*** Article sourced from www.radiator.com***
Jeep engines are designed to run hotter than most engines, but running too hot can cause serious damage and dramatically reduce engine life. Engines running above normal temperatures are more likely to cause breakdowns and failure of major engine parts. No question about it, keeping the engine cool is a key element in the functionality of your Jeep -and stock Jeep radiators cannot even begin to keep up with the driving habits of many Jeep owners. Most stock Jeep radiators have one row of tubes in the radiator core, which is hardly enough to cool a high performance 4WD vehicle such as a Jeep. Many stock radiators last an average of 5-7 years, and radiators in 4WD vehicles last even less. The easiest and most effective way to improve the cooling capacity of your engine is to install an upgrade radiator. Aside from being a low cost, easy to install modification for your Jeep, an upgrade radiator will improve gas mileage, emissions, and will allow for better compression and engine power.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE CONDITIONS
In 4WD situations, greater engine stress puts additional pressure on the radiator. This type of engine stress is a common cause of overheating. The cooling system of a Jeep in 4WD dissipates enough heat to warm two average size houses. Add a warmer climate to the already stressful conditions of four-wheeling and your stock radiator could fail at any time. An upgrade radiator would enable your engine to run at peak performance while reducing the risk of overheating. Many of these upgrade radiators can be installed with little or no modifications to your vehicle, and are made to fit your specific vehicle perfectly.
MAJOR ENGINE MODIFICATIONS / ENGINE UPGRADE
An increasingly popular engine replacement for Jeeps is to install a non-stock 350 cubic inch engine. Many of these engines come from Chevy trucks and are primarily used to increase off-
road performance. With the increase in horsepower, your radiator may not be capable of handling the added pressure from the engine. Although many 350(ci) engines are compatible with stock Jeep radiators, added stress and heat from these engines regularly causes overheating, and anyone upgrading their engine or horsepower must also upgrade their radiator.
TYPES OF JEEP RADIATOR UPGRADES
The most important aspect regarding radiator upgrades is finding one that moves engine coolant at a higher volume or has more fins per inch of core surface. Many times this will mean a thicker core or more rows of tubes in the core, but this is not always the case. In some instances, upgrade radiators are the same thickness but have wider tubes. This results in more coolant mixture flowing through the radiator and engine. Sometimes the upgrade radiator will cool more efficiently because it has more fins per inch of core surface. In either case, the result is a more efficient running engine. Here are common upgrade radiators for several Jeep vehicles:
CJ
Most of the CJ's came with a 3-row core. You can tell the exact amount of rows by draining some of the radiator fluid and looking into the filler neck. By looking down the filler neck you should then be able to see the number of rows in the core.
MEASURING THE CORE OF YOUR RADIATOR
Measuring the core of your radiator is a key element in being able to insure correct fit on your first order. To measure the radiator core, you need to obtain proper measurements on the thickness of the core, the height of the core, and the length of the core. Make sure you are measuring the core only. Do not measure the tanks, mounting brackets, or any other part of the radiator or fan shroud. Only measure the honeycomb, finned part of the radiator. With other engine parts in the way, it is sometimes difficult to obtain a proper measurement. Try to be as accurate as possible with these measurements, because it may make the difference between ordering the correct or incorrect radiator.
SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER...
Replacing your existing radiator with an upgrade will not necessarily make your engine run cooler, but it will prevent the engine from overheating better than the stock radiator. The engine in your Jeep runs best at a fairly high temperature. When the engine is cold, components wear out faster, the engine is less efficient, and the vehicle emits more pollution. So another job of the cooling system is to allow the engine to heat properly and quickly, and then to maintain the engine at a consistent temperature. Also, installation of an upgrade radiator is not the only step in ensuring that your engine is running at proper temperature. Upon replacing or upgrading your radiator you should also have the engine flushed, check the thermostat for proper opening and closing, conduct a visual inspection of all cooling system components including all belts and hoses, and test the engine fan for proper operation.
Hope this info helps you with one of the queries.
Regards,
Shubz