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[ferretjuggler]

OK this isn't a joke.
Where can I find the parts to build my own HD radiator?

Is there anywhere that still sells all the parts to the trade?

Yeah I know it might work out cheaper to buy an Aluminium one direct from China (less that £200) but I wanna old school jeep with a rad made from copper and brass soldered together.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ALUMINUM-RADIATOR-JEEP-CJ-CJ5-CJ7-Chevy-V8-CONVER-71-86_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3efdeef446QQitemZ270548268102QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[Dave69]

you will need to contact a historic car restorer, but i'd be surprised if you could get one made by a manufacturer unless you knew an employee there. I worked for a radiator company in brum and even there with all the parts i couldn't get one made to fit the cherokee.

 The fins are pressed to suit the style of radiator being made and the same with the tubes. most recores are to std sizes but with the headers being unique to the vehicle and these are normally clamped and sealed in place under pressure.

copper and brass rads are seriously old school which for a one off will be expensive. you might have to bite the bullet and spray an ally one to look like a copper and brass radiator.

I assume you have experience with brazing brass/copper, as radiators can  be quite fiddly and easy to overheat and blow through. The rads are only pressure tested to 4 bar max (which is a normal compressor rating) and placed in a big water bath to check for leaks. the leaks are then rebrazed and the test then repeated.

[ferretjuggler]

Cheers Dave

You is probably right, more trouble than it's worth, I just hate being taken to the cleaners like with some of the so-called HD Aluminium rads for CJs at around $400.

Just found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JEEP-GRAND-WAGONEER-ALL-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR-88-89-90-91_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem439c8f09c8QQitemZ290389428680QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I'm just wonderin' if it would squeeze into a CJ with some rework of the rad panel.
Price is right.
Has transmission cooler.
Has its tanks where they should be not up each side
Obviously has enough cooling capacity, and is a straight swop out when it takes a hit.

[Bulldog67]

why would that only be for a 360, and not a 401?

[Nosebolt]

I had a triple core put into my std CJ rad only cost 20 quid more that the normal twin core total cash price 185

[ferretjuggler]

I had a triple core put into my std CJ rad only cost 20 quid more that the normal twin core total cash price 185

  Details please Bruce.

[Nosebolt]

took my old rad from 4.2 to Advance Auto Cooling in Keynsham, near Bristol he does a lot of custom work and as I dont have a cowl I asked about increasing performance and after measuring was offered the option of an extra row of cooling vains so its 3 deep instead of 2

[ferretjuggler]

Cheers Bruce.

That idea has just run into an iceburg and is sinking fast.
I've got a few CJ radiators, all 2 row, but only the one on Yellow Peril II has the transmission fluid cooler but it is still good and undamaged.
Had the chance of another one for £25 and never bothered

Looks like $132 worth of ally plus shipping plus customs plus VAT

[Nosebolt]

any reason why you cant have the trans fluid cooler as a seperat unit? plenty of oil coolers off of motorbikes going cheap that will probably do the job

[Bulldog67]

why would that only be for a 360, and not a 401?

errr this is a serious question

[Nosebolt]

can't see why it would, they  are basically the same block, just different displacement and the 258/360 radiator fills the cowl so cant be a bigger rad, only variables I can think of would be the fan and shroud

[Bulldog67]

cheers, dont need one but seem to remember Tank sayin he had to fit a new elec fan so wonderin if that would indicate rad probs for the long term, will save that seller

[Dave69]

an ally rad will always be the better option as they don't fail as quick as the oler copper/brass makeup.

an internal oil cooler works well as it keeps the gearbox at the same temp as the engine. An additional or seperate external cooler will be good also but as long as it is in the path of the cooling fan

[Bubba]

if you have a good cj radiator i mean good  it will cool a 360 no probs but you do need a fan shroud i have never paid for a poncy rad and run a lot of cj v8s

[ferretjuggler]

why would that only be for a 360, and not a 401?

errr this is a serious question

Whoops, sorry Ade, the rad is good for all the V8's 304,360,401 as far as i know, it's just the sellers obviously think american jeep owners are FICK that's why they list the same rad on several listings for different vehicles, when the part numbers stay the same

TBH knowing what a heavy right foot I got I'm probably gonna blow some $$$$ on an ally rad, and keep the 2 row auto rad as back up in case it gets damaged.
My blue 2 door Cherk has (had?) the auto type rad AND optional extra tranny fluid cooler mounted in front of the main rad, in series.
This was a jeep OE extra by the look of the mounts etc.

Another option is fluid to coolant heat exchanger plumbed in somewhere

[Bulldog67]

http://www.radiatorbarn.com/

and a quality site intro thrown in as well