cooling issue

So I thought my 87 xj pioneer was not cooling properly because I tried towing a trailer with my and my friends atv and it over heated. I consulted a mechanic to find out what was up and he told me to start it and let it run for a bit. he told me it was more than likely a plugged radiator. I did that and felt the radiator, it was ice cold!! I have since pulled the radiator and ran water through it, to my surprise the water came right through. I have also replaced the thermostat several times and every time i have pulled the housing off there has been coolant in the block. also both hoses were warm/hot, inlet and outlet. Any ideas?????

Possible, but not positive, you have a sufficient build up of crap in the radiator tubes that you still have flow but the crap is preventing heat transfer to the tubes and cooling by the airflow--that would account for coolant flow, cool radiator to the touch, with hot hoses.

Buy yourself some commercial radiator flush. Not the 15 minute crap, the 500 mile kind that you put in and run, then drain and use a neutralizer. That should remove some of the buildup. Your other option is to try and have the radiator rodded out (I don't know why they call it that, they use saw blades not rods).

I also have since poured water into all of the coolant lines on the vehicle and the water comes out of either the upper or the lower hose, and that includes the pressure bottle

flush your heater core (turn heat to hottest setting to open the valve), sometimes air gets in there and backs up the whole system