Dodge trucker
Senior Member
12 1500 reg cab long bed 4.7
Have owned 2-1/2 years, since 93k miles now at 135k.
My first 4.7, have avoided them like the plague though I have owned many 318 and 360 powered dodges. Needed a truck and some "assistance" to buy from the bank and they wouldn't loan anything on what I really wanted ---"too old" they claimed
Been reading the bad news about them (4.7s) and displaced valve seats if they get even a little bit warm let alone overheat.
Not crazy about the timing chain system in them either. But I have what I have and need to take care of it so it lasts me as long as possible.
Anyway I tow a camper in the summer, well under "rated capacity" for this truck. And usually on dead flat ground in this area.
Last summer it started creeping up a bit in the hotter months (Illinois not Arizona warmth) mainly when towing. Not crazy but more than it used to. It's never down on coolant.
I've never done anything with the cooling system since ive had it I don't know if past owners did either. Here lately its not hot outside yet but "warmer than usual" for this time of year and I'm noticing it creeping up on me at stoplights and such more than it used to.
It's always been pretty consistent while cruising around 195 which is about perfect, but after sitting at a stoplight now it's getting to 210-212 which still isn't crazy but it never used to do that before, at all.
And now it seems like it takes longer to normalize back to 194-197 once I get underway, than it used to and it's only in the 50s-60s outside lately. It never used to even get "that" warm. And that's just the truck without much of a load and without towing. I will have this truck a good while longer yet, so I don't mind spending some preventative maintenance money on it.
It's 13 years old (early model '12 actually made and sold in 11) and I've changed my share of expired radiators on other brands of vehicles at work that are much "younger". I despise aluminum and plastic radiators. And their tendency to leak at seams. I wish they'd go back to copper/brass.
I wound up putting a 3 row all aluminum Champion radiator in my 78 Plymouth fury when it needed a radiator a few years ago. But that car is 45 years old haha ... But I went with the champion that is all aluminum and all tig welded as they wanted to sell me a plastic/aluminum POS even for that car. No freaking way I was putting a radiator that would look more at home in a Toyota in my fury. Not happenin.
I've been scouting around looking at options for a new radiator for my truck since last fall.
There are several out there from stock appearing plastic/aluminum for a ridiculous cheap price ( wouldn't want to trust one that cheap as far as I could throw it) to various all aluminum ones in a wide variance of price.
Even though all aluminum many claim to be epoxied at the core to tank seams.
The one I settled on is supposedly aircraft grade aluminum (don't know what's so special about that grade) and all tig welded, most offer a 1 yr warranty but this one has a 10 year warranty. I figured if they will stand behind it that long it is hopefully better than the average one out there like it.
I also bought new hoses, a new thermostat and a new water pump for good measure.
Got the water pump with the metal impeller. I've seen too many seperated impellers on the fords at work, want no part of that.
What are the members here, experience with different radiators that are available for our trucks? I miss the old Modine as well as what they used to be made out of.....
Have owned 2-1/2 years, since 93k miles now at 135k.
My first 4.7, have avoided them like the plague though I have owned many 318 and 360 powered dodges. Needed a truck and some "assistance" to buy from the bank and they wouldn't loan anything on what I really wanted ---"too old" they claimed
Been reading the bad news about them (4.7s) and displaced valve seats if they get even a little bit warm let alone overheat.
Not crazy about the timing chain system in them either. But I have what I have and need to take care of it so it lasts me as long as possible.
Anyway I tow a camper in the summer, well under "rated capacity" for this truck. And usually on dead flat ground in this area.
Last summer it started creeping up a bit in the hotter months (Illinois not Arizona warmth) mainly when towing. Not crazy but more than it used to. It's never down on coolant.
I've never done anything with the cooling system since ive had it I don't know if past owners did either. Here lately its not hot outside yet but "warmer than usual" for this time of year and I'm noticing it creeping up on me at stoplights and such more than it used to.
It's always been pretty consistent while cruising around 195 which is about perfect, but after sitting at a stoplight now it's getting to 210-212 which still isn't crazy but it never used to do that before, at all.
And now it seems like it takes longer to normalize back to 194-197 once I get underway, than it used to and it's only in the 50s-60s outside lately. It never used to even get "that" warm. And that's just the truck without much of a load and without towing. I will have this truck a good while longer yet, so I don't mind spending some preventative maintenance money on it.
It's 13 years old (early model '12 actually made and sold in 11) and I've changed my share of expired radiators on other brands of vehicles at work that are much "younger". I despise aluminum and plastic radiators. And their tendency to leak at seams. I wish they'd go back to copper/brass.
I wound up putting a 3 row all aluminum Champion radiator in my 78 Plymouth fury when it needed a radiator a few years ago. But that car is 45 years old haha ... But I went with the champion that is all aluminum and all tig welded as they wanted to sell me a plastic/aluminum POS even for that car. No freaking way I was putting a radiator that would look more at home in a Toyota in my fury. Not happenin.
I've been scouting around looking at options for a new radiator for my truck since last fall.
There are several out there from stock appearing plastic/aluminum for a ridiculous cheap price ( wouldn't want to trust one that cheap as far as I could throw it) to various all aluminum ones in a wide variance of price.
Even though all aluminum many claim to be epoxied at the core to tank seams.
The one I settled on is supposedly aircraft grade aluminum (don't know what's so special about that grade) and all tig welded, most offer a 1 yr warranty but this one has a 10 year warranty. I figured if they will stand behind it that long it is hopefully better than the average one out there like it.
I also bought new hoses, a new thermostat and a new water pump for good measure.
Got the water pump with the metal impeller. I've seen too many seperated impellers on the fords at work, want no part of that.
What are the members here, experience with different radiators that are available for our trucks? I miss the old Modine as well as what they used to be made out of.....
