Well you said that with infrequent coolant changes the heater core could get plugged. I did I guess i took what you were saying wrong. I thought maybe you thought my heater core was plugged?

And I do not know yet if it truly is my radiator which I hope it is. That is why I am asking on this forum to get some pointers for I just don't start throwing money at it.

Was not trying to be rude when I posted that.

 

Sorry, I shouldnt have responded like that either.

I just looked over a write up yesterday saying that since the heater core has smaller inputs and outputs and coolant flows through it all the time, that without coolant changes or using the wrong coolant/topping off with different coolant than what you have can clog the heater core.

Im just saying maybe.

Either way good luck. Hammer is the one to listen to. He has 23000 posts, like a guru.

 

Thanks for the info on the heater core. Im a mechanic but just because i work on cars every day does not mean I know everything. So thanks for the advice.

And hammer seems like he knows these trucks.

 

Ok well the radiator is toast. Which what I was hoping and most of you said.

Now I can get a brand new on for 85 shipped. My question is there any other that are better then the OE replacement?

Maybe another one I can swap in from a different dodge.

Thanks and also found out my front u joint is bad also it is making a nasty metal squeaking sound so that will be in the future. And probably my left front cv axle every time I turn left is just start squealing.

 

$85 is dirt cheap, I'm sure it's a single core at that price which will work fine unless you tow/haul in which case you'd want a dual core.

I checked all the local auto parts stores when the rad in my Grand Cherokee (4.7HO V8) took a sh*t and best I could find was Autozone at $129.00 and it's only a single core. I probably should have gone dual core, but money was/is tight. It cools fine, keeps the temp right at my t-stat temp of 195* except in stop/go traffic with the A/C on when it'll creep up to about 210* and seems to hold there - or at least has so far.

With the amount of lift in your sig pic, you shouldn't be very shocked to see some front end component wear, especially the CVs...

 

Yeah I am not really surprised that the front is needing some work.

I cant seem too find a dual core anywhere.

I just need it too not run hot when I go down and pick up my snowmobiles which is a three place trailer in california. I have to drive 400 miles and about 50 miles up a really steep grade.

 

3 months after I flush the radiator. This time I used CLR works pretty amazing.


Still Slightly over heating though. Only going up a steep grad or up hill on a long drive.

By bwallace530 at 2012-03-28


By bwallace530 at 2012-03-28

But once I drive faster it goes down which does not make any sense at all. Also when it does heat up turning the heat on does nothing too bring the temp down and also turning the a/c on does not make it get hotter either.

So I guess the rad flush was not enough to clean out the radiator. So Im guess I probably still need too replace it.

 

You might have air left in the system, an air bubble would cause your temp to surge up suddenly and then return to normal. Is the radiator hot all over after a good run or is their still cool spots? If their are cool spots dont even bother trying anything else and replace it before it costs you an engine. If radiator is hot to touch all over cooling fins, try bleeding air out, if that doesnt work inspect the water pump. You also didnt mention changing the thermostat.

To bleed, loosen the bleed screw located at the end of the top radiator hose (return hose I believe), on the drivers side of the engine. Loosen it just enough for the coolant to slowly flow and allow the truck to idle up to operating temp and all the air is supposed to bleed out of there. That is the correct way to do it, having said that though, the correct method has never worked for me or was always a bigger pain in the *** then I felt like dealing with. I just park the truck nose up, leave rad cap off and allow to idle until it reaches operating temp with heater on blast. I usually do this at least 2-3 times and call it good.

I have owned my truck for almost 3 years and have chased one cooling problem after the next since day 1. I ignored my plugged radiator all the way through the tank seam it busted and leaked from for a year before it finally blew on night while leaving work (not even out the parking lot thankfully). Still losing coolant after that, I changed the leaking degas bottle, radiator cap, and finally got it to stop leaking totally when I replaced the heater core 6 months or so ago. Now I wrecked it a couple weeks back and im now losing coolant from somewhere else, I guess sometimes you cant win lol.

 

I did do the thermostate a month after I first bought it. with the stock thermostate.

The top portion of the radiator is cold as hell even after driving for a hour or two.

One weird thing it does is that once I am done driving I can hear air bubbling inside of the radiator. I can not find any leaks anywhere and I do not have to ever add any coolant.

I think I am going to just replace it too be safe. But I can not find any 2 row radiators for this year truck.

 

I think at this point a 1 row even would serve you better then your current. Do a search on it, I think you may have to order a radiator for a different truck to get a 2 row. I do know this was discussed in here before.