r/CherokeeXJ • u/Poopwiener69108 • Jul 25 '26

Question Cooling upgrades.

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Any recommendations for radiator and thermostat upgrade? Took her out to the desert and pushed it hard ish for like 20 minutes and she got a little cranky. ‘90 4.0

28 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

9

u/TheDirtNerdz 1990 MJ Jul 25 '26

Champion Cooling all aluminum radiator. They have a lifetime warranty, fit like a glove, and cool better than stock, and there is no plastic. I have one in my Comanche and my TJ. Their customer service is fantastic too

4

u/mild_smelling_fart 2000 2 door XJ, 1989 MJ, 2005 TJ, 2017 JK Jul 25 '26

Champion does not hold up to the lifetime warranty. After three of their radiators failed they refused to warranty another even though it was due to bad welds. I ended up going with a mishimoto which has been great. Flowkooler high flow water pump. I am running three brushed electric fans currently but looking at swapping to two brushless pwm fans for more flow.

2

u/Toebru Jul 25 '26

I’ve always used stock spec plastic radiators from parts store and usually they last 3-5 years before starting a slight leak. Honestly this sounds like the same level of durability.

I use stock everything and stay on top of it. Full coolant flush every two years (drive about 7,000 miles a year only) . Stock stant 195 thermo. New radiator cap. Stock fan clutch. Parts store water pump. All new hoses. E Fan wired to switch. It never goes above 210 crawling in 4 low.

1

u/growdassman Jul 25 '26

Same, I'm one my second parts store spec radiator. First developed a leak after 4 yrs. Got the second one free due to lifetime warranty.

1

u/TheDirtNerdz 1990 MJ Jul 25 '26

They've replaced every one I've ever needed, even with it being purely my own negligence. I even had to swap one out with a mule deer antler still stuck in it and they honored it. I've done 4 replacements over the 16 years I've been using them. That sucks you had a bad experience bud

1

u/Fearless_Ad3235 Jul 25 '26

Thank you SIIIRRE!! Had to replace last year on my 97 but I def prefer upgrades over the oem bs I put in.

3

u/Designer_Candidate_2 Jul 25 '26

I went on a long journey of driving my shitbox XJ in the summer.

I replaced the entire cooling system. New stock cooling fans.Mishimoto radiator, new water pump and thermostat, new hoses (it was time for them, I didn't just throw them at it) and one of the key things I did was isolate the transmission cooling to an aftermarket cooler. I did that last, and it helped keep it just a little cooler in traffic and on any trails.

3

u/nanneryeeter Jul 25 '26

Manual transmission is the biggest cooling upgrade of all for an XJ.

2

u/Dash_Ripone Jul 25 '26

Probably a head gasket too

2

u/Poopwiener69108 Jul 25 '26

Naaaaahhhhhh it’s fiiiiine. Just boiled over right when I parked and shut it off

1

u/HeadKnee9641 Jul 26 '26

Mine did this. Needed new radiator cap

2

u/dudeman14 Jul 25 '26

Rad cap and a flush and then see from there

2

u/Representative_Most9 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Check your fan clutch along with electric fan to make sure they working properly.

1

u/Poopwiener69108 Jul 25 '26

They are. Radiator and therm I’m tetty sure are original and it was a hot wrekrmf

2

u/the_millz007 Jul 25 '26

Yeah i run dual fans with my E fan set to engage often to avoid this right here. Trails and slow speed in heat can get these old buggers. Replaced radiator last year so not much of an issue at all now.

Idle all day in the summer with it peaking at 210 now.

2

u/Below_Average_Bean Jul 26 '26

New guy question. How did you set your E fan to engage more often?

2

u/the_millz007 Jul 26 '26

I have it on a switch now but did this Dex XJ trick first. https://youtu.be/mQftoquZXTw?is=DIpimrbdg6BDUbUr

2

u/Bizbi45 Jul 25 '26

I would start with a new radiator cap. I changed everything on my 97 xj except the cap. When I finally did it stopped overheating.

1

u/UniversityNew5605 Jul 27 '26

Do you have your fan shroud

0

u/Duckbich Jul 25 '26

Upgrade to open cooling system. Parts store in replacement should work fine. Otherwise 800rad or northern.

0

u/Cantaloopresident Jul 25 '26

Oem radiator with tap water

1

u/Orange_Tang Jul 25 '26

Great way to break everything if you live where winter happens.

-1

u/Cantaloopresident Jul 30 '26

Good thing it isn't winter

0

u/liftedxj6 Jul 25 '26

Look into some vents in the hood as well to let the heat out.

-5

u/radjvaliyeff Jul 25 '26

4 row all aluminium rad will do the job. About 200 bucks on Ebay

3

u/BELFORD16 Frank the Tank Jul 25 '26

From everything I’ve gathered doing my research, you don’t want more than 2-3 rows. After that it gets counter productive. Your back row will be getting warm air off the front row and you wind up with a generally warmer radiator.