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Just another XJ

So those of you with a cheroturd, what are y'all doing to keep these things cool?

I have never had any kind of cooling issues with my XJ. Is your system in good shape ?

If I were you I'd start by cleaning and flushing the rad, put a new WP, new viscous coupler, new rad cap and wire the Aux AC fan to a switch.

Shroud HAS to be in place of course.
 
That's along the lines I was thinking.

I've got a new water pump sitting here waiting to go on.
Aux fan has been wired to a switch since I bought it.
Going to bypass the heater core and flush the system while I've got it all apart.
The shroud died a while back. Guess I need to run to a junkyard....or should I just replace the mechanical fan with another electric fan?
 
The shroud died a while back. Guess I need to run to a junkyard....or should I just replace the mechanical fan with another electric fan?

The missing shroud is probably the source of your problems.

No electrical fan will out perform a mechanical one unless you put some serious money into it.
The Volvo 2sp fan is one of the only cheap but really good options out there but it won't fit your XJ radiator. Way too big.
 
The missing shroud is probably the source of your problems.

No electrical fan will out perform a mechanical one unless you put some serious money into it.
The Volvo 2sp fan is one of the only cheap but really good options out there but it won't fit your XJ radiator. Way too big.
It had issues log before the shroud died. Honestly, no change after the shroud parted itself out.
 
Definitely a new Shroud and put a new clutch fan on it. That fixed my zj when it ran warm. But as cheap as a radiator is ya might just swap it out.
 
My radiator would get full of mud. No mater what i did it would not cool unless i pulled it out and really clean it out. Then i was great again until it got mud it again. I finally moved it to the rear and put a real radiator in it.
 
I've got 1" spacers on the hood hinges. Guess I can cut some giant holes in it too.
@extremetownie I actually went through and pressure washed the radiator somewhat recently. I think about 20 lbs of mud came out. That helped a bit. But the last time we went out, the temp would climb every time we were even off camber. Even if I wasn't getting on it.
What radiator/fan setup are you running? I've contemplated moving it to the back
 
I've got 1" spacers on the hood hinges. Guess I can cut some giant holes in it too.
@extremetownie I actually went through and pressure washed the radiator somewhat recently. I think about 20 lbs of mud came out. That helped a bit. But the last time we went out, the temp would climb every time we were even off camber. Even if I wasn't getting on it.
What radiator/fan setup are you running? I've contemplated moving it to the back

Does it have an air bubble in it? That's what caused mine to get warm in Harlan last year and over heat bad at AOP one day.
 
My radiator would get full of mud. No mater what i did it would not cool unless i pulled it out and really clean it out. Then i was great again until it got mud it again. I finally moved it to the rear and put a real radiator in it.
Every XJ I have ever had did this! It's crazy
Does it have an air bubble in it? That's what caused mine to get warm in Harlan last year and over heat bad at AOP one day.
This would be the only reason it would overheat because of simply being off camber
 
Yea, to clarify. I know the existing system has some issues. But it's had overheating issues since I bought it. So mainly wondering if the stock system is worth reinvesting into or if I should buy an aftermarket radiator? Change the fans out? Both? Fancy water pump? What combos have worked for y'all?
 
I got a cheap aluminum radiator from speedway motors. Like this https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Spee...inum-Radiators,3557.html?_br_psugg_q=radiator. Then a 16" fan from them and moved it to the back. It will not get hot or and the fan hardly runs ( got it on a temperature switch ). In my case i was racing it in stock class and had to have factory steering. With radiator out of the way, i was able to really beef up the front of the cherokee and make it much stronger.
 
I guess I've never really paid attention to the fact that XJs only have like 1/2 a radiator...

Rear radiators can be aggravating, especially trying to incorporate it into a 1/2 body 4 seat family trail rig, but you could easily triple the cooling capacity.

I thinkin your case I'd try to stick with the stock setup and just repair it.
And don't be a mud cricket.
 
Yea I'm not moving it to the back. After watching Jimmy Howell take a boiling coolant bath at golden mountain, no way would I risk that with my kids.
 
Yea I'm not moving it to the back. After watching Jimmy Howell take a boiling coolant bath at golden mountain, no way would I risk that with my kids.
Can you fit a larger one at an angle? I figure you probably don't have an evaporator core anymore so that should free us some room, plus the core support is probably not as necessary with the tube fenders
 
Can you fit a larger one at an angle? I figure you probably don't have an evaporator core anymore so that should free us some room, plus the core support is probably not as necessary with the tube fenders
Mayyyybe. Whenever I strip it all down to overhaul it all, I'll take some measurements.
 
I measured a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure with full hydro (steering box gone) you could fit a standard 28" aluminum radiator between the "frame rails". You would have to fab up mounts for it, but nothing too difficult.
 

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