I Need a Radiator Upgrade

I recently aquired a 78 CJ5 with a modified 350 engine in it and I am in the process of upgrading everything else to make an extreme rock rig.

What Radiator would give me the most cooling and still fit in the small space available?

 

I used a 3-core one from Carquest. About $230.

 

How about a fan upgrade first? An electric "push" or "pull" fan moves more air, and does not rob HP from the engine. It can be turned on and off w/ a switch for water crossings...

Jeepsunlimited constantly talks about a "Taurus fan" upgrade. It is a junkyard mod that might be worth the cost.

Or, if you need something shiny, go for a griffin radiator. They can be purchased as a "Universal" model. You pick where the in and outs are, as well as the dimensions. IIRC, it is their "NASCAR" series, or something like that. It is usually a little bit cheaper than their radiators built for one specific model. Of course, you have to drill mounting holes through the mounting plates, but it is no big deal.

 

It has a 2 core in it now and a 3 or 4 core will give more cooling capacity, I have no problems cutting to fit a larger Radiator, it's not "pretty" it's a trail rig.

The Taurus fan is a good idea, what year taurus?

 

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13533&highlight=intermediate+radiator

This is what I'm using for my V6 conversion, should work for you.

 

Won't get much easier than this:

http://65.42.106.152/forums/showthread.php?t=641809&highlight=taurus

If it sells, it at least tells you the parts you need to make it work.

You might have to do some engineering to get it to mount to your radiator. However, if you do go w/ an aftermarket 3 or 4 core rad, it should work on it too....

mug

 

I looked at radiator.com and will order one, Thanks.

we have a pull a part salvage yard, you do all the labor your self and save, they charge $15 for electric fans, what year Taurus do I look for?

 

Go with the 3 core radiator and if you dont currently have on. Try to find a shroud to improve air flow through it. Most of the electric fans do not move as much air as the stock belt driven fan. So if you currently have a heating problem then the electric fan will not help. Best part is a 3-core CJ radiator is a direct bolt replacement for the stock 2-core unit.

The 2 core radiator is not sufficent to cool a V-8. Heck I run a 3 core on my 258 and it is working good even in high rpm low speed crawls.