Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here XJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.

Too much pressure?

Old Feb 28, 2015 | 02:18 PM
  #1  
jlaudioman18's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Waynesville NC
Year: 1988
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Default Too much pressure?

88 Xj 4.0. Previous Owner Got Rid Of Plastic CoolAnt Tank And Installed Metal Bottle With Rad Cap. Also Has Radiator Cap In Upper Hose. It Overheated A Few Weeks Ago So We Replaced Cap In Upper Hose With 12Lb Cap, Water Pump And Thermostat. After About 10 Min It Blows All Antifreeze Out Of Heater Hoses And Runs Like Crap....help
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2015 | 03:14 PM
  #2  
DFlintstone's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
Default

It can be tough to burp the air from the cooling system in an 87-90 Renix Jeep. One way is to let it idle till it starts to warm up, then shut it off and let it cool. Add more (50/50 coolant), repeat. The hole in the T-stat should be up at 12:00 to let air pass. In 13 years I've never needed to pull the temp sender or a heater hose, but indeed they can be stubborn!

Btw, leave that expansion bottle at least 1/2 empty, it needs air in there to compress. If it has a pressure cap...12Lbs seems a little low, 16 is more like it. Also it should have a recovery bottle with the hose from the cap ending up at the bottom of it.

Last edited by DFlintstone; Feb 28, 2015 at 11:02 PM. Reason: "It cn be" T-stat, not "t-stat housing"
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2015 | 09:50 AM
  #3  
cruiser54's Avatar
::CF Moderator::
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
Likes: 1,579
From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Default

Originally Posted by DFlintstone
It can be tough to burp the air from the cooling system in an 87-90 Renix Jeep. One way is to let it idle till it starts to warm up, then shut it off and let it cool. Add more (50/50 coolant), repeat. The hole in the T-stat should be up at 12:00 to let air pass. In 13 years I've never needed to pull the temp sender or a heater hose, but indeed they can be stubborn!

Btw, leave that expansion bottle at least 1/2 empty, it needs air in there to compress. If it has a pressure cap...12Lbs seems a little low, 16 is more like it. Also it should have a recovery bottle with the hose from the cap ending up at the bottom of it.
It doesn't have the expansion bottle.......
Reply
Old Mar 1, 2015 | 09:51 AM
  #4  
cruiser54's Avatar
::CF Moderator::
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
Likes: 1,579
From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Default

Originally Posted by jlaudioman18
88 Xj 4.0. Previous Owner Got Rid Of Plastic CoolAnt Tank And Installed Metal Bottle With Rad Cap. Also Has Radiator Cap In Upper Hose. It Overheated A Few Weeks Ago So We Replaced Cap In Upper Hose With 12Lb Cap, Water Pump And Thermostat. After About 10 Min It Blows All Antifreeze Out Of Heater Hoses And Runs Like Crap....help
Post a photo of the hose routing near the tank or better yet a shot of all of it.
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2015 | 09:00 AM
  #5  
lualchro's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Costa Rica
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Default

+1 on the picture of the actual setup

From what I read I think:
By putting Rad Cap on the upper hose the cooling is converted to open system.
But there is still another metal container where the expansion bottle used to be, and this one has a Rad Cap as well, I think this one will need to be left uncapped, or with a cap that does not pressurize this second tank.

but again, we need to see the setup before jumping to conclusions.
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2015 | 01:14 PM
  #6  
djb383's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 8,172
Likes: 17
From: The Republic of TEXAS
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L HO
Default

^^^^This......an open system cannot have a pressurized bottle.
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2015 | 01:17 PM
  #7  
Firestorm500's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 12
Year: 2015, 2012
Model: Grand Cherokee (WK2)
Engine: 3.6L
Default

Yep. It needs to be one or the other. Combos don't work.
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2015 | 01:26 PM
  #8  
DFlintstone's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
Default

Originally Posted by jlaudioman18
Installed Metal Bottle With Rad Cap.
Originally Posted by cruiser54
It doesn't have the expansion bottle.......
OK...Don't you have a metal bottle with a rad cap?

Agreed, a picture would be nifty.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jmsummers2012
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
56
Jun 12, 2025 02:04 AM
Hole Punchn Hog
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
7
Oct 7, 2015 08:05 AM
Freakn
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
52
Oct 4, 2015 06:34 AM
Nkyshaolin
Cherokee Chat
28
Oct 1, 2015 04:48 PM
mattsmako
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
5
Oct 1, 2015 10:01 AM

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:16 PM.