2005 TJ cooling system parts change in Texas
- Thread starter cpwolf
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OP
Yep, got a full set of plug sockets etc. 8mm is the square socket. First 2 times I put dope on the threads.....and realized that's stupid, tighten it and put dope on the threads that final time. It's not going to leak enough between these to be an issue, that's actually not a very tough effort at all, just splashes on the front driveshaft so have to wipe it all down.
waiting on the 8mm square socket myself. jeep currently has thermocure in it. need to drive it a bit more and start flushing. block plug doesn’t look fun to get to. reminds me of the transmission drain on my harley. it’s under the bike and you have to go between two shocks to get to it. easy to get out, not so much getting it back in.
Take some of that thermocure and some antifreeze and mix it up on the side and see what it does.. i'm curious. Not saying it doesn't work well but i've never had anything look remotely close as to black like that. My initial reaction was what a load.. but never know. Maybe it needs to be heated too.
OP
Actually not that hard at all. Set a work light up top that illuminates it, and it's easy. Have an extension. I can get my hand around the frame as well and the extension goes right between the cats.
When putting back in, take off the ratchet, and put the plug on the socket. Just hand turn it and it's not hard, fits in easy. Then ratchet the final few turns
can’t be as bad as my bike. looking in a hand held mirror to get trans. drain bolt back in without cross threading ain’t no fun.
OP
I used the whole bottle per instruction. I can say the stink is still there, but getting better each drain, ha.
I BBQ a lot, and use cast iron a lot, and clean up cast iron. Just cheap vinegar in a bucket and set a cast iron pan that's rusted, done the same with old tools. Look at that after a day, or 2. Clear vinegar is black, nasty, bubbling, etc. I have no doubt that inside of an engine that may not have been cleaned etc, can easily react and create this. I'd bet just putting that Vinegar in the coolant system and leaving it a day or two would do something similar, wouldn't look pretty coming out, just my .02.
I attempted to drain my block when I did this a while back. I put a LOT of force trying to loosen that plug, and finally decided that whatever was in the block was better than a broken plug so I ceased operations.
Thermocure is a derivative of Evaporust. If you haven't used that product, it turns black as it removes the rust. The reaction you are seeing is that aspect of it, not a reaction to coolant unless your coolant is full of rust.
what’s in my radiator is black as black can get. need to drive it a bit more and get to flushing on my next days off. have used prestone flush in other vehicles and wasn’t impressed. the thermocure seems to be working it’s magic.
OP
So just put in the Mopar Radiator.
I will say, possibly anecdotal, but I filled and refilled the last one 8 or more times maybe 10 one the past whatever days and last weekend.
Every time I would pour basically non stop, not crazy fast, but it went straight in.
The Mopar just now, it would go for a while, and build up, I’d have to stop and I could hear literally it gurgling down. I’d wait, and pour the rest of the gallon, and it happened on the first gallon. The second and at the end it was expected. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.
Heater core is bypassed, new Mopar Radiator, new stant superstat with a small hole drilled and positioned 12 o’clock and thermostat slight bend, any little this or that suggested. Fan paper tested and roars. Water certainly pushes from the water pump.
So we’ll see.
I will say, possibly anecdotal, but I filled and refilled the last one 8 or more times maybe 10 one the past whatever days and last weekend.
Every time I would pour basically non stop, not crazy fast, but it went straight in.
The Mopar just now, it would go for a while, and build up, I’d have to stop and I could hear literally it gurgling down. I’d wait, and pour the rest of the gallon, and it happened on the first gallon. The second and at the end it was expected. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.
Heater core is bypassed, new Mopar Radiator, new stant superstat with a small hole drilled and positioned 12 o’clock and thermostat slight bend, any little this or that suggested. Fan paper tested and roars. Water certainly pushes from the water pump.
So we’ll see.
OP
Drove it with AC full blast whole time, 4:30pm hot as the freaking sun here, and in motion… significantly better.
Surface streets would go between 206 and 199 even 197 (40mph to 55mph) and stayed in 2500-2900 rpm range ish with the gear.
On Hwy the uphill ish at 80 was 210, but dropped pretty well.
At lights it would jump not drastic but jump, 212-215.
Came home and let it sit in the garage, took my copilot in and grabbed a water, was 237 and hit 240. Just sitting there.
Did the newspaper test again, didn’t stop it, but it’s not rearing sitting there that hot.
Some pics to show.
(And by the way, this is why Jeep Engineers have the gauge this casual, would make everyone crazy staring at an exact like this, ha.
Surface streets would go between 206 and 199 even 197 (40mph to 55mph) and stayed in 2500-2900 rpm range ish with the gear.
On Hwy the uphill ish at 80 was 210, but dropped pretty well.
At lights it would jump not drastic but jump, 212-215.
Came home and let it sit in the garage, took my copilot in and grabbed a water, was 237 and hit 240. Just sitting there.
Did the newspaper test again, didn’t stop it, but it’s not rearing sitting there that hot.
Some pics to show.
(And by the way, this is why Jeep Engineers have the gauge this casual, would make everyone crazy staring at an exact like this, ha.
OP
Idling in the garage at 230+ the fan wasn’t a roar, so I’m assuming my next purchase should be a new fan clutch.
I just don’t know if I do the water pump too, I’m not a fan of just saying “change everything” but that if the fan is off….
I just don’t know if I do the water pump too, I’m not a fan of just saying “change everything” but that if the fan is off….
If you don't know the history of the pump and you're going to have the fan off anyway.....I'd give it serious consideration. Although 197-210 while driving doesn't really suggest there's a problem. 239 at idle in the garage does sound like an impending problem though.
195° stant tstat, 18psi stant cap with green coolant. You should be at 210-212 ac off, with ac 220-225. If it bothers you enough run a poison spider louver hood or you get an electric pusher fan
OP
So far, after the flush process, and replacing the after market radiator put on in 2018, with a Mopar Radiator, in 104 heat, your suggested numbers are way high.
I was close to these higher numbers before doing this.
Right now, in motion, 200 to 210 with the AC on in 104 mid afternoon heat is consistent, with it closer to 201 most of the time, 70mph plus speeds and air temps 104+ on open highway.
Driving home from Lake Travis last night 199 almost the entire drive.
No vented hood or electric fan. I just am not seeing that there is a need to do anything other than set the TJ up the way it was designed, and I’m trying to do this as process driven as possible.
I’m seeing an issue when sitting at idle, and a new fan clutch is coming Monday.
But I have direct evidence tracking.
1. Was juts running hot-224 to 230.
2. Changed stat just in case, and flushed it super clean, still ran hot.
3. Changed radiator to Mopar, only change, and been running 20 degrees cooler in motion consistently without fail.
One Jeep, but still pretty direct 1 to 1 evidence.
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OP
I’m not trying to squash doing other things, but @Jerry Bransford has posted this stuff, and I had the chance to kind of lay it out step by step.
I just cannot see a reason to do anything other than Clean and flush the system and Mopar setup to make this TJ run the right temp. In motion, I’ve still got to get the idling at the light correct, but cutting my hood will not help that. Maybe an electric fan added could, but I think a fan clutch replacement would be a wiser next step.
And it’s hot as the freaking face of the sun here right now when I’m testing her.
I just cannot see a reason to do anything other than Clean and flush the system and Mopar setup to make this TJ run the right temp. In motion, I’ve still got to get the idling at the light correct, but cutting my hood will not help that. Maybe an electric fan added could, but I think a fan clutch replacement would be a wiser next step.
And it’s hot as the freaking face of the sun here right now when I’m testing her.
OP
So this is a roughly 1 year Update, because I've seen a lot of cooling system posts like every summer.
Jeep was reading 116 degrees on the road. Had the AC to Max, and was driving up 2222 and if you know that, it's uphill big time, and had been driving through the hill country.
Temps his 212 at one stop light, but not long, in motion it was almost always in the 202 to 206 range. I was between 2600 and 3100 RPM's a lot of the time, actually most.
Last summer I put Thermocure in, rode it a day, then flushed including draining the block. I'll do it again most likely spring 2024 while it's still colder out, and will pull the Thermostat when it's drain, fill, drain, fill etc to clear it out, and not have to wait on the stat to heat up to circulate the block.
There is zero special here, it is as stock as I can keep it (I used a stant thermostat and drilled a small hole). Zero heating problems full AC, 116 degree temps, climbing hills, and then sitting at lights. Just saying, the got all these recommendations from this forum, call it anecdotal all good, just saying it's worked for my TJ and I was hitting 239 prior to all of this.
Jeep was reading 116 degrees on the road. Had the AC to Max, and was driving up 2222 and if you know that, it's uphill big time, and had been driving through the hill country.
Temps his 212 at one stop light, but not long, in motion it was almost always in the 202 to 206 range. I was between 2600 and 3100 RPM's a lot of the time, actually most.
Last summer I put Thermocure in, rode it a day, then flushed including draining the block. I'll do it again most likely spring 2024 while it's still colder out, and will pull the Thermostat when it's drain, fill, drain, fill etc to clear it out, and not have to wait on the stat to heat up to circulate the block.
There is zero special here, it is as stock as I can keep it (I used a stant thermostat and drilled a small hole). Zero heating problems full AC, 116 degree temps, climbing hills, and then sitting at lights. Just saying, the got all these recommendations from this forum, call it anecdotal all good, just saying it's worked for my TJ and I was hitting 239 prior to all of this.