Puertorricancherokee

I'm building a 1987 jeep waggie, just like XJ Stryker's waggie. I finished building the engine and putting everything together. But after a little while, it starts overheating. We took the thermostat out, (here in Puerto Rico, thermostats are a bad omen, the usual temp is 90 - 95 degrees) but it still bubbling air.

Can it be that I still have air on the engine or I might need to put the thermostat back? I'll post a pic of the engine soon.

Also after I run it smoothly a few days ago, today it started hesitating all over the place, I moved the ignition, but nothing. Anybody has a clue of what my problem might be?

Is there a way to read the codes on my XJ, without the scanner?

Puertorricancherokee

Here are two pics of the engine, if anybody need more details, let me know so I can take a different pic

Akitaman

Did you have the head off of it? It sounds like a blown or incorrectly sealed headgasket.

Puertorricancherokee

I took out the engine head and send it to the machine shop to rebuilt, but it was working just fine, at least on the idling part, the water temp rises up to half, and it was steady there yesterday. Today is that it started hesitating

I also torqued the head to specs, and by the sequence that it says on the repair manual

Puertorricancherokee

One more update:

After letting my frustrations idle for a couple of hours (LIAR, you where with your wife shopping!!) I came back home and turn it on again and now its running fine. But I put the darrrrrrn water cap, and the air shows up.

At least the hesitation went away for now. I was next to the engine when it turn itself off, and I heard some noise at the relay thas has many positive cables attached to it, so I'll check to replace it.

I dont know if I took away anything that I might need, because here we dont use the heater, so right now its gone.

PS:
The comment was made by my **** concience BLAHHHH

Puertorricancherokee

I just found out that my temp switch is not working, going to Auto Zone to get a new one.

Still have to fix an oil leak through one of the engine oil studs
Have no clue how, but anyway.

And my idling still erratic, any suggestions ???

Jamie57

Just a thought here.
I understand why you have don't use the heater but the way you have the heater hoses run into the overflow tank might be a problem. Here when we don't use the heater we just block off the ports. That tank was never designed to hold the pressure that the cooling system will make when the water is at the boiling point.

builtnotbought89'

Looking at ur pics I see uve moved a lot of vacume lines from there stock position I would start by checking those! Also check ur spark & psi in the fuel rail!
& search for rough idel in our threads! I'll bet ur not the first person with this problem!!!

Puertorricancherokee

Thanks, I'll try to block them but how would I add coolant if needed?
Maybe a valve to open/close and block the other?

Puertorricancherokee

I checked most, and left the necessary ones, fuel reg and some others.
EGR is gone so is the cat, and still need to put the breather

Jamie57

I can't see it from your pics but I'm assuming you have a stock or a stock style radiator. The filler is located near the power steering pump. Just below the radiator cap on the neck of the fill tube SHOULD be a small hose barb. About 1/4 inch in diameter.
It's where a hose is attached that goes to your overflow tank. When your jeep heats up the radiator cap has a pressure activated spring that allows the cooling fluid to go to the overflow tank.
Now here is the neat part. When your vehicle cools down it will draw that fluid BACK into the radiator. That overflow tank is also where you add fluid should your jeep need more.
It's a 2 way system. It allows cooling fluid to Escape a hot engine, be collected in a resovoir tank and then when it needs to replace the fluid it draws it back from that resovoir

Puertorricancherokee

More or less.
Mine had the original all copper radiator installed with a filler neck welded to the left side tank. But the core was way too rusted( so bad that lines were welded to eliminate them). I found on the internet a replacement, 3 rows copper core with plastic tanks, but no filler neck. I spoke to the previous owner and to a dealership and both told me that either somebody previously welded that neck, or changed the radiator. Maybe I need something that will work as a check valve , to avoid the boiling water to overflow to prematurely and if it needs water to let it pass down to the engine. Also they told me to put back the thermostat, that it might hold the pressure back.
I thanks everybody because I'm new at this, at least on XJ's. For anybodys info, I basically replaced most of the cooling system new. New radiator, water pump, both hoses, thermostat and housing, and new hoses to the overflow tank.

If anybody need more pics to help me diagnose the problem, dont hesitate I have the camera ready!

Puertorricancherokee

Update:

I just found out the name of the part I threw to the garbage, the heater control valve

Puertorricancherokee

Update,

I took one of the old tanks from my previous radiator, and replaced it on the new one. My old rad was fitted with the filler neck, but the difference was that my new one had plastic tanks and the old one was all copper. Thanks God that this new one was "wrongfully sent" with the copper core, so I just needed to weld it in place.
Reroute my overflow tank lines and without the thermostat, my temp wont go any farther than 150 degrees.

PS as soon as it stops raining here, I'll post pics of it

Jamie57

Thats great!
Now put a thermostat in there. Your engine really needs to get to 190 to 200 degrees to run well other wise you'll have no fuel economy and the plugs will get fouled. There are some tricks like a small drill hole in the themostat that really help. do a search on that here.