Almost have given up on the ol Wrangler

[superj]

it did originally have the 4.2 and the sender looks just like the one you got a pic of.

no issues on the gauge cluster as i had recently taken it apart and cleaned all the connections in it.

the water pump was pumping the right direction when this engine was removed from the bronco to put in the wrangler. water comes through the top hose and filters downwards through the radiator to the lower hose.

someone said maybe a head is cracked or something is clogging the passages. i will have to work through everything this weekend, hopefully.

 

[frhrwa]

The other question I would have if you actually overheated would be if the water pump was pumping in the correct direction.?

I've seen this one, and its not hard to accidentally do.. MINE was running backwards because the PO had run the serpentine belt wrong..

 

[Sundance]

You know, that is a very good point. I'd check the whole exhaust system. Who knows? Maybe it has some mud packed in there from previous four-wheeling. Worth a look, anyway.

 

[Chasinmendo]

Did you check to see if you put the thermostat in backwards?

 

[JPNinPA]

Did you check to see if you put the thermostat in backwards?

Good suggestion! Though he had the issue with no thermostat.

 

[superj]

I actually still have not messed with her. I am holding off till the Cherokee passes inspection and is out of my hair so I can put in the garage to work on her.

Thermostat is right direction though, spring towards the engine

 

[superj]

ok, no go on everything so far.

exhaust is good and clear.
flushed and reverse flushed system about 4 times, clear
pulled and checked waterpump, looked good. replaced with new one, anyways.
thermostat is in properly and working.
fans still move a crap load of air.

i am going to have to get some of those strips to test for exhaust in the coolant but right now, i have one of those chemical flushes in the system. if that doesn;t result in any significant change, i will do the strip test to see if there is exhaust in the coolant and from there, i have no idea. i guess pull heads and inspect for cracks between valves and cylinders?

 

[JPNinPA]

Did you check the resistance of the temp sending unit as the engine heated up?

I know you took the Teflon off and ensured there is metal to metal contact. Correct?


And you still have no loss of power or miss fire but the gauge shows an overheat condition. Correct?


Just being sure there are no subtle changes.


Do you have the heater core connected? If not how did you handle the connections engine side?

 

[superj]

No, I didn't check resistance, forgot about that.

I actually still have a custom temp gauge with its own sender to install. Maybe that will read differently.


It went all the way passed the red yesterday when I put the new pump on but it never died or made any weird noises. It didn't feel extraordinarily hot, eithee, not like one would expect of that temp. I accidentally put the inner part of my arm on the corner of the radiator while checking something and it didn't even leave a red mark

 

[Sundance]

Man, I am sorry I can't be of more help. I'm not very mechanical, or I'd try and come up with something else. I know that it is a pain in the ass when you have an issue and aren't able to figure it out. Good luck, Bro.

 

[Gennybro]

Darn man I aint got a clue either, trying to think , Figure , Still on board and following. Still think it's electrical in nature. In which My knowledge of that is very limited, like this darn computor that all of a sudden wants to type the way it wants to.

 

[superj]

No problem, thanks for the ideas, guys.

 

[jerreyjeep]

If Your Thermostat is too low a temp, it may cause your motor to overheat [ just like 'No Thermostat' does ]
Reason: The coolant will travel too fast through the system and NOT COOL!
So...If you put a 'Hotter' thermostat in it, IT WILL hold the coolant in the Rad. longer and Exchange the Heat better ! (190*?)
Kinda hard to wrap your mind around at first, but it is just basic thermo-dynamics.
Good luck and let us Know what works Please !........Jerryjeep

 

[JPNinPA]

If Your Thermostat is too low a temp, it may cause your motor to overheat [ just like 'No Thermostat' does ] Reason: The coolant will travel too fast through the system and NOT COOL! So...If you put a 'Hotter' thermostat in it, IT WILL hold the coolant in the Rad. longer and Exchange the Heat better ! (190*?) Kinda hard to wrap your mind around at first, but it is just basic thermo-dynamics. Good luck and let us Know what works Please !........Jerryjeep

Not exactly.
First he said the gauge reads hot though the engine seems normal temp and is not overheating.
Second- Running with NO THERMO will allow fluid to flow much faster through the radiator and can lead to overheat conditions. True! What will also happen is, the fluid will not exchange heat at the cylinders efficiently causing localized hot spots. This will lead to warpage of the cylinder walls. However any thermo adds restriction and slows the fluid flow. With the lower temp thermo the fluid will be at a lower temp as it enters the radiator.
What can happen is the PCM adjusts the air fuel ratio to reach an expected temp like 195. This will cause the engine to generate more heat. You will likely see a drop in mpg and possibly hp. Possibly overheat your exhaust. Melt the cats and O2 sensors, valves...
I ran a 180 deg thermo with no issue. I don't recommend a lower temp cause you will see a drop in mpg. I've also run with a failed open thermo for a two weeks with no issues.

 

[superj]

i will let you guys know when i get to work on her again. i will let you know what i find out

 

[JPNinPA]

. i did the temp sender yesterday but hadn;t dropped a battery in place to see if that helped or not. i wonder, i had to use a bushing to step the intake hole to the size of the sender. do you think that is going to mess up the readings since its a brass bushing? the resistance will be different using brass versus using steel?

Did you use Teflon on the bushing too?

 

[superj]

i cleaned it off both when i did it earlier

 

[Gennybro]

I'm really sorry about what you are going through, but i'm so happy ya can suck it up and proceed to get to the bottom of the problem and help others.

 

[superj]

yes sir. it bums me out about mine but its still our job to help others out when in trouble.

if i cannot figure it out here pretty quickly, i am going to ask my neighbor butch. he is my go-to guy for when i cannot figure anything out. he is a retired a&p and retired air force e9 who worked out of his garage for after normal retirement so he could stay home and take care of his disabled daughter. he is one of hte smartest people i have ever met.