I just replaced my factory radiator with one of Wizard's units. Just got back home from almost a 1,000-mile round trip from SW Alabama to Gatlinburg, Tenn., and back. Pretty much 100-degree heat all around.

Previously, this car lived above the "N" line on the temp gauge and I had to shut off the A/C in traffic to keep it from getting into the danger zone. And if any of you have ever visited Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg in the summer, you know what it is: About 20-30 miles of nothing but bumper-to-bumper vacationers and car enthusiasts.

When my stock radiator failed this spring ("failed" being a euphemism for "fan blade cut through it like a Ginsu knife commercial"), I bought a Wizard aluminum radiator to replace it. Here's what my trip was like:

Hours spent behind the wheel: 18
Hours spent with the A/C on: 18
Miles driven: about 1,000
Conditions: Everything from stop-and-go to, ahem, 70-plus mph on the interstates.

Number of times the temp gauge touched or went over "N": 0. Zero. Zilch.

The temp gauge now lives about halfway between "C" and "N", even after coming off the interstate after four straight hours and going immediately into stop-and-go traffic.

Now, about that singing fuel pump...

Jess

 

Well done.

A better stereo "fixes" that pump noise for a short time. HA.

 

lol, yeah, I might be pushing my allotted "short time" here. It's been singing about 2 years now when it get hot. It hiccuped once in Sevierville, Tenn., on this trip but as long as I didn't let the car dip below 500 RPM I didn't have any problems. I had to manually hold an idle above 500 to keep it happy, though.

Jess

 

This is one of the most rewarding fixes feeling in a car, getting it to get such safe temp readings in those hot conditions after replacing a relevant component. Although in this case it may not necessarily be as rewarding as it would've been had you replaced your radiator due to recently suffering and sweating it out from a plugged radiator's very high temp readings in similar hot and traffic conditions. Man, been there done that so many times in the past, especially back when cooling systems weren't even close to today's efficiency. BTW, aluminum makes for superior heat exchange, so you've definitely done the right thing.

But, suddenly getting great temp readings from a fix is hard to beat, regardless. Kudos, I'm glad for you.

Cheers,

 

This is great news to hear. My story is similar, holding temp while driving in 100+ degrees of West Texas heat. She does creep up a bit in traffic though. Not badly, touches the lower part of the N, once up to center. I should replace the fan clutch, though is seems to work well. If anything it adds to the load, it certainly doesn't freewheel. Electric fan may also be next but after that, no idea.

 

Bottom of the N and then lower to middle of the N during stop and go traffic is normal for these cars... At least that is what I have read here for years and what experienced Jag mechanics have told me. I do radiator drain and fills every other year and my car runs as it was designed to do. I am curious about the Wizard radiator because I have heard they are well made and because I like to over maintain all my cars. For now though, I am leaving well enough alone.