fivequarter
I am having built a 401 to replace my 360 which has 175K and still going albeit not as good as it usta. A question I have is, in OEM applications was there a different radiator for the 401 than for the 360? Whether there is or is not, I intend to use a Flex-a-lite Black Majic X-TREME fan and probably an oil cooler. Opinions any one?
JeepsAndGuns
I would get a 4 row replacement rad. You can get them from most parts stores. Just stay away from GDI made ones. I have head lots of bad stuff about GDI's quality. I am doing the same thing, built (slightly) 401 into my cherokee, and I am gonna use a new 4 row rad, just not a GDI.
MrFurious
JeepsAndGuns wroteI would get a 4 row replacement rad. You can get them from most parts stores. Just stay away from GDI made ones. I have head lots of bad stuff about GDI's quality. I am doing the same thing, built (slightly) 401 into my cherokee, and I am gonna use a new 4 row rad, just not a GDI.
Make sure to let us know when you find one that isn't made by GDI and who makes it/where to get one. I've been looking all over for a 4-row without any luck. If the aluminum Be Cools Z&M has weren't $600-700 I'd be all over that, but there's no way in hell I'm paying that kind of money for a radiator. 111!!!
fivequarter
After I posted, I went out to measure for a Black Magic X-TREME. It looks like there will not be enough room between the radiator and the water pump pully. When I lifted the hood, I discovered the bracket on one side of the radiator was completely seperated from the top and bottom tanks. Fortunatly I have another stock radiator.
There was a minor setback on the 401. When torn down it was discovered that the main journals were worn so bad there was a ridge in the center of each main. The rod journals looked like new or nearly so. Is this a problem that is fixed by modifications presented in the oiling topic?
Mudrat
fivequarter wroteAfter I posted, I went out to measure for a Black Magic X-TREME. It looks like there will not be enough room between the radiator and the water pump pully.
Electric push-pull fans. You won't need a fan or the assistan pully.
JeepsAndGuns
MrFurious wroteJeepsAndGuns wroteI would get a 4 row replacement rad. You can get them from most parts stores. Just stay away from GDI made ones. I have head lots of bad stuff about GDI's quality. I am doing the same thing, built (slightly) 401 into my cherokee, and I am gonna use a new 4 row rad, just not a GDI.
Make sure to let us know when you find one that isn't made by GDI and who makes it/where to get one. I've been looking all over for a 4-row without any luck. If the aluminum Be Cools Z&M has weren't $600-700 I'd be all over that, but there's no way in hell I'm paying that kind of money for a radiator. 111!!!
I just ordered one this afternoon. I went to O'Reilly auto parts. The guy there said it was a max cool heat buster made by trans pro, if I remember correcty. He said its a HD 4 row. Its supposed to be here by friday so when I get it I will let ya know how it looks. But it will be several more weeks before I actually put it in, I am putting it in when I put in my new engine, and I am almost ready to. It was $256. With tax it was $278. Has a limited lifetime warranty.
MrFurious
JeepsAndGuns wroteI just ordered one this afternoon. I went to O'Reilly auto parts. The guy there said it was a max cool heat buster made by trans pro, if I remember correcty. He said its a HD 4 row. Its supposed to be here by friday so when I get it I will let ya know how it looks. But it will be several more weeks before I actually put it in, I am putting it in when I put in my new engine, and I am almost ready to. It was $256. With tax it was $278. Has a limited lifetime warranty.
Checked with my local CarQuest today, and they are now handling TransPro radiators instead of the GDI units. Great news for me! Won't be doing mine for at least a few weeks, so let me know how the quality is when you get yours.
http://www.transpro.com
P/N 436004 4 Row $254.00 (Heatbuster Extreme Service)
P/N 433441 3 Row $197.00 (Redi-Rad Standard Service)
(prices are from CarQuest Auto Parts)
Needless to say, I'll be going with the 4-row unit. :?
JeepsAndGuns
Dont get to excited yet. I just picked up mine today. And it looks like trans pro is either owned or made by GDI. Here is a pic of the box it came in:
Also I found this inside the box. 🙁:
Oh well #-o Idont feel like returning it, so I am gonna use it untill it leaks (hopeing it doesnt) My old factory rad is still in good shape so I am gonna keep it as a back up spare, in case this one goes south on me. It has a lifetime warrenty so I dont feel too bad. But it looks like GDI pretty mutch has the monopoly of the radaitor busness. I wish modine made a 4 row rad, but as far as I can tell all they have is a 3 row, and I dont know how hot my bored out 401 is gonna run. I will find out hopefully next month, I have to save up and buy parts when I can, this 401 build has taken me about 6 months to get this far, pretty mutch all I have left to buy is a new holley truck avenger and I will be ready to put everything together and get it in.
MrFurious
Well that's a bummer!
Wonder if TransPro bought GDI out, vise-vera, or if they've always been one and the same? From what little I've read on replacement radiators for the FSJ's, seems like the biggest problem with the GDI's is the mounting tabs breaking loose rather than leaking. Of course, I've only been around a month or two, so it's likely I've missed a lot of informative posts relating to them.
My stock radiator is serviceable, but it has a couple pinhole leaks in the tanks where it had been previously repaired. I've noticed it seems to run really hot, even though the temp gauge doesn't indicate so (imagine that!). The bottom hose has a spring in it but the top one doesn't....not sure if that would make a difference or not in coolant flow since the top is the return line.
My plan was to put in a new FlowKooler waterpump the same time I swapped out the radiator, and also change out the t-stat.
JeepsAndGuns
I think there is one guy on IFSJA that has went threw 3 in the past 3 years (if I remember correctly) I think his were springing leaks. I cant remember what post it was in. I think a few others have had problems with the mounts comeing loose. I might make a post over there about GDI rads and see what the low down on them is.
fivequarter
MrFurious: The spring in the bottom hose is to prevent the collapse of the hose as cooled coolant (relative to the hot coolant just pumped into the radiator from the engine) is drawn back into the engine. The upper hose is under pressure when the coolant is pumped into the radiator. I just changed my OEM radiator last weekend as the mounting bracket on one side seperated from the tanks. I had been seeing some temp spikes before the change and now with the other OEM I haven't seen the same spikes. I wonder if silicone dropout in the radiator core is the explanation for the temp spikes.
JeepsAndGuns: It's begining to look like the Z&M radiator could be a better deal. Will wait for more information.
Thanks for everyones responses thus far.
beyer05
Does anyone run a stock radiator with a relatively stock 401?
Also, what is the reasoning for going to electric fans other than horsepower gains from less pulleys? Does a stock clutch fan not cool good enough? I wanted to try a stock clutch fan and radiator for my 360, but now am worried, especially when I switch out to a 401 later on.
JeepsAndGuns
I have the stock fan on my cherokee right now (with a new clutch) and it cools my 360 fine. I will keep it on my 401 untill it seems like its not doing any good, then I might switch to a electric.
Mudrat
Hey y'all a flash from this weekend - BJ's Offroad will have a 4 core radiator in the on-line store in teh next couple weeks. He made that announcement Sat PM. Uses stock location and hardware and will be less $$$ than the BeKool version by, "a lot". so stay tuned!!!
Mudrat
Goose
I just had to chime in here, When I swapped out from a 6 to a 360.. My J-10 had the smaller hole for the rad opening and the 6 cyl front panel.. so I went to a gearhead radiator shop (identified by old cars out back being slowly street rodded) and 'splained my troubles. He found a 4 row core and put in my original 6 cyl tanks..presto HD 6cyl rad that cools a fairly well warmed over 360. cost 175.00 .
It seems that cores are pretty well universal and as long as they fit the tanks, will work fine. this guy did some parts book noodling and solved my troubles.
radjeeper
Got a 4 core Heat Buster from radiator.com for about $180.00 plus shipping. I believe it came with a lifetime warrantee. It'll will go in front of a built 401 with a Flowcooler waterpump and a highflow thermostat. The thermostat previously made a big difference in cooling when I was running the stock 3 core radiator that came with the 401. However, I was running a wimpy plastic flex fan with a mildly modified 401 which was a bad idea. I will also be running a 7 blade steel fan with a new fan clutch and water wetter additive. Hope it will keep it cool. If not aluminum radiator it will be.
FSJer
Anyone seen triple pass radiators ? theres a company here in Australia that makes them aswell as others , they are used alot here for racing , burnout competitions, etc where the motor spins high rev's for entended periods .
Instead of coolant running from the top to the bottom in a flash where these is not much cooling efficiency , the triple pass is where the coolant runs thru the radiator up & down & around 3 times before it re-enters the engine and therefore has greater cooling capacity.
fivequarter
A while back I bought a radiator from BJ's Offroad. It was one of the first batch he got. It was missing the petcock and I paid $285. for what is supposed to be $400. This is supposed to be a dropin fit. It sat for a while as I solved problems that come up in a swap from carburator to EFI. When I got around to installing it, I discovered that it would not fit. I had it modified so it would really fit a GW. I sent pics to BJ's, at their request, of the finished product. This radiator is actually a two core design with very wide tubes.
radjeeper
I have been "eyeballing" the BJ's aluminum radiator. Do you know if they got the problems resolved? Have you got your Wag. running yet and really tested out the radiator?
fivequarter
I am pretty sure they have been working to resolve those problems. There was an article in FSJ Magzine describing an effortless install into a Wagoneer. I haven't run my new engine yet. I am still working on the installation of the fuel pump which is the last obstical before I can proceed with the first startup.
