Need Recomendation For '62 Radiator

Hello, all. My 1962 CJ5 radiator is not circulating water. I took it to a very reputable radiator fellow who said the core is shot but is the original. He quoted a price of just under $600 to replace the core with a 2" brass core to match the quality of the 1.5" one in there now. Something about the number of rods. He said prices are crazy right now. He is going to call me with another quote for a thinner core since this is not an aggressive trail rider. (He asked if I was taking it on the Rubicon, which I appreciated, but told him no... just forest roads for hunting.) He said to avoid aluminum. He said if I was wanted to do a restoration, he was happy to rebuild the original. I did have a back up that he is going to boil for $125. I need that for next project anyway. Questions: 1) Do any of you have a decent used one you want to sell? 2) Do any of you have suggestions on how to deal with the first radiator? I am thinking of starting a fund to save up to have the original redone. 3) Is his advice to avoid aluminum sound?

Thanks.

 

I have a champion aluminum radiator in my 56 and it’s been great. They’re usually around $200 to $250 depending on if you want two or three row cores.

 

If it was me, I'd avoid aluminum, they last about 5 years in my YJ, here in the salt country. I've posted pictures here in the past, versus my 1950's units that are still going strong.

$600 for a recore is not too outlandish, although you might shop around. In my book the heavy metal of the originals is well worth saving, or re-coring with real heavy-duty brass.

 

If you want to kludge up something for cheap, the V6 conversions sometimes use a '60s Ford Mustang or Falcon radiator. The Fiero radiator was also popular. I don't know how the outlets for a F134 will line up, and copper/brass radiators are less common today for everything. You could just set the old radiator aside for an eventual restoration, though I don't expect a copper/brass recore will get any cheaper in the future.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=10331324&cc=1333965&pt=2172&jsn=534

Or look at the hot rod radiators at Summit or Jeggs.

 

I would go fully welded aluminum if you can find one for your model, I'm guessing F134.
I'm coming up on 9 years with my all aluminum Champion welded aluminum radiator and have no plans of changing it. Where you live there will never be a problem with the aluminum.

 

I used The Mustang radiator for my f-134 to 4.3 swap. The v8 ford works for v6 jeep. i6 ford radiator might work for an i4 jeep.

 

I don't see the problem with an aluminum radiator. I don't have one but my dad has been running aluminum on his sandrail for years with no issues.
I had my radiator off my '67 225 recored a few months back. There weren't aluminum ones available at the time. I think I paid $425. If I need one for my 4F I will probably just get aluminum.

 

I used a radiator for a 1965 mustang with a 289 V8 for my cj2a truck conversion with a Buick 231. I spent about $189 2 years ago, no telling what it would cost today, probably $225 - $250, but Rockauto is out of stock. It's brass radiator. If I ever develop a leak, I can solder it. I still have the stock radiator if I'm ever inclined to use it, as it was still in good shape when I put it in the 2nd floor of the shop for storage.

After putting 6 aluminum radiators of various brands in my son's 4 door jeep after we did a Hemi swap, I would never use an after market aluminum radiator. They all leaked where the tubes connect to the tank.

 

The radiator is https://ecat.spectrapremium.com/en/parts/CU130
They are NLA as far as I know and I paid 179 bucks on May 15, 2020. Aluminum vs brass article https://www.griffinrad.com/general_faq.php

I put this radiator in my CJ2a with a 4.3 Chevy. I was able to use a mustang rad shroud with some modification. It seems to be enough to cool my engine, but I haven't had it in the rocks or slow long trail rides.

Cross reference those years and find a radiator thats available.

 

Summit Racing has several to choose from -

https://www.summitracing.com/search...tOrder=Ascending&keyword=radiator&kr=radiator

The radiator I linked above at RockAuto is a 3-row core for a 200 cid Mustang. Heat generated by the engine is proportional to fuel burned and power made. Both the 200 and 260/289 Mustang make way more power than the F134; I would say their radiators would be more than adequate for the F134. If it were me, I would chose the application with the better outlet positioning for the F134. Looks like the 260/289 radiator has both outlets on the right side, and the 170/200 moves the bottom outlet to the left side.

 

From a company that manufactures only aluminum. Their claim that aluminum lasts longer than copper is laugh out loud ridiculous.

 

NB Summit offers new copper/brass radiators for the Mustang, if that's your preference. The part for the 170/200 is in stock; for the 260/289 says mid-July.

Summit has good prices too, and includes shipping for these items. Pretty sure their warehouse is in Reno, not terribly far from the OP.

 

That claim is in relation to vibration and pressure fatigue. Their aluminum radiators allow you to use a higher pressure cap and raise the coolant boiling point.
For use around a farm, back roads, low RPM and low hp engines you would likely never see a difference between the two.

 

That is the same experience I had with aluminum replacements for my 20004 wrangler.Separation between tank and tubes. .Went to a O.E.M. Mopar cooper/brass and no more leaks.

 

I just went through this same issue with my '67 Commando. Went to have the original radiator re-cored at the local radiator shop (3-cores). It was going to be nearly $800. He said it is because the price of copper is crazy high right now. I was able to find a new copper/brass radiator at Kaiser-Willies Jeep for about $500 with a 10% discount. The picture shows a stock looking radiator, but it doesn't look quite like that. I was just happy to get a radiator though. It took about a month and a half to arrive, but it sounds like they build them to order.

 

I had mine re cored a few years ago at a radiator-glass shop in St Helena Ca. About $600. It has been fine.