Ok thats really helpful there thanks.

 

Im in Washington. And thats sucks that it cracked the head. Only time mines ever been that bad is when the heater valve gave out at a gas station.

 

So he (the PO) says......... Unless there's a dated receipt in the glove box for a new rad and it's installation, I wouldn't be so trustworthy. If it's running 230 now (still mild weather), it'll likely to die a couple of months from now.

Now is the time to presume the PO did nothing and change all of the cooling system components out (+/-$250 including new rad) and give it a good flushing before going back in with new components. If u do it all at once, u only have to drain/refill coolant once.....and no more guessing what the problem is or what the PO did/didn't do.

Rad
Water pump
Fan clutch
T-stat
Rad cap
Hoses
Fresh coolant

 

When we got it the rad was obviously new. We knew the guy pretty well and he had all the service receipts in the jeep

 

Excellent.....receipts for new components for everything I listed???? Not quite sure how a several year old rad would still look new on the outside?......and what a rad looks like on the outside tells little about it's condition on the inside. It's possible that only be a few years of cooling system neglect could cause a rad to be severely plugged. Only way to tell the internal condition of the XJ rad is to pull it out and let a rad shop pull it apart.

Mighty rare for a motor with all new cooling system components to run 230 in mild weather.

 

Well the jeep hadnt been driven much in the past few years till now. The water pump im not entirely sure its the newest but im working with what my dad gives me now. He thinks its all good and fine and im just trying to find things to replace and make him spend money.

 

Not being driven much and possibly sitting for long periods with a weak concentration of antifreeze/coolant can lead to major internal corrosion/rust. If u'll search "overheating" u'll find a landslide of threads/posts and that way u and ur dad can become more informed about the XJ and some common problems. The radiator seems to be somewhat dinky in size, therefore it's critical that ALL cooling system components be maintained in top notch condition. With regard to the XJ cooling system, even a little neglect can be very costly.

 

Bringing this thread back so I dont have to add to the massive amounts of overheating threads.
So I havent replaced anything in the cooling system yet because my dad wont let me cause he thinks the jeep running around 230- 240 is nothing to worry about. So today he finally decided to accept there is a problem. He wants to take it to a guy who works on boats to fix it. I tell him im doing it myself. So he told me he wouldnt pay for parts if I do it myself, but he would pay someone for parts and labor . So I guess im paying for the parts. Here are the symptoms on the overheat now. The temp runs normal until I stop for a time then continue to drive and the temp just keeps rising but at 230-240 its finally stops climbing. I pulled the thermo to see if that was causing problems and it ran the same way.efan kicks on like normal. now the radiator does have some brownish buildup on the cap and around the fill neck internally but coolant is a good green color. It does bubble sometimes but I am assuming that is air bleeding out. Water pump is unknown condition wise and im gonna pull it to check the impeller no matter what. So what im really asking is what should I change to hopefully keep the cost low cause im by myself on it??

 

Anyone?

 

Man, I feel like you've had your question answered. The thing about swapping minimal parts to keep cost low - might lead to an even bigger expense later. You've been driving around for nearly 6 months with the same issue. I would have saved up some scratch to get that shiznit fixed by now. Not sure what to tell you. Not trying to sound like a jerk, but seems you've not heeded previous advice.

 

I know what you mean. If it were up to me the whole cooling system would be brand new by now, but its my dads decision. He wants the cost to be as low as possible. I guess ill just suck it up and pay it myself then. Anyone know if a aux fan switch would be helpful to add as well?

 

Fan switch is a band-aid for a overheating motor. Efan turns on at 218 coolant temp, or when a/c compressor is engaged. If it's running above 218, efan should be on constant. The various cooling system components each are a "link in a chain"......a weak link makes for a weak chain. +/-$250 buys all new cooling system components including a new rad. The water pump, t-stat and fan clutch are really easy to change when the rad is out of the way (hint).

 

What djb said about the links in a chain is exactly right. You may have multiple parts that are just "on the edge" by themselves, but put together, they add up to a bigger problem.

Since you are "bucks down", and I understand where you're coming from, I would start with the fan clutch, thermostat, and maybe water pump. The best thing about pulling the pump is the chance to really flush the block. I would also flush the whole cooling system (including rad) out the best I could.

 

you could have a bad water pump too but flush your system first and maybe try getting a 185 temp t stat team cherokee .com has them for pretty cheep

 

I pulled the water pump thinking I would need to change it and its was in perfect condition. I did change the thermostat and the fan clutch. Im now working on flushing the radiatior but apparently the thermo or the housing didn't seal to the head right and its spewing water everywhere.