Hi, I have a 2001 cherokee sport edition. At idle it sits right below 210. But if you drive it up hills or put any strain on the engine it Climbs to about 225. I just replaced head gasket, head, 2 core radiator, water pump, radiator hoses, radiator cap, and even after all this it is still getting hot. Yesterday I drove it home after school and it got to about 220 and i went inside and came back out and there was a puddle of coolant under it. It is really frustrating me, I can't figure it out. please help

 

You didn't mention the thermostat but I figured you replaced a $10 part. May have air in system.

 

No mention of the two fans or a shroud either. What replacement head did you get?

 

We bought it with an over heating problem and when we looked at the thermostat it looked brand new

 

I got a j & c enterprises head that is suppose to be thicker casting to prevent cracking. And I am running 3 electric fans.

 

225 not really overheating. Have the system pressure checked dont forget the cap. Nothing cools better than stock set up. Were the fan installed by you or there when bought ?

 

i often find that the overflow hose will leak if it's not clamped to the radiator, you wouldn't notice this during a pressure test because that hose is eliminated during the test. what triggers the fans? 225 is still within the realm of reasonable albeit at the upper end of it. do the fans ever trigger at idle?

 

Where are you getting the temp readings from? A stock in dash gauge? Independent aftermarket gauge? Handheld temp gun? You are right at the threshold for what would be considered overheating. Stock fans don't kick on until somewhere around 215*. With temps reaching 220-225* on a regular basis. One thing not yet mentioned is to check the specific gravity of the coolant you are running. Poor coolant concentration can really add to an overheat condition.

 

What you describe sorta sounds like a head issue. You sure you got everything buttoned down and sealed up properly? You sure the block and head surfaces mated up properly? You might want to test for a leaking head gasket.

One thing to consider is that the water jackets may be full of crud, especially if you swapped the head because of a cracked 0331 that was causing overheating. It might help to run Prestone flush or Amway laundry detergent through it to flush out any packed in crap that didn't get flushed out when you replaced the other components.

Also, are you certain your aftermarket fans are blowing the right direction?

He has a 2001. In 2000 and 2001 XJs, the electric fan does not come on until the coolant temperature reaches 221° F. Then it stays on until the temp drops to 217°. This is a change from prior years to allow the motor to run a little hotter for emissions purposes.

That may not make any difference, however, since he has swapped out the stock fans for a setup that could be contributing to the problem just as easily as the solution. Personally I would start by verifying the temp with an IR thermometer pointed at the thermostat housing. If it turned out to really be running hot, I would take the fans back to stock to rule out the aftermarket fans as a problem. Then I would troubleshoot the stock system until the actual problem was found and fixed.

 

They were already installed when I bought it

 

Yes stock dash gage. And the coolant is drained on it right now. I will make sure when I refill it that it will be the proper ratio

 

The fans are always on. And I will definitely be doing a pressure test next

 

I have already run prestone flush through it. Will a stock fan work with a 2 core radiator? can I just test the head gasket with a compression test?

 

I used a (Block Tester ) from NAPA, $42. Basically you lower fluid level in radiator and use hand pump to pull vapors from radiator up through test liquid. If liquid turns green/yellow you have compression gasses in coolant system. Blown head gasket