Lol! Both sides it is. Thanks again. I'll make this happen this weekend.

 

Good luck!

 

Hi Guys,

Well I replaced the water pump and thermostat housing gaskets. I only did the thermostat gasket because I needed more wiggle room for scraping of the previous gasket. Either way, so far so good. I'll give a good inspection when I get home from work today. I plan on doing a good coolant flush this weekend, as my coolant is pretty gross and dark. Doesn't seem contaminated, just old.

On another note, I was curious about the fan clutch if you guys are still paying any attention to this thread. I know when it's cold it should spin freely, and when hot it should be nice and tight. But I also know sometimes the spin test isn't definitive. Either way, when I spin it, it's kind of stiff when cold, and pretty much the same when hot. Does this tell me that it's going bad? I plan on changing it anyway, but I was curious to what you guys thought.

Edit #1: For more info, my temp creeps up while in traffic or slow city driving, until it gets warm enough the efan kicks on, or I start moving again. If I'm consistently moving, my temp stays just under the 210 mark regardless of outside temp.

Edit #2: Also, on the napa website, it shows a "stardard" and "heavy duty" version ($4 difference). Should I get the heavy duty one, or is there really that much of a difference? This was when searching for my specific XJ (97 Cherokee Sport).

Thanks!

 

What's the ambient temp when this happens in slow traffic?

 

I would replace the clutch fan if the temp climbs in traffic. Mine was doing the same until I changed the clutch fan. A standard duty one should be sufficient. I use the Imperial made by Hayden at Advance Auto. Part 215101. Seems to be a quality unit, made in the USA. Use online coupon code to get up around 30% off.

Some people use the standard clutch fan for a Grand Cherokee as a cooling upgrade to throw more air but they are louder and consume more horsepower and fuel.

 

It's been in the 80's and into the low 90's, sunny, rainy, dry, and humid (Michigan gets it all). The week prior to all this it was barely getting into the mid 60's, and no issue (with the exception of the small seal leak).

My thoughts as well. I figured Napa would be good, but since we're talking about it... are there any brands I should look out for?

 

Back again....

If any of you see this, awesome. If not, oh well, I'm not going to start a new thread about this.

So regardless I plan on changing my fan clutch, but I like getting a little bit of confirmation (It makes me feel better). Anyway, so I tried the good ole spin test the second I got home from a 40 minute drive from work. It spun with a little bit of resists. I waited like 2 hours, and granted, I know that's not long enough for it to cool off, but I tried the spin test again, and it was more stiff this time around.

Am I pretty safe in saying my fan clutch is bad? It's supposed to be the other way around, right? Again, I know the vehicle wasn't completely cold, but it was definitely cooler than it was after a 40 minute drive, in 80 some degree weather.

Thanks again!

 

"Am I pretty safe in saying my fan clutch is bad?"

It's been spinning for 18 years, for $30, time to put it to pasture.

 

Hahaha! Appreciate it. To pasture it will be going!