87 XJ Radiator Issues

hi all,

I had posted earlier that My 87 4.0 (enclosed cooling system) has not been getting up to running temperature and is hovering around 140. I did a quick check by running the engine at idle and lightly squeezing the upper radiator hose. It remained cool and soft until the temp reached about 140, then it started to warm up. About this time a bit of steam started comming from the ipper hose and also the radiator.

So I figure it needs new hoses and most likely a new radiator. Does this sound like something that would cause it to not get up to proper temperature? Is there anything else I should check before getting parts together? I'd hate to tear into it and find out that there is more to the problem.

Thanks for any help,

Copperhead

Sounds to me like you have a few things going on there. If your thermostat is opening at 140 degrees it should be replace with a new one rated at 180 - 195. I would go with a Robertshaw or Jeep brand and make sure it has the small hole in the thermostat lip. If your hoses are leaking I would replace all of them, if some or all are still original it's time. I would replace the radiator with either a two-row Modine or a CFS model from DPG offroad http://www.dpgoffroad.com/. Good Luck.

Woody

Sounds like what mine did, right after I bought it. Figure the last guy put in a can of stop leak and sold it to me.
My thermostat was hanging open, had a pin hole leak in my radiator and the radiator was mostly plugged up. If the coolant is spraying onto your alternator, deal with it quick, even a fine mist. Alternators don´t hold up well to coolant baths, actually worse for them than mud and water.

Thanks,

I checked and my local supplier has a stock radiator for $137. Are the aftermarket radiators compatable with the closed system I have on the 87? I'd rather not go into changing everything over to the open system.

Thanks,
-Copperhead

If you are doing it, switch to a open system if you are replacing the radiator. Bout the same price and since you are getting new hoses too, it is an easier system to deal with than a closed system.

If you aren't going to change to the open system, at least change the pressure tank so that you can use a real radiator cap. Get a tank from a 89 or 90 grand am or olds ciera as recommended by CheapXJ.

Larry A.

www.radiatorbarn.com 2 row-$106.30.....3 row-$122.74...free S&H.

www.DiscountRadiators.com 2 row-$ 99.95 /94.95 after discount coup. and free S&H to us here in New Hampster

Thanks again for the info

dizzymac, those are much better prices that I have seen around here. I'll have to check them out.

Larry A, thanks for the info on the pressure bottle. I visited CheapXJ's site before and nost of the tech articles seem to be down. I'll check here as well.

I do have an overflow bottle and various brackets out of a 92 or 93 XJ. I had been thinking about switching over to the open system, but I am horrible at wiring, and I remember reading that an aux fan is needed. That, and I hate constantly explaning to the parts guys why my 87 needs parts from a later model (I have run into that with on line orders for motorcycle parts). the closed system worked well for 280,000Km, so why mess with it?

Not sure what I'll do just yet.

-Copperhead