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3A and 3B Radiator

Discussion in 'Flat Fender Tech' started by cj5 buggy, May 30, 2007.

  1. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member

    are they the same? i'm trying to get a radiator for turtle and i can't find one...:( other than that i'm going to try and find a write up on a different radiator that'll fit.


    thanks
     
    cj5 buggy, May 30, 2007
    #1
  2. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member

    Nope same with, but to tall... thanks Jason...

    time to see what'll fit. back to the seach function.
     
    cj5 buggy, May 30, 2007
    #2
  3. Rondog

    Rondog just hangin' out

    Go to the CJ3B page and see if there's any info there. Oh wait, you need one for a 3A, never mind.:oops:
     
    Rondog, May 30, 2007
    #3
  4. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member


    yep been finding a lot of info on the 2A's and 3B's... :(
     
    cj5 buggy, May 30, 2007
    #4
  5. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Walck's catalog from a few years ago lists the 3A and 3B radiator as being the same. You got a line on a 3B radiator? If you want to, give me some dimensions on your radiator and I'll compare them to mine. Mine's a repro I got from Walck's.
     
    Glenn, May 30, 2007
    #5
  6. Rondog

    Rondog just hangin' out

    Wouldn't 2A and 3A radiators be the same, or really close to it? I mean, other than the windshields and some little details, they're pretty close to the same w/everything else, right? Seems to me like they'd be pretty close anyway.
     
    Rondog, May 30, 2007
    #6
  7. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member

    Glenn this is why i threw the post up, and started searching, Jason (Neptco19) has a 3b at the shop. It was around 3" to tall. one would say that a 2a and 3a would be the same.
     
    cj5 buggy, May 31, 2007
    #7
  8. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Taller was my initial thought too, but then I looked at the catalog and it lists the 2A and 3A radiator as different ones. I dunno. Catalog could certainly be wrong. I agree logically the 2A and 3A one would think would be the same.
     
    Glenn, May 31, 2007
    #8
  9. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    I assume you're trying to find a good used one is why you're asking?
     
    Glenn, May 31, 2007
    #9
  10. jd7

    jd7 Sponsor

    IIRC you can use a 3B with a CJ5 , I've used 2A and 3A radiators back and forth.
     
    jd7, May 31, 2007
    #10
  11. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    I haven't compared the mounting but the 3B inlet is offset to the drivers' side so at a minimum one would have to use the respective hose. Just a FWIW. ;)
     
    Glenn, May 31, 2007
    #11
  12. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member

    yep i'm trying to get a good used one. as i have found out that the 3a (at least what i was asking for) is no longer in production NO WHERE... and so far i have made 4 attemps on getting it re-cor and the cheapest around here was 380.00 :evil:
     
    cj5 buggy, May 31, 2007
    #12
  13. timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Yeah, AFAIK most replacement radiators now come out of the Modine factory in Mexico, and are really inexpensive. There's little market for recore, since the new replacements are so cheap. Plus the price of copper has gone up and up, making the replacement cores more expensive.

    You might lower your cost a little by searching a wider area for recore - about 2 years ago I had my J-truck radiator recored (2 row -> 3) and IIRC it was about $220. The factory radiator was 2 rows. I could have bought a new 2-row Modine for about $150, but no 3-row. The core was labelled as a Utility Truck application, BTW.
     
    timgr, May 31, 2007
    #13
  14. Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    I'll take a stab at this based on experience - Mounting points 'can' be different between the 2 and 3 A's - tank design is slightly different - they are interchangable for the most part (real early 2's I have found to be the exception). 2's are more likely to have left over desert Rads in them from the military.

    I just had a custom rad built by my local rad shop - they have been in the family since the 60s. He explained to me the rad cores on the 2s and 3s are the 'old style' that they don't make the cores of any more. There is no real 'passage way' like on the new ones that makes the term 'rows'. I didn't get into detail with him as he has never steered me wrong in the past - he even recored my old 3 rad in the 80s for me.
     
    Warloch, May 31, 2007
    #14
  15. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member

    looks like a new (made from scratch) one comming up... just blows me away, cause it'll cost the same or more than i paid for the Jeep itself. :(
     
    cj5 buggy, May 31, 2007
    #15
  16. Jeep Rescue

    Jeep Rescue The CJ-3A Page

    Early 2A radiators were bottom mount, meaning they bolted to the frame. Late 2A and 3A radiators were side mount, meaning they bolted to the grill. Hope that clarifies a little. The new 3A radiators have been backordered for a long time because they sucked! You are better off finding an original one and having it recored.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2007
    Jeep Rescue, May 31, 2007
    #16
  17. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Does suck, but a good radiator is kinda important. I've always liked them. :D
     
    Glenn, May 31, 2007
    #17
  18. cj5 buggy

    cj5 buggy Member


    Thats odd cause my 3a bolts to the bottom... so it's a Early CJ3A... cool makes me like i belong here even more...
     
    cj5 buggy, May 31, 2007
    #18
  19. 97XJ_95YJ

    97XJ_95YJ I hate torx bolts

    I've been searching around for a 2A radiator. There aren't many places you can get a new one and the places that do sell them are asking $400.
     
    97XJ_95YJ, May 31, 2007
    #19
  20. runnamuck

    runnamuck look out!

    hey frank, why not a universal al-lou-mini-yum crossflow. chevy style 19x22 should fit, right? usually around 2 bills or less. just weld on some tabs to mount and go. that l-head wouldn't know what to do.
     
    runnamuck, Jun 4, 2007
    #20