91 XJ Not Cooling Properly

[Zyeates]

My 91 4.0 is struggling to keep cool on 90* plus days whether at Idle or cruising at 65-70. I’m thinking the issue is scale buildup in the radiator as with cooler ambient temps it cools fine. But with summer coming in full swing I don't want to worry about overheating or needing to run the heat just to be able to get home.

What would be a good option for a new rad? Are full aluminum radiators with electric fans worth it? Or should I stick with oem? I do wheel the jeep fairly often so I’m looking for something that will reliably stay cool at low speeds.

Also new water pump, tstat and coolant flush as of a month ago.

 

[Desert4x4]

Could you define "struggling"? To be clear, the 97+ XJ's don't have a check gauge light until the coolant reaches 254°F. Is yours near that temperature?

 

[Zyeates]

Its yet to go above what I think is about 225*. I doubt my gauge is accurate and plan to install a new temp sensor along with a digital gauge. But when cruising at 65, temps would slowly climb above normal and would continue to do so. Once it got to about 225* I turned on the heat and that brought it down to 215-220 and it stayed there. My main question is are full aluminum radiators with electric fans worth it. And if so, what is a reliable brand?

 

[Ol Blue]

Read this whole thread: https://naxja.org/threads/xj-radiators-a-review.1150722/

 

[Unclewolverine]

Short answer is put in a cheap, plastic tanked auto parts store brand radiator. Long answer as to why, read the above mentioned thread.