The lamest cooling problem

[pauldo39]

Thanks guys for your input. Today I think I'm just going to replace the lower radiator hose, even though I don't think it's bad, and use that 8 hour flush; I have one laying around. RichP after using that flush did you physically take the radiator and thermostat housing out so you could thoroughly rinse away any crap left in the engine block? I'm just going to screw around with this once. I do have one of those fin combs for straightening bent fins if I take the radiator out. But if the combo of hose/power flush doesn't fix it, I'm just going to get a new radiator and be done with it. By the way; I know it says to drive like you normally would on the back of those flushes, but do you drive on the interstate and stuff with the cleaner in there?

These overheating problems are so frustrating, but I don't think there is anything that could make me want to part with my XJ!!

 

[RichP]

Thanks guys for your input. Today I think I'm just going to replace the lower radiator hose, even though I don't think it's bad, and use that 8 hour flush; I have one laying around. RichP after using that flush did you physically take the radiator and thermostat housing out so you could thoroughly rinse away any crap left in the engine block? I'm just going to screw around with this once. I do have one of those fin combs for straightening bent fins if I take the radiator out. But if the combo of hose/power flush doesn't fix it, I'm just going to get a new radiator and be done with it. By the way; I know it says to drive like you normally would on the back of those flushes, but do you drive on the interstate and stuff with the cleaner in there?

These overheating problems are so frustrating, but I don't think there is anything that could make me want to part with my XJ!!

When I have done mine with the long flushes I used it like normal, drove 3+ hours up to syracuse and 3+ hours back at 65mph + speeds. Too bad we can't see into the XJ radiator, I hate that dog leg. On the S10 it too had side tanks but the cap was up on top of one so you could look down into the tank. As for getting the stuff out, I stuck the prestone back flush kit in and put a hose on the part that goes into the filler neck then flushed the old stuff out that way with the back flush T fitting. That also let me control where it went into. The part that might not make you happy, turn your heat on so the core gets flushed too...

 

[pauldo39]

I've been trying to post advice on other peoples' cooling questions the last few days and I forgot to post my results. I decided to get a new 3 row all metal rad, new upper and lower dealership hoses and dealership tstat. Put it all in, problems completely gone. I don't know why I ever ran a non dealer tstat. I know the new rad helped the most, but I trust the dealer tstat to work better than anything else. I appreciate everyone's tips, now I'm trying to help others not to waste time on the same stupid, expensive cooling bandaids that I unfortunately did.