Fushed my radiator not too long ago and had nothing but rust water comin out of it. My truck still seems to run on the warm side. I have a new 195 degree thermostat, no leaks and a good heater core. The radiator and water pump was replaced about 8 years and 10,000 miles ago, but sat idle in the drive way for most of that time.

Now my engine temp seems to be directly proportional to outside temp. I did an efan swap awhile ago which helped a lot but am still having trouble keeping my engine temp stable. Just today cruising on the freeway at 70 mph my engine temp was at around 3/4 mark. It was 92 degrees outside and and I had my fan running full blast on the freeway with the AC on. If its cold outside it will usually stay at around 1/4 to 1/2 mark and the fan barely needs to run.

I want to do a radiator swap but am wondering if there are any mods or radiator upgrades any one has done for their Dakota. Mines a 1992 5.2 4x4.

 

Take your radiator to a reputable radiator shop and have it flow tested, my local one did it for free. Mine was doing the exact same thing. I replaced everything, including the radiator about 15k previously. Turned out to be a super high concentration of calcium in the tap water I was using.

If you have an all metal radiator get it recored if possible, the new ones are plastic housings and I have talked to a few radiator shops and they all say the plastic tanks are not nearly as reliable as the metal.

 

Some places specify the radiator is single core/row. Get double core if yours isn't already.

 

check the junkyard/ at least half the Dakotas in my local yard, look to have new or nearly new radiators in them
I found a Modine 3 row with the tags still on it from a Dakota in a local yard here.... cost me a whole $25. that radiator is now in my 93 318 clubcb the one that I converted to a manual tranny

 

Ok here's what I found so far. As far as a radiator with a mulit-core, all metal construction I'm only seeing the CSF 2289. Selling for a significant $230+ online, compared to a plastic single core model for as cheap as $120 or so.

I'll will be making some trips to the local wrecking yards no doubt in search of a good radiator. What should I be looking for? How can I tell if it is mulit-core or single?

 

When I needed a radiator for my 97 Cherokee XJ, (wife's daily driver) yeah I could have gotten a crappy plastic tanked one for $100 everywhere in town, everyone had them on the shelf in town, no "ordering" necessary. At the time I read somewhere that it was the #1, best selling part number radiator. so yeah, everyone wanted to stock at least a couple at any given time. Plastic, alum core, single row POS.

I bought mine from Advance Auto, they had a "HEAT BUSTER" option for like $189 and yeah it did take gettin from the warehouse but I had it about 4 hours later that same day. 2 row conventional copper/brass construction. IMHO very well worth it. and yes lifetime warranty

Now with my 97 Wrangler on the other hand that I have owned since 2000, I have been thru 2 radiators. The 1st time I had it up on a rack at the job I had then and when I went to take a swing at the sway bar links with a hammer I caught the petcock with my hammer when I swung my arm back and cracked it. I put a copper/brass one in. this was back around 2001. Then last year that one went bad the fins down low rotted out. I went back to where I bought it a radiator shop I had been dealing with for years, and for the 1st time I had problem with the guy. I know he told me that 1st one was "lifetime" warranty but when I went to collect on that warranty he claimed they hadnt had more than a 2 year warranty in well over 10 years and pressed me for a reciept when he never had before/he had always just taken care of me.... So I had to pay again for the 2nd radiator and I was PISSED OFF when I opened the box and found that he'd gotten me a Korean made plastic/aluminum POS..... for the same money as I'd paid for the copper/brass one 10 years earlier so watch what youre getting!!!!
Unfortunately, Wranglers just don't make it to the junkyards around here....
Both of my Dakotas have JY sourced radiators that looked brand new (they hadn't even baked the "shinyness" off of them; ya know how usually they get to a very flat black from the heat that passes thru them)

 

The CSF 2289 is the only one I can find around. Ebay has it listed for $219, if you don't find a 2 row at the junkyard. Just buy it, it is worth every penny.

I have a 2 row all metal radiator. I bought it locally for about the same price so I bet that is the exact one I have. The shop closed down, I always wanted to know who his local supplier was, because I can't find it locally again.


Here is a 2 row copper/brass radiator.
http://www.radiatorbarn.com/search.php?product=radiator

Here is a quick picture I threw together to show the 1 row vs 2 row radiator.