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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
Hey guys, so I recently developed a coolant leak in my 2000 xj. I believe it is coming from the thermostat/thermostat housing but I wanted to get some advice. I was planning on re doing all my cooking system over the summer, but I need to get this taken care of now it looks. I am not sure whether I need a new housing or just a gasket, and I figured I might as well replace the thermostat while I am in there. From what I've read, it best to go with mopar, but any other guidance on the housing? Here are a few pictures, and thank you!
The housing doesn't really leak. It's most likely the gasket. It's pretty simple. 2 bolts remove the housing. Clean up the old gasket junk. Replace the thermostat. Make sure the thermostat is seated properly. I typically use a little hi tack gasket sealer to hold the thermostat in place. They have a tendency to slip down out of the groove. Put the gasket on and then replace the housing. I always use antiseize on that top long bolt. It's a pretty simple job and can be done prior to overhauling the entire cooling system.
If you're truly planning on updating your entire cooling system with new parts, I would just replace the housing and t-stat. It's cheap enough. The housing also comes with a gasket which is a plus.
You can get the Mopar (195*) thermostat and gasket from Rockauto. They are not listed under Cherokee tho. You have to use the part number search to bring them up, seperately. The thermostat is part #52028186 and the gasket is part #53020547AC.
Try a local dealer, they should have them. It will cost a bit more than Rockauto. A parts store might have them listed. Never tried them tho.
When replacing the housing, make sure both surfaces are clean (no old gasket at all), and that the thermostat doesnt slip as the housing can distort and crack once tightened. A little sealant holding the thermostat to the housing helps.
Their shipping costs blow! However, when I added everything to my cart on both wermopar.com and rock auto. wermopar.com ended up being cheaper by about 10-15 dollars. Basically, wermopar parts were cheaper but the shipping was more and rock auto's parts were more expensive and shipping was cheaper. wermopar won out.
Do I need to drain the whole system, or can I just pop off the hoses and refill it? Also for those of you who have replaced your thermostat, do I need to be concerned with burping the system afterwords?
Do I need to drain the whole system, or can I just pop off the hoses and refill it? Also for those of you who have replaced your thermostat, do I need to be concerned with burping the system afterwords?
Anytime you open up a sealed system you will need to bleed the air out.
Well the burping went well, the leak not so much. I went to replace the old housing, but I couldn't quite get the sensor off the right side, so I just cleaned it off and put a thin coat of rtv on it and set the gasket in place. I imagine I didn't let the rtv set well enough, because it is still leaking. I'm planning on buying a new sensor and giving it another go on Monday with the new housing and gasket. That's what I get for not following the instructions I suppose haha.
Well the burping went well, the leak not so much. I went to replace the old housing, but I couldn't quite get the sensor off the right side, so I just cleaned it off and put a thin coat of rtv on it and set the gasket in place. I imagine I didn't let the rtv set well enough, because it is still leaking. I'm planning on buying a new sensor and giving it another go on Monday with the new housing and gasket. That's what I get for not following the instructions I suppose haha.
You put a gasket AND rtv and its still leaking? I usually just put a gasket and it works fine.there might be an issue with your housing.
That's what I was thinking maybe I have a pin hole crack or a seam somewhere. It's only leaking from the bottom bolt hole, and it on there pretty good. I gave the original housing a good cleaning, and didn't see any noticeable cracks or holes. I just put a think coat of rtv on, mainly to help hold the gasket in place, which isn't really necessary from what I've read. I didn't let it really dry however, I just got impatient and wanted to get it buttoned up before the rain came
Developed a coolant leak
