What is the best radiator I can buy for an XJ ??
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,676
Likes: 301
From: WV
Year: '96
Model: Cherokee
The main issue is not about how many cores a radiator has but how large are the passages in the cores. With the minimal space for a radiator in the XJ the OEM or OEM style single core works because of the large diameter passages. Most here run the Spectra's which have a 1" core although there has been mention of a 1 1/2" core radiator being available. You'll find here that most believe a stock cooling system operating at peak efficiency is as good as it gets.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 226
From: East Tennessee
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 242 cui
This one? http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....180370&jsn=401
It's actually hard not to find a radiator that doesn't have mixed reviews.
Maybe the Mopar one is the way to go.
It's actually hard not to find a radiator that doesn't have mixed reviews.
Maybe the Mopar one is the way to go.
Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 150
Likes: 21
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
I just did an overhaul of my cooling system (radiator, t-stat, high flow t-stat housing, electric fan, high flow water pump, all new hoses, basically everything but the heater core and mechanical fan clutch) and it won't go above 195 no matter how hard I drive it. The radiator was a $65 spectra. I looked at aluminum ones and "performance" ones, and everything seems to be overpriced and based on everything I have read it doesn't make it run any cooler. A lot of money for something that won't give quantifiable results.
CF Veteran
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 7,965
Likes: 964
From: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
He listed them. Nothing fancy. It's all stock except for the high flow water pump, which is actually a bad idea unless you have a race built motor and everything else is much bigger.
He also says it won't go over 195. That's actually BAD. It's designed to run at 210, and running at 195 will have your fuel mixture out of whack.
There are plenty of threads on this forum where someone spent tons of money to "upgrade" everything and it still overheats.
And there are plenty of people on this forum who have bone stock systems, live in hot climates, and have zero overheating problems.
The stock system works just fine. All that is needed is a properly working cooling system. If you are overheating, something is wrong. Find the problem and fix it, instead of trying to cover it up with fancy "performance" components.
The only reason you would ever need to "upgrade" is if you do a lot of rock crawling.
He also says it won't go over 195. That's actually BAD. It's designed to run at 210, and running at 195 will have your fuel mixture out of whack.
There are plenty of threads on this forum where someone spent tons of money to "upgrade" everything and it still overheats.
And there are plenty of people on this forum who have bone stock systems, live in hot climates, and have zero overheating problems.
The stock system works just fine. All that is needed is a properly working cooling system. If you are overheating, something is wrong. Find the problem and fix it, instead of trying to cover it up with fancy "performance" components.
The only reason you would ever need to "upgrade" is if you do a lot of rock crawling.
Last edited by BlueRidgeMark; Jun 18, 2021 at 11:12 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 664
Likes: 49
From: napoleon ohio
Year: 98, 00, 01 and another 01
Model: Cherokee
Engine: both 01 jeeps have viper coil pack
Autozone: lifetime replacement. Bought one from them for one of my jeeps. Son hit guardrail with another. Took that one in and they gave me a new replacement no questions asked. All they wanted was to keep the new box to send the old one back in.
Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 178
Likes: 44
From: Missouri
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
The spectra is made to retrofit into each different cherokee style 87-01 and is cheaper than the renix specific one even.
Going on 11 months with mine, i've put it in every cherokee I own.
Going on 11 months with mine, i've put it in every cherokee I own.
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Doubleflow water pump for overheating
I'm taking my XJ w/ 255,000+ mile on the 4.0L to Colorado and New Mexico in the middle of July, to scatter my father's ashes at his favorite fishing site.
Last summer, it was overheating, and if it overheats bad enough to strand my brother and I then I will have wished I spent any amount of money to solve the problem. This summer, in July, it will be very hot, and the mountain grades will easily make my engine overheat if I do not improve it.
I'm 95% sure that the radiator I installed last summer is a piece of ****. I got the $200 "heavy duty" 3-core copper/brass radiator from Oreilly's.
I've heard folks say that the 2-core aluminum radiators are better.
What do you think???
I'm also going to replace the mechanical fan with either one large electric one or several smaller ones.
I have replaced: the radiator, radiator hoses, thermostat (stant), radiator cap (pressure tested it), water pump, and mechanical fan clutch. I have tested over and over again for a bad head gasket - that's not the problem. I did however have a major rust issue with the cooling system. Maybe the rust plugged up the copper radiator just like it did my heater core. I have since flushed the rust out with oxalic acid, prestone and blue devil flush additives, and EvapoRust Thermocure (new) - each time I drove it for several says with the flush additive in there and then flushed it out.
Last Thanksgiving, it was unseasonably warm like 80*F, I was driving three hours to Wichita and it overheated. I then aired up the tires to 40 psi and drove 65 mph and it seemed to like that.
The engine is just slowly loosing the battle against heat, but it takes several hours of highway cruising.
Time for a new radiator!
Last summer, it was overheating, and if it overheats bad enough to strand my brother and I then I will have wished I spent any amount of money to solve the problem. This summer, in July, it will be very hot, and the mountain grades will easily make my engine overheat if I do not improve it.
I'm 95% sure that the radiator I installed last summer is a piece of ****. I got the $200 "heavy duty" 3-core copper/brass radiator from Oreilly's.
I've heard folks say that the 2-core aluminum radiators are better.
What do you think???
I'm also going to replace the mechanical fan with either one large electric one or several smaller ones.
I have replaced: the radiator, radiator hoses, thermostat (stant), radiator cap (pressure tested it), water pump, and mechanical fan clutch. I have tested over and over again for a bad head gasket - that's not the problem. I did however have a major rust issue with the cooling system. Maybe the rust plugged up the copper radiator just like it did my heater core. I have since flushed the rust out with oxalic acid, prestone and blue devil flush additives, and EvapoRust Thermocure (new) - each time I drove it for several says with the flush additive in there and then flushed it out.
Last Thanksgiving, it was unseasonably warm like 80*F, I was driving three hours to Wichita and it overheated. I then aired up the tires to 40 psi and drove 65 mph and it seemed to like that.
The engine is just slowly loosing the battle against heat, but it takes several hours of highway cruising.
Time for a new radiator!
Complete build with double flow water pump before 3 electric fans
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