njjeepthing
Explorer
I started with a XJ back in 1996, 20 Jeeps later I own a XJ again. I've owned everything in between, CJ, YJ, TJ, Rubicon's, Jk's, etc.......Love the XJ, although I have been thinking of adding another SWB (YJ) to the stable.
C.Shontz 2001 Jeep Cherokee (Progress)
- Thread starter cshontz
- Start date
Black Dog
Makin' Beer.
I know exactly how you feel about wanting something new because its a piece of junk but loving it so much that it almost makes you start crying like a little girl at the thought of getting rid of it. I was choked up a little bit when I watched my first XJ get hauled away on a wrecker after the hit and run totalled it, and I was pissed off when my current cherokee had a seemingly uncureable death wobble, and now that I haven't driven mine in 3 months I'm ticked for paying insurance and registration on it when it just sits in the driveway. But whenever I think about buying something else I start thinking about all the fun stuff I've done in it and decide to keep it because to make a new(ish) vehicle as capable as my XJ would be more work than I want to put into it. So I keep the XJ and give it plenty of TLC.
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
Nothing exciting to report. Radiator's leakin'. It's been doing that for a while. Coolant is muddy, so I'm pretty sure the radiator is rotting away inside, but it's still radiating... so for now, it's getting the stop-leak.
As long as the Jeep is running cool, A/C repair gets priority over new radiator. I'm not going through one more summer without A/C!
As long as the Jeep is running cool, A/C repair gets priority over new radiator. I'm not going through one more summer without A/C!
Marcie's Disco
Adventurer
Nothing exciting to report. Radiator's leakin'. It's been doing that for a while. Coolant is muddy, so I'm pretty sure the radiator is rotting away inside, but it's still radiating... so for now, it's getting the stop-leak.
As long as the Jeep is running cool, A/C repair gets priority over new radiator. I'm not going through one more summer without A/C!
Ahh, C'mon now... Stop-leak is no better than a trail fix. For less than $200 you can have a new, all metal three row CSF radiator. Those plastic tanks are a ticking time bomb once a seep starts. XJ rads seem to have about a 100K mile shelf life. You will have a catastrophic failure that won't be solved with a raw egg or Bar's Leak. I understand you are scraping coins for an air conditioner repair but this isn't an issue to defer. When (not if) it craps out completely, you will be paying for at least a new radiator. Do the repair now, on your terms, and avoid long a walk, a tow bill, an overheated engine, a major antifreeze clean up and a ruined day, weekend, week.
Haggis
Appalachian Ridgerunner
Hey, Chris. A buddy of mine just had his XJ crunched in the passenger side by a Super Duty a couple of weeks ago. He's parting it out and I know he just stuck a new radiator in it this Fall. Last week he said he was going to hang on to it till after the new year than he's taking it to the knackers. He'll probably be willing to deal. Do you want me to see if he still has the radiator and how much he wants for it? Anything else you might want to cannabilize from it?
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
I know, I'm totally with you. I have to admit, I felt a little bit dirty standing there, outside of work tonight, watching the bottled trail-fix go down... glub-glub-glub ...working its way slowly into the bowels of the radiator, amidst the sediment, the rot, and gumming up God-knows-what. This totally isn't my style, I assure you.
I'm keeping an eye on it, going to service it, and just trying to buy a little more time until after the holidays, at which point I should be able to address it properly.
Thanks for the offer, Mark. I think I'm just going to get a new replacement. I got a Modine for my last Cherokee, and I was really happy with it. I need to start Googling.
Marcie's Disco
Adventurer
Glad to hear it. The price of replacement radiators for XJs is remarkably low. Replacements with metal tanks represent a nice upgrade from the OEM plastic tanked rads.
grahamfitter
Expedition Leader
My limited experience suggests that Jeep radiators and water pumps tend to die within weeks of each other because junk falling off one causes terminal damage to the other. So it might be worth replacing both. Happy Christmas!
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
just to throw a monkey wrench in things. The previous owner of my Cherokee (15 years) put a plastic/aluminum radiator in circa 2000-2001. That radiator just failed last year.
Thats about a decade of use. :wow:
So I just put a $120.00 pep boy lifetime radiator right back in. Been in there 18 months now...no issues.
Thats about a decade of use. :wow:
So I just put a $120.00 pep boy lifetime radiator right back in. Been in there 18 months now...no issues.
frankinjeep
New member
Chris I got a 3 row radiator from radiator barn and it came with a life time warranty. It cured all my overheating problems. Check it out as an additional option.
alexfm
Explorer
The PO of my Cherokee slapped in a really nice all aluminium radiator right before I bought it. I dont think it has more than 1000 miles on it, and it works pretty well. Although I do still have a mysterious overheating issue...
*Edit* If it makes you guys feel any better, my XJ's got close to 218K miles on it. *Edit*
*Edit* If it makes you guys feel any better, my XJ's got close to 218K miles on it. *Edit*
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GTABurnout
Explorer
Its good to see I am not the only one who gets sick of cars constantly breaking. I had a 2001 Cherokee with 50K on it thats right just 50K and the cooling system was junked up, the ac would start to blow hot. And man the death wobble and steering issues where un believable. I worked on that truck for months to fix everything only to take it on a long trip and find out it wont go 70 up a mt grade. Its now gone replaced with a 2500 Dodge that is starting down the same path.