Modern Radiator???

Has anyone used a "new" radiator on their early cj5? Ordered one
from the parts store. When it came, the core was 2" narrower than
the original. Brackets were not the same either. After some calls to the
supplier, it was listed as a 66-72 dj and universal. The top hose fitting was
not in the right spot and the filler was offset to one side. Also had transmission cooler fittings.
If any one has bought a new one for an early cj5, where did it come from and
did it fit like the original.

 

Some replacement radiators have tubes with a higher fin count (more efficent) so a smaller core will do the same job. That doesn't address the problems with the brackets or fittings, though.

 

Sounds like the one I used. Need a new upper hose, and drill a few holes in the mounting flange. I figured it was a small price to pay rather than chasing leaks in a 40+ year old one, or spending major $$ on an offshore repop. Looks close enough to stock for me.

 

If you still have your old radiator, you can take it to a good radiator shop and have it re-cored. This will essentially get you a new radiator and it WILL fit. You may even be able to increase the row count. That's what I did with my '71 model. It's amazing how steady the temp remains now.
No, it's not cheap.

 

Yes, a recore with more rows is what I did for my J-10.

You may have some trouble finding a radiator shop that can build a new radiator though.

 

GDI got me a nice replacement that bolted right up with no problem. It also ran 15 degrees cooler after.

 

I just put in a 3 core aluminum one I bought off of Ebay brand new. It said it was for 60somthing-75 so I bought it. Exact match except the upper and lower holes were swapped so I had to do some creative hose making for the bottom. Works though.

 

I know this isn't perfectly on topic since you were asking about new radiators but I thought I'd share my experiences with my 67 CJ5. I brought it here to Phoenix from Montana years ago. It had a Ford radiator that fit ok but was a 2 core and was spaced away from the grill about an inch so the tank would clear the top of the grill. It cooled the Jeep just fine up north but wasn"t cutting it all here in the desert. I started looking for a new rad and came up nil. I was told by one of the old Jeep guys to look for a rad from an M38A1 military Jeep.
They claimed to be a much better rad and they were right. I found a used one and took it to a rad shop to have it pressure tested before installing. The tanks are all copper and has a lot more fins plus it bolted right up in place of the old rad and fit perfectly. The little 4 banger used to hit 220 consistently before the swap and now in the heat of the day in the middle of summer (110 degrees) it stays at 180 all day long no matter how hard you run it. Best 100 bucks I ever spent.
FWIW,
Mike
sgogpn