I recently pulled the radiator on my XJS for a cleaning and
flow test and found it was 40% clogged. Now I need to decide
if I should recore the old one or get a new aluminum one. I
see on ebay there are many to choose from any where from
$400 to $900, direct replacement with transmission cooler.
Can any one give me a suggestion what to do. Recoring is
about $700. Any particular aluminum brand is best?–
ejag_android
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
In reply to a message from ejag_android sent Wed 16 Mar 2016:
I got the aluminum when I had a water pump fixed, it was
used and a good price. it was from the Dallas group and
works fine. Also the stock works well when clean, so I
would go on the best price. That re-core price looks high,
have you tried looking at some other repair shops. Also a
good time to look at your engine driven clutch fan since it
will be easy to get to.
I had just got my car the day before the pump died so I
never got a chance to see how it was working! I live in
Georgia and the aluminum works well.
Dan–
The original message included these comments:
Can any one give me a suggestion what to do. Recoring is
about $700. Any particular aluminum brand is best?
In reply to a message from ejag_android sent Wed 16 Mar 2016:
Faced with the same situation you are in, about a year ago I
bought a new aluminum rad. from Wizard Cooling.It has the
trans. cooler built in, and cost around $720. I didn’t want to
change the external plumbing on the engine and felt that the
larger cooling tubes on the new unit would be adequate.Once I
got my A/C running the new radiator was well tested last
summer,and has performed flawlessly.There are, however, a
couple of things you need to know.The lower hose connection on
the rad. is tilted in a few degrees toward the centerline of
the car. This means that if you install the rad., connecting
the lower hoses as you go, when you try to put the fan shroud
in place, there is interference between the shroud and the
lower hose connection, and IT WON’T FIT! You then have to cut a
small section of the shroud ( where the electric fan sits) away
to gain the clearance needed. Just a little annoying.
A couple of inches above the lower hose connection is a
threaded fitting which looks like the perfect place for a
temp. sending unit. If you try to use it (as I did) you’ll
discover that it too has clearance problems, and you’ll need to
buy a threaded plug with O ring . On the trans. cooler side,
however there is another tapped fitting where you can install a
short length of 3/8 hose, and put a drain valve on the end.
(Bernie Embden, I think.)
I have been very pleased with the rad., overall though, and
would only add that if you have a yellow original clutch
driven fan, replace it before something bad happens. (See my
photos)
Just one more thing.Before you buy ANYTHING from Dallas, do
some investigating. I’m still waiting for Tefba filters ordered
over a year ago. Good Luck!
Dave.–
The original message included these comments:
flow test and found it was 40% clogged. Now I need to decide
if I should recore the old one or get a new aluminum one. I
Now I need to decide if I should recore
the old one or get a new aluminum one. I see on ebay there are many to
choose from any where from
$400 to $900, direct replacement with transmission cooler.
Can any one give me a suggestion what to do. Recoring is about $700. Any
particular aluminum brand is best?
There two (at least) schools of thought on this: (a) The OE radiator isn’t adequate for this engine so replace it with whatever, and (b) The OE radiator works just fine if it’s in good condition. I’m firmly with (b). I would say, however, that and that is as long as it’s being recored you should ask for an high efficiency core.
In reply to a message from ejag_android sent Wed 16 Mar 2016:
Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess I will be going with
an aluminum rad. On ebay there are some selling for $365.
And they look identical to all the others listed. Also I
decided to put a steel fan and get rid of the plastic fan
with clutch because there are some bad cracks in the base.–
ejag_android
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php –
// please trim quoted text to context only
Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
6
The OE radiator works just fine if it’s in good condition.
This is true. However, the OE radiator is rather difficult to keep in good
condition. The tubes are tiny, making it prone to clogging on the inside. The
fins are closely spaced, making it prone to clogging on the outside. Typically,
aluminum radiators are far superior on both counts, and require far less
attention to ensure they don’t get clogged.
I would say, however, that and that is as long as it’s being
recored you should ask for an high efficiency core.
And I’ll disagree with that. A high efficiency core typically means more rows
of tubes and fins packed even more closely together, making the issue of
keeping it from getting clogged even more critical. The basic low-efficiency
core has perhaps 50% excess cooling capacity; capacity isn’t the problem,
you’re not buying anything trying to get more capacity. If anything, you should
opt for the WIDEST fin spacing you can get.
– Kirbert
// please trim quoted text to context onlyOn 17 Mar 2016 at 7:58, Ed Sowell wrote:
----- Subject: RE: [xj-s] aluminum radiator for V12On 18 Mar 2016 at 7:58, Kirbert wrote:
And I’ll disagree with that. A high efficiency core typically means more
rows of tubes and fins packed even more closely together, making the issue
of keeping it from getting clogged even more critical. The basic
low->efficiency core has perhaps 50% excess cooling capacity; capacity isn’t
the problem, you’re not buying anything trying to get more capacity. If
anything, you should opt for the WIDEST fin spacing you can get.
I note that so far geography has been ignored in this thread. Here in rural
down-under, modern pterodactyls, in the guise of locusts, moths, etc., come
in swarms of millions in the summer and can render the choice of radiator
mute in seconds (so even widely spaced tubes fail). I treat my Jag
radiators the same way I do our regular drives, in so much as I install a
flywire trampoline mounted between the grill and the radiator (we have
discussed this before).
These simple structures prevent large and small insects and other material
from entering the radiator structure, don’t effect running temperature and
are mostly self-cleaning. Living in a rural environment and driving big
distances, I have never had to clean a radiator’s external structure in any
of my cars (except a quick squirt with the hose while I’m washing the
vehicle to wash out dust). When I have had to stop and clean my windscreen
from splattered bugs occasionally I note the trampoline has very few in it
and as they don’t splatter on the trampoline, small birds soon pick them out
through the grill.
As the trampoline can’t really be seen unless you are looking for it, the
appearance of the car is not affected and if concourse is you bag then they
can be slipped out and replaced easily.
. Typically, aluminum radiators are far superior on both counts,
and require far less attention to ensure they don’t get clogged.
That might be true. My main problem with it the difficulties encountered in big retrofit projects like this. See DaveTheLimey’s post, for example.
A high efficiency core typically means
more rows of tubes and fins packed even more closely together, making
the issue of keeping it from getting clogged even more critical.
Not the case. These days high efficiency core means less thermal resistance between the coolant and the fins. This is achieved with wider tubes, maximizing the “footprint” between the fin and the tube. Look it up.
In reply to a message from ejag_android sent Thu 17 Mar 2016:
FWIW, I bought aluminum from Wizard Cooling (no affiliation)
for my 95 6.0 liter A/Tranny. Pretty much a drop in. Didn’t
have as much problem as DaveThe Limey had with his, but echo
that the fit caused some teeth gnashing. In my case I opted
not to move the electric fan thermostatic switch from the
water pump to the radiator — so I just had to plug the bung
that was there on the rad.
Wizard Cooling guys were good to work with, as I talked with
them a couple of times asking questions about thread sizes for
the plugs.
Remember that torques for going into aluminum are a slight bit
lower – at least according to the research I did. I am sure
more experienced listers may have an opinion–
The original message included these comments:
In reply to a message from ejag_android sent Wed 16 Mar 2016:
Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess I will be going with
an aluminum rad. On ebay there are some selling for $365.
And they look identical to all the others listed. Also I