In hot outside temps 90+ deg F I am having the engine temp rising when the engine is working ie A/C on or going up hill. '94 cherokee 4.0. I just replaced the fan clutch, coolant, thermostat and radiator with a stock one. Will a 2 row help me? I was thinking of an all aluminum one and could use a reliable brand if they exist.

 

what about water pump? Stock replacement radiator is fine no need for aluminum....what are temps getting to and are they confirmed?

 

water pump is working, I have a 1 yr old stock radiator....temps are getting to around 215 going by my gage on the dash. Normally I run at 195 but when I am pulling or working uphill in hot ambient temps she'll run hot.

 

that's not bad at all, especially if there's a load on the motor....do the temps come back down?

 

after I shut off the A/C and hit level road or go downhill the temp will go back to normal.
I live in northern Arizona. If I ever have to go to Phoenix in the spring or summer I can't use the A/C. That's why I was asking about a larger capacity better cooling radiator. I climb 4,000 ft to get home and even on level road down there I can't use the A/C

 

How many miles? Has your waterpump ever been done?

 

306K yes the water pump has been replaced at least 4 times thermostats also. On my third radiator

 

I'm in Tucson. I can't use my Ac in the summer. Way hotter than northern az

 

Upgradeing to 97 and up aux fan will shorten cool down time. Other than that your temp is pretty good for what condition it being used in. 215 is not hot most Computer controlled autos run around 220 as normal.

 

Outside temp should not make a difference unless system not operating properly.

 

215 is not running hot for the 4.0L. Even so...

The number of rows is less important than the thickness and construction of the radiator. The two- and three-row radiators you see that seem to work better are 1)better made and 2)thicker than the stock radiator, providing more surface area to wick away heat. Also, aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, so the all-aluminum construction can help spread the heat out over a larger surface area to help cooling.

A thick aluminum radiator might help it run a little cooler when you have the A/C on, or it might not. You're looking at about $300 for a decent one, as opposed to $100 or less for the stock unit. Is it worth that extra $200 to you to lower a temp that isn't really a problem? Also, a thicker radiator increases the likelihood of contact with your mechanical fan if your motor mounts are shot, so make sure they're in good shape or replace them before you install one.

 

You also asked about brands. Griffin is the king of the roost, but that will run you about $700. The ones you'll see discussed the most around here are CSF, Champion and the Mopar heavy duty radiator. I'll let you do the research on those yourself.

I'll disclose that I run a CSF three row radiator, and so far it's been great. It's really fat and just barely fits. On the other hand, you'll see a lot of complaints that they don't last very long. I haven't had any problems.

If I had to do it again (or when I have to replace my CSF) I'd go with the Mopar HD radiator. It's a single row, but it's 5/8" thicker than stock and should perform as well as or better than the CSF with less risk of getting clogged.

 

X2

 

A couple of thoughts come to mind. You might be able to lower the heat load on your rad/cooling system by putting on external engine oil cooler, and a HD trans cooler that bypasses your radiator. Now 215F may be a concern due to your altitude (as you know water boils at a lower temp at higher altitudes). I use Evans water-less coolant in liquid cooled aircraft engines that I maintain (Rotax recommends it). No water, no boiling. It has the added plus that it runs in an un-pressurized state (less stress on the system). Its kind of pricey, at $35-40 per gallon but with a $20k engine what's a few bucks?

 

At 215 the jeeps engine is happy and is a normal temp for it.The 4.0 is cast iron which runs warmer then a all aluminum engine that most new cars use today.A lot of people think that one temp is good and bad for all cars but really its not.