Jeep started to over heat a few days ago. Would go to the 2/3 mark then drop back to normal. Now it will almost peg the temp guage. Heater is also blowing cold air.

did a radiator about 5k ago. Did a thermostat tonight and didn't make a difference. Water pump bad?

 

Sounds like it

 

If it's the original pump it's time to replace for sure and do the fan clutch at the same time not much extra labor involved or cost.

 

What's the mileage on the engine and do you know when the water pump was last replaced, if ever?


When you did the radiator and T-stat jobs how did the coolant look?

 

209k

no idea when water pump was last replaced

 

It's relatively cheap. Easy job, too.

 

Do you have to loosen the power steering pump?

 

You will need to loosen the belt. Not sure on the newer, but on the older, yes, the power steering pump is the tension adjustment.

 

I just did this job in December on my 2001. You will have to remove the PS pump. The PS pump bracket is attached to the water pump. Not a big deal, I think 3 bolts to take the PS pump off it bracket (leave hoses attached), sit pump near airbox, 3 or 4 more bolts to remove PS pump bracket. The forums here has a pretty good write up.

 

All the threads I saw said you just have to loosen it

 

it's like 15 minutes of extra work to take it off or you could leave the bracket on and only take out the bolts where the bracket mounts to the water pump. I would go with the first option, a lot more room to work.

your choice.

 

It's so jacked up we can no longer put our year right there in our info. Causes tons of wasted clicks. (poor cherokeeforum!). We CAN put it in our signature though. I think up to 96 you loosen the PS pump and back off the adjustment, (after removing the air cleaner). Not sure about the later...adjusted with the idler maybe?

 

**** I thought I put it in the first post. It's a '91

 

yes, you loosen the idler pully bolt, then there is a tension adjust bolt you loosen.

 

I just did WP on my 96 this weekend. The belt is tensioned with an idler pulley that is on a threaded adjustment bolt that is part of the bracket that holds the power steering pump. For room to work, I removed the electric fan, I opened the air box, then removed the power steering pump and moved it aside (opening the air box makes room for moving the power steering pump up out of the way). Then removed the power steering pump bracket as well. Access to the water pump and block was very good after that.

And I know its been mentioned before, but if you do your own work, do yourself a favor and get one of these. You'll thank yourself, it makes working with the cooling system a lot quicker and easier.

Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel
by Lisle
Link: http://a.co/9ij4ckb