I'm taking my XJ w/ 255,000+ mile on the 4.0L to Colorado and New Mexico in the middle of July, to scatter my father's ashes at his favorite fishing site.

Last summer, it was overheating, and if it overheats bad enough to strand my brother and I then I will have wished I spent any amount of money to solve the problem. This summer, in July, it will be very hot, and the mountain grades will easily make my engine overheat if I do not improve it.

I'm 95% sure that the radiator I installed last summer is a piece of ****. I got the $200 "heavy duty" 3-core copper/brass radiator from Oreilly's.

I've heard folks say that the 2-core aluminum radiators are better.

What do you think???

I'm also going to replace the mechanical fan with either one large electric one or several smaller ones.

I have replaced: the radiator, radiator hoses, thermostat (stant), radiator cap (pressure tested it), water pump, and mechanical fan clutch. I have tested over and over again for a bad head gasket - that's not the problem. I did however have a major rust issue with the cooling system. Maybe the rust plugged up the copper radiator just like it did my heater core. I have since flushed the rust out with oxalic acid, prestone and blue devil flush additives, and EvapoRust Thermocure (new) - each time I drove it for several says with the flush additive in there and then flushed it out.

Last Thanksgiving, it was unseasonably warm like 80*F, I was driving three hours to Wichita and it overheated. I then aired up the tires to 40 psi and drove 65 mph and it seemed to like that.

The engine is just slowly loosing the battle against heat, but it takes several hours of highway cruising.

Time for a new radiator!

 

I don't know what the best is, but the $100 Murray lifetime warranty radiator I bought from O'Reilly last spring works just as well as the OEM one did. I have the stock fan setup with it and never overheat in any conditions--whether crawling, towing a 2800lb travel trailer in 90+ degree heat, etc.

 

Still happy with my AutoZone #A1193 $85 special.

 

just a stock autozone (moron city) radiator that i had for 10 years now and does the job. 105 degree weather and just tops 215 degrees when idling with ac on max or hours on the freeway at 70 mph. Depending on the route you do look at the many electric fan conversions on this site. Taurus fans seem to be popular also look at nick in time films videos on the fans as well but look at his recent setup. But im sticking with the mechanical and electric fan combo that came with the jeep. Id get a new fan clutch and make sure your electric fan works. i think to test the fan is pull the thermostat plug on the front where the thermostat housing is itll trigger a check engine light but the fan should spin. Another way is ti turn your ac on and it should come on too.

 

My $80 Spectra from Amazon is doing all the things a radiator should do and none of the things a radiator shouldn't do. What more could anyone want?

If you want to burn money like it's your job, Mishimoto recently created a radiator that they legitimately think is worth $500 and have tried to promote straight-faced on JF.
https://www.mishimoto.com/jeep-chero...1989-2001.html

 

The “best” is subjective. Ask which is the best and you’ll get answers all over the board.

To me, the best is a radiator that removes heat from the coolant sufficiently, is easy to install, does not require modification, and is priced reasonably.

I bought a Crown Auto radiator for my ‘96 last year, and it satisfied my criteria.

Getting exotic with your cooling system may not be, and often is not a solution. A well maintained OEM cooling system is likely your best bet, unless you are doing extreme driving in extreme conditions.

 

Thanks everyone!

Yeah I'm not looking for "high performance" just good performance

 

How many rows are ideal? Like, would a 1 row be better because the row is bigger and therefor less likely to be clogged by rust?

 

I believe all the ones mentioned above are OEM replacement, so they would be two-row, except for possibly the Mishimoto. A single row would probably have bigger passages, but I can't assure you it would cool as well.

Were you still seeing rust the last time you flushed it, or is the coolant clean?

 

I need to check again. I was checking the rust by pulling the thermostat out and looking behind it. I didn't do that however after the last flush with the evaporust therocure.

Before:



After the oxalic acid flush followed by a blue devil additive flush:

 

That's a hell of an improvement. I usually run straight water for a few days to check cleanliness. You'll want to wait until the temps are staying high enough in Lawrence ****ing Kansas first though. It's been fairly mild lately for late Feb-early Mar though, I assume since we're not far apart latitudinally. Just rainy as hell!

 

SEMO = South East Missouri? You lucky son of ah b*tch living near SMORR, Kansas Rocks, the Ozarks..

All I got is the Kansas River when it's supper dry like it was like December. Or I can drive 2 hours to Tuttle Creek.

 

Yes, the Cape Girardeau area, on the Mississippi. There are A LOT of beautiful rivers between your area and mine. Don't let on about how nice it is here--there are enough people as it is. I'm about 4 hours from SMORR, but I make it out to the Springfield area on occasion.

Is there nothing to do in the Flint Hills area? I drive to CO through Lawrence each year, and that's the last pretty area before the nothingness of the plains!

EDIT... I realize now that Tuttle Creek is Flint hills.

 

I think I've decided on a radiator

This One: CSF 2 row aluminum all metal

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....344&cc=1180370

 

Holy crap $230!! I would rather take chances on $80 ones