Just bought a 2000 Xj, and have been replacing old worn out hoses and wear and tear items. i recently replaced the upper radiator hose because it had a pin hole in it causing it to spray coolant all over the engine bay. i purchased the Gates upper radiator hose from O'Reillys, and after installing it i noticed the battery making contact, as you can see in the 3 pictures i provided. i doesnt cause any cooling issues currently as it hasnt been above 5 degrees here in 3 months, but i imagine in the summer it may restrict the flow. it may just be an incorrect mold of the hose, but the stock one worked just fine. also, the previous owner replaced the radiator, and where the upper radiator hose connects is the wrong diameter.

im asking if anyone has a solution to this, id even relocating the battery. i havent ever worked on a cooling system before so im not sure what my options are, any help is appreciated!

 

You sure that is the right hose? Battery could also be the wrong size. There is also supposed to be a plastic piece over the hose to prevent rubbing on the battery. Google search Cherokee engine bay on google.

 

And it's a generic one size fits all battery

 

im fairly certain its the right hose, i compared it to the old one, and its seemed to be roughly the same shape and contour. the old hose had the plastic piece you mentioned, but due to the clearance issue, i wasnt going to make it pinch any tighter until i could figure out a solution

 

It could be that the radiator is incorrect.
However if the old hose didn't rub and the new one does, the hoses must be different.
Also, is it possible the hose is in backwards? If the old and new hoses are the same size (like exactly)...

 

im pretty sure he bought the cheapest radiator he could, so i dont doubt it may be the wrong one, it does work currently but is on the list to be replaced with a 2 row in a couple months.

i dont think i installed it backwards, but it wouldnt be the first time ive done something wrong, and now im second guessing myself. in the morning ill take a look at it, even if its not backwards, ill see if putting it on backwards will help anything. ill probably just try and order a new one from a different company, their only 10-15 bucks. i may have just got a bad mold.

 

I have made the mistake of not paying close attention to how a hose was on before removal and replacement, especially the first couple times, so it's not unheard of.

 

That might be a universal battery, but the OEM battery is shorter to clear the hose.

Get the right size battery, then you wont have to use Romex as a tie down.....

 

If flipping the hose around doesnt work, consider this.

Many aftermarket radiator hoses can be considered universal to fit more than one make and model, and can be a little longer than factory. Because of this, any bends in the hose can be closer to, or further away from nearby parts. Doublecheck the length where it slips over the radiator and where the bend starts. Ive had to trim less than 1" on a couple hoses over the years to get the right fit. That little extra can make all the difference. Just make sure there is enough straight hose to grab the radiator and for the clamp to seal before you start trimming.

 

Wrong size battery. You are running what is known as a 34/78 battery where a Jeep should have a 58. Lots of people do this but then you need to figure out hoses and wiring.

 

This! ^^^^ and that that battery height maybe too tall.

 

On my 2000 the hose has a little bend in it to clear the batt.



The hose is 22 1/2" long,,measured with string.



My batt is Sure start cheapoo ..at 7" tall




Like others have said with it being a universal hose, you might just need to do some trimming and fitting.. Try to make it fit the best you can..

 

Spec for 1998-2001 XJ is group 34, not 58 like earlier years.

 

I am running the same battery and the hose does not to that...

Make sure the hose is the same as your old one, not saying o'reillys gets things wrong but nothing is perfect

 

X2, should be a 34.
I just put a Odyssey in my 2000. There website says group 34.

All you can do is make it fit or buy the right size, maybe make a custom tray for it.