TLDR; I replaced the failing radiator in my 2014 ecodiesel with an AlloyWorks 3 row radiator and am seeing significant cooling improvement. This radiator lacks an intercooler support, but you can easily rig up a secure solution. Additionally, the radiator requires some modification with basic tools, no welding or soldering. This job can be done without needing to unhook AC lines to the condenser / drain the refrigerant.
Recently the stock radiator started leaking from the core near the hot side coolant return (top right if you are facing the engine compartment). I'm at nearly 130k miles and have absolutely flogged the cooling system towing our ~5,500 lb travel trailer in the mountains and offroading, so not surprised or upset at this high mileage issue. I slapped a hilariously ugly RTV-gasket-maker-over-high-heat-JB-Weld patch on it for two weeks while I researched options.
Radiator Selection & First Impressions
Based on internet research and recommendations from IRL folks, I went with an AlloyWorks all-aluminum three row radiator. I decided to order directly from their website, for $187.50 with a 12% discount code and free shipping. A number of sellers also carry these on Ebay, often rebranding and marking up what is obviously the AlloyWorks unit. I ordered the 3 row unit after considering fit and how I use the vehicle. Particularly, I did not want to have to drain the AC system to take lines off the condenser in order to get the unit in. From studying the measurements and pictures on the AlloyWorks site, I was confident I could slip the 3 row in but not the 4. And, the thicker the core, the more heat it can soak up over a short period of time, but the less flow-through it has and the harder the fan will have to work. This Jeep is worked hardest for sustained uphill towing and low speed trails, so I do not want a radiator that can't shed heat once it is heat soaked. I had a couple questions, and AlloyWorks was responsive, helpful, and honest (particularly about this not being a drop-in fit).
Anyone researching this topic will also find this post about a Mishimoto option, and I saw a Cold Case option that was a bit less expensive than the Mishimoto. I'm sure either the Mishimoto or Cold Case radiators will look flawless out of the box and maybe perform a little better, but the AlloyWorks unit is already a significant upgrade from stock, and the stock unit survived a decade of towing and other heavy usage. I did not consider another stock unit because, despite being the supposedly-heavy-duty unit that comes as part of the tow package, cooling while towing has always been cause for concern with an otherwise lovely tow vehicle.
I received the radiator 5 days after ordering, shipped from NJ to WA. It was well packaged/protected and arrived in good condition. The welds all looked good, if not pretty, the interior was polished and finished when viewed from the inlet and outlet ports, and the fins were 98% great with two or three small spots where the spacing was slightly uneven for less than an inch or some solder was splashed on the fins. The stock fan was an easy click-in fit, and the four mounting studs all measured to match the positioning on the stock radiator.
![Image]()
Prep and Old Unit Removal
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Modification and Fitment
This unit is a direct fit for the 3.6 or 5.7 L gas engines, but the ecodiesel has a larger, wider overflow reservoir that wants the same space as the radiator fill neck. Credit to the author of the Mishimoto thread, whose solution I cribbed. I did the following:
![Image]()
Installation
![Image]()
![Image]()
Initial Testing / Thoughts / Review
![Image]()
Recently the stock radiator started leaking from the core near the hot side coolant return (top right if you are facing the engine compartment). I'm at nearly 130k miles and have absolutely flogged the cooling system towing our ~5,500 lb travel trailer in the mountains and offroading, so not surprised or upset at this high mileage issue. I slapped a hilariously ugly RTV-gasket-maker-over-high-heat-JB-Weld patch on it for two weeks while I researched options.
Radiator Selection & First Impressions
Based on internet research and recommendations from IRL folks, I went with an AlloyWorks all-aluminum three row radiator. I decided to order directly from their website, for $187.50 with a 12% discount code and free shipping. A number of sellers also carry these on Ebay, often rebranding and marking up what is obviously the AlloyWorks unit. I ordered the 3 row unit after considering fit and how I use the vehicle. Particularly, I did not want to have to drain the AC system to take lines off the condenser in order to get the unit in. From studying the measurements and pictures on the AlloyWorks site, I was confident I could slip the 3 row in but not the 4. And, the thicker the core, the more heat it can soak up over a short period of time, but the less flow-through it has and the harder the fan will have to work. This Jeep is worked hardest for sustained uphill towing and low speed trails, so I do not want a radiator that can't shed heat once it is heat soaked. I had a couple questions, and AlloyWorks was responsive, helpful, and honest (particularly about this not being a drop-in fit).
Anyone researching this topic will also find this post about a Mishimoto option, and I saw a Cold Case option that was a bit less expensive than the Mishimoto. I'm sure either the Mishimoto or Cold Case radiators will look flawless out of the box and maybe perform a little better, but the AlloyWorks unit is already a significant upgrade from stock, and the stock unit survived a decade of towing and other heavy usage. I did not consider another stock unit because, despite being the supposedly-heavy-duty unit that comes as part of the tow package, cooling while towing has always been cause for concern with an otherwise lovely tow vehicle.
I received the radiator 5 days after ordering, shipped from NJ to WA. It was well packaged/protected and arrived in good condition. The welds all looked good, if not pretty, the interior was polished and finished when viewed from the inlet and outlet ports, and the fins were 98% great with two or three small spots where the spacing was slightly uneven for less than an inch or some solder was splashed on the fins. The stock fan was an easy click-in fit, and the four mounting studs all measured to match the positioning on the stock radiator.
Prep and Old Unit Removal
- Remove fender guards and front end. You mostly need trim tools for this. The front end is retained within the arch of the wheel well by one 10 mm bolt on each side, otherwise you just need to pop out the plastic trim rivets along the top of the radiator support in the engine bay and then start popping the front out of its receiver clips. You need to make sure and support the front as it comes out so that you can unclip the fog lights (and probably the front parking sensors if you have those). There are various space filling and air directing plastic pieces that come out, as well as a piece of styrafoam that fits along the bumper beam.
- Remove all the plastic trim rivets along the front of the engine compartment, and remove enough of the trim rivets that hold the compartment seal strip to get that out of the way. I can't ever do this kind of work without breaking trim rivets, having a backstock on hand is helpful.
- Optionally, remove the front bash guard. I have the Chief metal guard, I forget what is involved in removing the stock plastic one. I removed the guard because thought I might be able to jack the vehicle up and slip the new radiator in from the bottom. That is not actually possible, but having more room to work and access is probably worth the extra 5 minutes.
- Drain coolant into a clean bucket. The drain valve is bottom right when facing the engine compartment. It'll take a few minutes to drain out.
- Remove coolant hoses and intercooler air tubes. Big Irwin groovelock pliers or similar are great for getting the pressure fittings off. I have an aftermarket air tube to replace the baffled section of the intercooler, but otherwise stock and just basic wrenching.
- Remove radiator support bar and uprights. Again, just some basic wrenching. I left the horns installed to the support bar after unplugging them.
- Remove the fan. It unplugs on the left side (facing the engine compartment). Work the fan out, you'll need to angle it down on the right side, free it from the condenser lines on that side to then start working it free of the condenser lines on the other, etc.
- At this point the cooling stack is free - radiator, A/C condenser, transmission cooler, intercooler. Take the intercooler off and set it aside. Take the transmission cooler off and hang it from the bumper beam (I just used gaffer's tape). Play with the condenser a bit so that you understand how much the hardlines can move.
- Work the radiator out, which is the same strategy as the fan but more difficult. Assuming you don't want the old radiator absolutely intact, you can make removal significantly easier by cutting off the plastic flange that hugs the end of the condenser on the inside left (see pic). This won't puncture the radiator and honestly this piece seems extraneous in terms of securing the stack. An oscillating tool will make short work of it, cut almost to the far side and then lever it a bit to break it free.
- Save the rubber bushings on the four radiator posts, they transfer over to the new one.
Modification and Fitment
This unit is a direct fit for the 3.6 or 5.7 L gas engines, but the ecodiesel has a larger, wider overflow reservoir that wants the same space as the radiator fill neck. Credit to the author of the Mishimoto thread, whose solution I cribbed. I did the following:
- Source an automotive-specific 32 mm heater cap. I would have gone with the same one mentioned in the Mishimoto thread, but shipping time was too long.
- Use a cutting wheel to evenly cut the fill neck off just before the right angle bend. Shout out to my Dewalt 20V angle grinder, which I end up using in a surprising variety of projects.
- Use a flap wheel for rough debridement and polish.
- Use 180 grit sandpaper, then 300 grit, and finally steel wool for a thorough polish. I was able to run my finger over the lip, inside, and outside and feel absolute smoothness.
- Vacuum the opening with shop vac and then thoroughly flush radiator with hose to remove any metal shavings.
- You also need to trim the retaining upright off the lower front right condenser support or you end up in an unworkable position trying to install it around the condenser lines (see pic 09). I cut it just short enough to clear the line but still support the bottom of the condenser. Once the stack is reassembled, the condenser is secure despite losing this retainer, due to being attached/clamped in several other ways.
Installation
- With the new radiator prepped, installation is the reverse of removal. You need to carefully and slowly navigate the larger replacement through the u-shaped sections of AC hardlines. This includes putting some decent pressure on the left/passenger side hardlines to squeeze it through. My AC is blowing as cold as ever, but if you are equipped to drain and refill the AC, removing the condenser will also remove all the white knuckle moments. It is very unlikely that any radiator thicker than this 2" core / 2.5" side tank unit will fit without removing the condenser.
- I used an airlift system to test system integrity and refill the coolant. This is an important and worthwhile purchase for doing this work. Knowing that the system held 25 PSI for an hour with no leakage and that I refilled it with zero air bubbles was well worth the price, especially in the context of saving $$$ on doing my own labor. The new radiator wanted about 3 more liters of coolant. I didn't keep exact track, and lost a little coolant into shop towels when removing coolant lines and the old radiator. Buy one of the 1 gallon jugs of Mopar Nectar, don't spill the old coolant everywhere, and you'll be fine.
- This unit does not come with a retaining clip for the intercooler. However, when the intercooler is seated back into the stack and attached to the air pipes, it is totally secure except for some small chance of it moving forward and possibly falling down. Really, it feels very solid, and this is coming from someone who has done a fair share of plowing into snow banks, knocking the front guard on boulders and logs, etc. I finished securing it with long metal zip ties that I ran from its side supports up around the top radiator supports, removing any possibility of it falling forward.
- The upper right / driver's side peg that hangs the condenser lacks a backstop to keep the condenser off the radiator. I rigged up another metal zip tie to keep the condenser in the right place, by looping the tie around the bolt on the front of the peg. I took some measurements and may also cut some metal tubing to length to sleeve over the peg and keep the right distance.
- I did not reinstall the plastic baffles that funnel air onto the cooling stack. Given that the new radiator has aluminum side tanks, it seemed best to get more airflow going around the side. The outside air temperature sensor that clips into the right / driver's side baffle can just be clipped to one of the cooling stack support uprights instead. If this turns out to be a poor decision, they're easy to reinstall.
- Upon reinstalling the upper radiator support beam, I discovered that this radiator is just a little bit taller than the original. I shaved maybe 1/8" off the top rubber bumpers with my oscillating tool, solving that fitment problem. If you don't shave the bushings, you're going to have to torque the beam down fairly hard against the bushings, significantly negating the point of having bushings.
- The horns and fog light connections are obvious, but don't forget about the hood latch sensor connection or your remote start won't work and you'll have to take the front off again. Ask me how I know, lol.
Initial Testing / Thoughts / Review
- Just letting the vehicle warm up and idle in our 60-70 degree early fall temps, I was able to feel the hot side get very warm and the cold side stay at air temperature. I feel confident that this is a radiator that can support idling during summer temps without any or much help from the fan.
- Test driving it through our hilly neighborhood and watching coolant temps in AlfaODB, I'm seeing operating temperatures are generally 5 C lower. So, instead of cruising at 93-94 C, I was sticking at 88 C. Instead of hitting 99-100 C on a steep half mile uphill, I hit 95 C. I seem to dump heat much faster now - previously after cresting a hill I'd hang at that 99-100 C for a good minute or two, and I'm now seeing immediate drop. The thermostat on the instrument cluster is kind of useless for seeing these differences and doesn't seem to have a linear response, but even there I could see improvement.
- I cracked open one of the old radiator's side tanks to get a look at the cooling channels. The old radiator has one nearly-full-width pipe per row, with a divider in the middle of the pipe. The new radiator has three pipes per row, each pipe being individually a bit more than a third the width of the old radiator's single pipes. Opening height seems about the same, as far as I can tell row count is very close. So, while the new radiator doesn't have literally three times the cooling surface in the core (three row vs single), it probably has something like 30% more cooling surface in the core, plus the aluminum tank walls, plus the extra coolant capacity. See rough math in sketch below. Also, I cut the old radiator core off one of the tanks to get a look at the fins in cross section. The fins are very densely packed in the old radiator, while the new radiator has larger passages between fins. My guess is that the new radiator flows air through at least as well as the old.
- One general critique I saw of all-aluminum radiators is that they can fail early from the stress of being torqued in the frame during offroading or spirited driving. When I used pliers to break open the side tank of the old radiator, that plastic was notably brittle / had zero flex before breaking. I'm sure that has something to do with the age and hard treatment, but it seems silly to worry about this failure when comparing an old, plastic tank, stock radiator to an all-aluminum replacement.
- I'll comment a long term review under this post at some point, RE: longevity and towing performance.
