Don't buy an aluminum heater core!
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- My experience with an aluminum heater core and how it reinforces my opinon of aluminum in a Jeep cooling system. OE radiators and copper heater cores are what works best in these old Jeeps. Listed below is the link to finding the heater core on the manufacturer website with the part number.
Website: thermalsolution...
Part #: 399233
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'03 Rubicon. Now doing my 2nd replacement heater core replacement in 2 years; first replacement heater core was APDI with 1 year warranty and it lasted 2. I hate 2-piece radiators and heater cores. I am currently installing a Brassworks heater core, expensive but IMHO worth it and I realize it will put out a little less heat due to its design and material. When I did the first R&R I also installed a 4-Seasons evaporator as preventive maintenance; the OEM lasted 18 years so I am installing another OEM that I found with some hard searching. The aluminum fingers/tabs from the 2-piece core do not hold the plastic and its gasket o ring tightly and when they relax then a leak, usually at a corner, will result. BTW, I found that a strap over the roll bar to the hand grab will hold the dash assembly out of the way to get the heater box out. Take time to clean under the windshield cowling as dirt and leaves can travel to the heater and evaporator cores. The local dealer grinned and told me $1200 minimum so I had a hunch that $1,500 might be a more accurate figure. OEM radiator lasted 80k miles. Now have Champion all aluminum radiator and it is doing well with no overheating issues at all where high temperatures and pressures would be hard on a 2-piece hater core as there is no control valve ahead of it (there will be a shut off valve installed).
depending on the vehicle, using an aluminum core you need to add coolant additives to prevent the aluminum corrosion
Coolant already contains these additives, which is one of the two reasons it's used instead of pure distilled water.
Test the cores before install. Spectra sucks indeed. 2 bad ones for me. Got a copper old new stock on eBay.
no one makes copper heater cores for 98 grand cherokee .any suggestions on aftermarket ? dont want to replace it twice .
I got a copper and brass radiator from Summit motors. No more over heat. Alum. was junk and wouldn't cool.
I'm about to do the evaporator and I'll buy a copper core heater core while I'm at it. Any update on how the evaporator is holding up? I don't want to skimp and buy the Four Seasons if there's a better option out there. Found an OEM one for $325 but good gosh that's insane!
Evaporator is holding up perfectly fine, Four Seasons seals the openings for storage and shipping. The first evaporator I went with was not sealed in the box and failed too. If the evaporator isn’t sealed, send it back. The heater core is still holding up well too and I just ordered some for 2 WJs last year and they are still producing them but I had to call the manufacturer in Tennessee and had them tell me who to order from.
Good job buddy
Thank you!
i got a 2006 jeep commander and just swapped out the heater core and was thinking of going your way and going copper any chance of getting one in copper from your connection?
So I back tracked this unit to a company out of Tennessee called Thermal Solutions Mfg. and they have a website but their catalogue doesn’t seem to work on my phone for me to check for you. I won’t be around a computer for a while but google them and use their catalogue and see if they make one for your Jeep. If they do, call them direct and they can give you a vendor to call, they don’t sell direct to the public unfortunately. Even when I called their vendor, I had to specifically ask for it AND I had to provide them the part number to find it. Hope they have one for ya!
Did you do the evaporator core when you did this job? Are there any other parts that should be replaced during this job?
Sure did, this is the best time to do it. And if your’s is like mine, the AC lines did not want to come off of the evaporator so I cut the ends off the evaporator and removed them once I could get the ends of the lines at a better angle for tool fitment. Now one thing I will warn, I chose the cheapest evaporator I could find and it blew out when I vacuumed the system down. I did not discover this until much much later. I bought another one on Amazon and paid good money for it based on reviews. What I noticed as a big difference is the newer one came with fittings on the openings that when I removed them, it was either pressurized or was vacuumed down, either way, outside air was not able to get inside after it was manufactured until it was installed. To me this said it was a preventative measure while it was in shipment and sitting on a shelf somewhere and this helped prevent corrosion that could compromise the structural integrity of the evaporator. This was meaningful to me because my first new one had signs that it caved in when I vacuumed it down instead of blowing outward during charging. Either way, it’s been 2 years and holding strong this time.
Anyone heard of stainless steel heater cores?Planning on buying or making one
Stainless steel has a very low thermal conductivity so it probably wouldn't work well. A major reason copper is so good is because it has a thermal conductivity only second to silver (but it is almost equal). Aluminum is also high relative to other metals and very cheap which is why the aftermarket industry likes it, but not up there with copper.
@@deanwright987 yes your right about stainless conductivity.
I still think it could work well though.
The lower heat conductivity can be compensated by increasing the surface area.
Ya copper is definitely better than aluminum.
I just installed a BrassWorks brand copper heater core that comes painted flat black and the amount of heat it puts out is not as good as my original Mopar did. Max temp is around 120F. The Mopar easily would get to 140. The fins did look larger, slightly more spaced and not as efficient but the core is thicker. Just wondering how the temperatures were on all 3 of your cores?
blueblade455 man that brassworks is expensive! You were only $100 short of buying a Mopar unit! Haha so this Vista Pro/Thermal Solutions that I have is great! Plenty of very hot heat, even the spectra aluminum unit was very hot. I never took any readings to see what the exact temps were but my original wasn’t as hot as these new ones but that might be due to the fact that the old unit could have been clogged too, who knows at this point.
Ben The Jeep Guy Ah ok, thanks for responding. Yeah I probably would've bought a Mopar one if it was still available, but I was sold by BrassWorks cause they make them in the U.S. and have a 2 year warranty. Plus they are painted so that might hold down any external corrosion for a bit longer. But after watching your video again and looking very closely, I noticed certain heater cores vs. mine have different tube counts. The high efficiency cores have around 20 to 24 where as mine have around maybe 16? I wasn't paying attention when I installed it at the time and the online picture is very vague. But in my theory, I believe that even though have a thick heater core, the tube count is less and is causing my low heat issue. Anyways, thanks for listening.
Where did the aluminum fail?
If you look closely in the video you can see some darkened areas on the aluminum heater core on the side with the tubes. It seems to have failed where the tubes in the core section meet the tank on the side with the supply/return tubes.
@@BenTheJeepGuy Supposing the installation wasn't rough that could over stress the joints, it's most likely due to the famous quality build, since Al by itself should not yield to the environment that fast. Overall i agree on copper as a better bet for the application despite its much heavier weight, since it does a good job of keeping the climate system free of germs.
I'm changing the aluminum junk spectra heater core in my buddies jeep sport for the 3rd time,2 junk spectra heater cores in a row unbelievable junk,do not buy spectra heater cores they are scrap.
Going on third aluminum heater core. need info on your radiator supplier
I bought mine from a place called Marietta Radiator Services located in Marietta, Ga. their number is (770) 428-7120
I also found this googling a copper one and it says in stock. It’s almost $200 but it carries the same part number as the one I used so likely is the same manufacturer.
www.superiorcooling.co/4874045-399233-heater-core-jeep-cherokee-comanche-wagoneer-wrangler.html
cool Mucha Gracias amigo
Any updates? How long did it last or still going?
Still running great! Just bought the same brand for my wife’s WJ and my Dad’s WJ.
@@BenTheJeepGuy awesome! I’m sold, not a job I want to do multiple times.
@@steventure7939 I assure you, this is a job you want to do just one time and be done with it! lol replace the AC evaporator while you are at it. I’ve had good luck with the Four Seasons brand and they aren’t too expensive.
@@BenTheJeepGuy I have to change my A/C evaporator core. Rockauto has 4 seasons, GPD, UAC. I googled search, but couldn't find any reviews. Someone on Dodge forums liked GPD. I'm leaning towards UAC. I also want to replace the dryer/accumulator, liquid line (condenser to evaporator core)
www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=9797168&cc=1310943&jsn=8
@@jle540 I always use 4 seasons evaporators because they come sealed from the factory. I can’t say the same for the other brands but the first one I bought wasn’t sealed and it failed the first time I attempted to vacuum the system down to prepare for a fresh charge. The structure was compromised and near the edge, one of the tubes caved in and created a huge hole, never held a charge for more than 5 minutes. That first one wasn’t sealed from the factory so my guess is just the moisture in the air corroded the inside enough to compromise the evaporator. 4 Seasons was the next brand I tried and it came sealed so that’s how I came to my theory as to why it failed. I don’t know for a fact that that is what caused it, it’s just my experience and my best guess.
Your radiator is aluminum
Rather replace a radiator than a heater core
Rock auto sells all shit
scavenom2008 I wouldn’t say necessarily all of their stuff is bad, but there is a lot of junk on their, you just have to know what brands are bad and what is good.
Important to mention is the fact later models use a different design. Years 2003 to 2006 use a core with short tubes and I believe are aluminum with crimped ends on the headers👎
scavenom2008 I think you are right for other models of Jeeps. This video is mainly in reference to the 97-01 XJ Cherokee since that is what I have. This is the same one for the 97-06 Jeep TJ Wrangler as well. The older Cherokees has a slightly different heater box design if I’m not mistaken.