reading a few posts it looks like this is pretty common. Are any replacements better than others? I found a couple local places for about $175. I have 4x4, AC, Mechanical Fan, I think is has a tranny cooler in the rad.

Thanks,

Woodo

Did you ever flush your coolant? Is this a design flaw? Does your radiator have a radiator cap, or is it a sealed system? I helped a friend of mine flush the cooling system in his 2006 KJ Renegade. I was surprised that he had a closed system. My 2007 KJ has a radiator cap on the radiator.

Woodo68 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 2:36 am

I never flushed the system at ~70,000 miles. I think the desgn flaw is the plastic tanks, but every other Jeep/Car I've every owned needed a radiator at some point. It's a closed system.
Woodo

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:41 am

ridenby wrote:

Some say buy locally,Autozone,O'Reilys,NAPA,for ease of warranty. I used https://www.radiatorbarn.com/

Ditto. i found locals that were priced same as online.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:50 am

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Did you ever flush your coolant? Is this a design flaw? Does your radiator have a radiator cap, or is it a sealed system? I helped a friend of mine flush the cooling system in his 2006 KJ Renegade. I was surprised that he had a closed system. My 2007 KJ has a radiator cap on the radiator.

In 2007 they placed the rad cap back on the radiator. For 02-06 libbys the cap was on the over flow tank.

Xodius · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:39 pm

If the leak is in the plastic, try some JB Weld

I swapped one rad out and then the new one started to leak. It is a super tiny pin hole so I JB Welded it and it is good now. Just could not drive it for 24 hours. Pack of JB Weld was about $5-8 a lot better than nearly 200 for a new Rad. JMTC

Xodius · **Posted:** Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:08 pm

Well, the JB Weld held for 1 month nearly to the day. Today it blew off in a nice little patch, lol. Tonight I may work on either swapping the whole darn thing again or repairing it...again, lol. :twisted:

Maybe it is time to design a new one, lol. hmmmm....

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:36 pm

Xodius wrote:

Well, the JB Weld held for 1 month nearly to the day. Today it blew off in a nice little patch, lol. Tonight I may work on either swapping the whole darn thing again or repairing it...again, lol. :twisted:

Maybe it is time to design a new one, lol. hmmmm....

That type of stuff never works on radiator side tanks that are plastic as the plastic will expand faster then the dried JB weld and it will leak again,always does.Just replace with a new one,get local with a lifetime warranty.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:23 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

Just replace with a new one,get local with a lifetime warranty.

That’s the ticket……. :mrgreen:

Xodius · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2010 1:39 am

Tank 2 was a Jeep Radiator, when I talked to the shop they said, no dice on the warranty so I went to Autozone. Might as well try them. Although as I pulled it out of the box I noticed it is not exactly the same so I will have to do some trimming on the air dam. *shrug* Maybe I will just leave it be and zip tie it...we shall see.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:01 am

Just think, all of you guys who are replacing your radiator tanks every few years don’t have to worry about flushing your Radiator fluid. You always have clean radiator fluid. :ROTFL:

Seriously though, did anyone check to see if you could use a 2007 OEM tank and modifify your cooling system? I'm not saying the 2007's are better tanks, but you never know. :idea:

Xodius · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2010 3:24 pm

As I am trying to "drop in" the new one I broke a freaking electrical plug. I am ready to C4 the KJ, lol. No idea what the bloody thing is. It is on the drivers side, on the rear radiator support(motor side). It is a small connector which is angled out to block the radiator from slipping in and out, lol. :furious:

ok...so...what the hell is that plus and how much is that darn thing? Thinking about just electrical taping the hell out of it, lol.

Xodius · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2010 3:35 pm

air bag sensor. Can you say DOH! Luckily the "sensor" is intact...the plug or I should say the locking clip broke....hmmm....any ideas???

Need a new radiator.

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