Dan93

I know there are a million different posts on here about overheating, but none seem to match what mine is doing. Its a 96 Cherokee Classic with only 124K on it. About a year ago I noticed that it would begin to overheat every now and again, but now the problem is getting worse and worse. If you are just driving down the road doing above 30 or so mph she is just fine. Stop and go traffic, or just sitting and idling, is much different. Temp will go right on past operating temp and keep soaring until it I get it moving again or I shut it off. Problem is worse when the temp outside is hotter as well. I've replaced a whole lot of stuff, including:
-Thermostat (about 5 of those)
-Water pump (2 of those)
-Fan clutch
-Radiator
-Radiator hoses
-Many flushes of the cooling system
-Idler pulley
-New catalytic converter
-There was a crack in the header, got that fixed
Im at my wits end. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Dan

superbee1970440

Does it actually boil over or you just see the temp climbing?

Have you verified that the temp gauge is working correctly?

Dan93

When I open the hood while it is reading high, it is noticeably hotter than when it says it is normal, although I haven't verified it

superbee1970440

Does it actually boil over or you just see the temp climbing?

Dan93

I haven't let it boil over yet. I've taken some pretty drastic measures to prevent that from happening lol

The Mick

I just went through this exact same thing. I'm not a big car guy but I'm poor so I have to learn as I go anymore.

For my '96 Country I had 2 problems as it turned out. First I couldn't figure out why my overflow bottle wasn't working properly and it just kept filling up but not sucking back into the Rad. I went through the usual suspects Rad cap checked for cracks in the bottle ect...The problem was it had never been cleaned and was clogged. I replaced it with a new one as well as a a new thermostat. Then over the summer I noticed it was taking a long time to reach operating temp but would eventually overheat at stoplights and heavy traffic. So I though it could be the thermostat stuck open. I took the old one out and it turned out to be a Fail Safe thermostat. I don't remember specifically buying that brand nor did I know at the time how they work but there it was locked open with it's locking mechanism. I later learned they are notorious for locking open even under normal temps or so I've read and it seemed as if that's what happened with mine. I replaced it with a regular one and all is fine.

Radi

There are two things different between sitting at idle and moving down the road:
1) Airflow
2) Water pump speed.

Ruling out the second thing is simple- rev the motor slightly while you're sitting in traffic to speed up the water pump and see if the temp drops.
If that does not help, move on.

Insufficient air flow when the jeep isn't moving:
I'd start with the fan shroud. If you don't have one, get one.
Second- the fan clutch. Yes I saw you replaced it already, lol. Ask my opinion of aftermarket parts and you'l understand why I'm suggesting this anyway:
Remove the clutch. See the thermostatic coil in front? That's what monitors the airflow temperature and adjusts the clutch lockup.
Unhook the outer end of that metal coil, rotate it 180 degrees counter-clockwise and re-install the clutch. There should be a second catch in that position to lock it into. Most provide this capability for test purposes.
1/2 turn CCW on that coil nearly locks the clutch up solid. If your overheating stops, the clutch is bad.

You didn't mention anything about the electric fan. Does it work? Does it come on at 230 degrees or so, or when you turn on the A/C?