Long story short. My jeep howls at idle. From the passenger/front of the engine bay. When I accelerate. The jeep sounds like it's building boost. The temp doesn't ever stay constant. Does this sound like a water pump issue? I've changed the tstat. The old one is only a year old. But it looked really dry when I pulled it.

 

The old tstat

 

Pic for reference.

 

You have AC? Check the compressor. That bearing screams if it's on the way out.

 

Yes I have ac. But that wouldn't explain the overheating haha

 

Nah. Your right, I was just thinking about the noise you described. Well does the water pump pulley wobble at all? The pulley is bolts to the shaft going through the pump. You could remove the belt and run it for a couple of minutes. If the noise stops then you know it's coming from a pulley.

 

I haven't gotten to mess with it I picked up a new pump today.

 

Weird noises and erratic temperature fluctuations are XJ trademarks and not necessarily related. Don't approach this as though the noise is causing your cooling issues or vice versa. Finding the noise is pretty simple with a $10 mechanic's stethoscope... If that noise is coming from your water pump then you'll probably solve both issues by replacing it.

Make sure your harmonic balancer isn't coming apart and rubbing on the timing chain cover or something else important. Alternator and AC compressor are both on the passenger side and often howl to warn their owners that they aren't feeling well and about to barf their internals all over your engine bay and highway.

 

I take it. I can buy that tool at say a auto store?

 

http://www.autozone.com/test-scan-an...mString=search

 

Of course it's a special order here haha. Maybe I can find one at a store today.

 

I think a couple of folks have posted another version of the same concept. You take a big flat blade screwdriver( like a foot and a half long) and put the blade on the housing and your ear on the handle. Apparently you get the same effect and can hear a bearing grinding. This would be belt off and hand turning the pulley.

 

I've been tossing the idea of ac delete with a bypass pulley around. Since I don't ever use ac.

 

It's something they might even have in the automotive department at WalMart or Menards.

 

Advanced has one in stock. Just working all day sucks. And having a new comanche getting delivered after work lol.