Symptoms
Coolant smell, green crust at the top tank seam, and eventually a split tank spraying coolant over the engine.
The fix, step by step
- From Jeepfan's TJ write-up: let the engine cool and drain the radiator.
- Disconnect the upper and lower hoses and the transmission cooler lines if fitted, and pop the overflow bottle out of its holder.
- Loosen the fan shroud and push it back over the fan, since it doesn't need to come out.
- Remove the radiator bolts and lift it out.
- Thread the cooler fittings into the new radiator with sealant and drop it in, using the slotted lower bolt holes as a guide.
- Refit everything, fill with the correct coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water, run it up to temperature while topping off, and recheck the level after a few drives as air works out.
Tools & part numbers
- Drain pan
- hand tools
- thread sealant
- distilled water
- correct coolant.
Where to buy the parts
Crown 52080183 replacement radiator, 87–06 YJ/TJQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Aluminum 2-row radiator EC2101, 97–06 TJExtremeTerrain ↗Amazon ↗
Omix cooling system kit, 00–06 4.0L TJExtremeTerrain ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Jeep Wrangler TJ parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.