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any ideas for new coolant system?

YEAGS

YEAGS

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Phoenix, Az
I have an 88 non HO 4.0 with the crappy coolant system where you fill the radiator up from the overflow tank near the cowl. im having numerous problems. the tank gets over pressurized and has popped a whole where it spews water so im constantly refilling it. Basically anytime i go anywhere, city, highway it heats up and the overflow bottle gets alot of pressure and leaks.

I plan on getting a new two row rad and overflow bottle plus all new hoses.

Any ideas on setups or how i should go about this project?? Thanks.
 
If the water pump is OEM then I would replace it at the same time. I woud do a compression check and see what you get. That XJ is getting a bit long in the tooth and may have problems adding to the over heating, Tired old engines tend to over heat faster when pushed hard.
From you post you do mostly street. So no upgrade is needed (IMO). Just good parts and sound wrenching is needed. You Jeep should then be ready for 21 more years of use.
 
You just need a radiator with the normal pressure cap like the open systems use, and a newer style overflow bottle. I believe you may have the heater valve with the "T" which may divert flow back to the bottle. If this is the case, you can eliminate this valve and just run the hot water through the heater core all the time like the newer models do.
 
Get a radiator and a heater control valve from a 91 and up. This alone will save you a lot of headaches as this set up does away with the plastic bottle and now you will fill it from the radiator with a regular cap. One of the major problems with the old system is getting all of the air out of the system. Do a search on converting open\closed cooling systems, or if you stay with the old system do a search on burping the system. In either case, get a new radiator, flush the system, change the thermostat with an OEM one.
 
I just did mine last summer, it now runs at 195 to 200.. I live in PalmSprings CA..It gets hot here..Flush your rad out and but a new tank for it...My 2 cents..
 
The closed system works fine, as long as all its parts work right.

If your bottle leaks, then the system won't hold pressure, and you'll overheat.

Replace the bottle, and see what it does.

Robert
 
Im thinking I want to get a new radiator and do away with the old system. I havent checked the water pump but i could have a problem there as well. Thanks again.
 
Scratch all that stuff...look at my post on this thread (post 642)...

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=956065&page=43

Put that tank in, make sure all else in the system is properly functioning, and you'll be fine. As others said, the closed system is not a bad system. The problem, that I see, is that the tanks are weak and IMO unreliable. The Intrepid tank fixes that problem.
 
That intrepid can definitely looks like it works better. you right tho abt the crappy plastic tank it pops holes very easily my neighbors has a whole as well.
 
dellstopjeep said:
look for the intrepid bottle with metal cap like a normal radiator if you do this.
Click to expand...

What I used is a metal cap. The very external piece is plastic but the internals are metal...that's what counts. But I'm sure you could go to the parts store and pickup any ~16/17 psi rad cap and it will work if you really want the whole thing to be metal. I think all newer cars have the external plastic cover for cosmetics.
 
Yea i would go with a metal cap as well because that is the problem with mine is the whole thing is plastic. I think the radiator needs to be flushed too so im gonna start by doing that and replacing the hoses which appear to be very old. I got the car a couple years ago at a local acution so not much is known abt it. if all that doesnt help i might get a new rad with a cap and goto a system similar to the 92s and up
 
well i did as advised and picked up an intrepid bottle with a metal cap for abt 6 bucks installed it this morning. havent done a whole lotta driving with it yet but it seems to be working out fine. im goin on a short road trip this weekend so hope it works out well. tmrw will be the test for local freeway driving. thanks again for the ideas!
 
Just to reinforce some of the other comments, the enclosed system can actually work better than the open system. It's not true that going to the open system will work better, most simply work better because they get a new radiator. Many race cars run closed systems, and so do many late model cars and trucks. I know Ford trucks (even diesels) run closed systems and those things don't get hot.

Plastic bottles are cheap, you should be good with a good bottle and cap.
 
Well i have the metal intrepid bottle with a metal radiator cap installed now and have been on several long driving trips with it in and not a problem yet. temp light has stopped coming on and no more burnt rusty water smell and no leaks. so im pretty happy with it thanks again for the advice
 
it is one of or maybe the best cheap mod I have done.....all thought I think it is just band aiding my partially clogged heater core and old radiator.
 
XJLover12 said:
Well i have the metal intrepid bottle with a metal radiator cap installed now and have been on several long driving trips with it in and not a problem yet. temp light has stopped coming on and no more burnt rusty water smell and no leaks. so im pretty happy with it thanks again for the advice
Click to expand...

WrenchMonkey said:
The closed system works fine, as long as all its parts work right.

If your bottle leaks, then the system won't hold pressure, and you'll overheat.

Replace the bottle, and see what it does.

Robert
Click to expand...

:cheers:

Robert
 
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