MrFreeze5

Spidertrax is the only way to go for Jeep spacers IMO. I used to work there and know that the quality is top notch and the best in the business. Ive also seen the test reports of the materials used in competitors spacers...its not always what it is advertised as! And hubcentric spacers are absolutely needed on the front at least and a very good idea for the rear. don't SKIMP ON WHEEL SPACERS!!! Plus Spidertrax spacers are double anodized which really helps protect both the spacer and the wheel. You have alloy wheels, so its not as big of an issue, but its a no-no to put a bare aluminum against bare steel. Corrosion and nastiness will ensue over time. Spidertrax spacers are the only ones I will ever use for my vehicles. With the exception of 8 lugs spacers. In that case, I would go with Ballistic Fab spacers. Oh, and if hate dealing with companies with poor customer service, then Spidertrax is again the right answer.

If you want steel braided, the Crown lines from Quadratec is the best deal I could find, and Crown makes decent brake lines. I ordered a set of these a few weeks ago(not my first set of crown lines, had em on my Samurai, and have a set for my ZJ) and they are nice, should do the trick. Plus theyre coated, which some of the cheaper SS ones arent. If you don't need steel braided, then as was mentioned, there are cheaper options. Those lines are the best deal you will likely find as far as normal retail(not a sale) prices on steel braided lines. I got the set with only one rear brake line since I am doing an axle swap and changing the brakes, and IIRC, it only ran me about $85.

Thats cool and would be great for a part time or trail rig. I know that filter is noticeably loud under the hood in stock location in my ZJ with all its sound deadening, I could imagine it would get really old really fast if it were louder, and in a car I drove for more than just short trips. It would drive me nuts to hear that howl every day through the vents driving to work, especially since I don't have a radio. But just as soon as my ZJ is done being rebuilt and the MJ is a trail rig and not a DD, then I will be doing this mod. Its a great idea!

Mine would do that when the coolant got too low and despite my new valve cover gasket, it still leaks oil slightly. When the temp would spike, it would start burning the leaked oil. But it would only do this to me when I havent topped off the coolant for a while and it gets too low and doesnt cool anymore and the temp spikes into the red. But my truck does not smoke when its at normal temp. If the coolant is boiling badly, I may get a little steam coming out, and with the hood closed, it looks like smoke coming out the front, but just a little.

Got some confirmation today! I hit up Taco Hell today. Temps were good and actually didnt even hit 210 until I was on my way back home. I usually take the back way through the neighborhood to avoid all the other stupid people on the road, but decided to hop on the main road so I could avoid the stop signs. Driving at speed for a mile brought the temp back down below 200 and when I got home, it wasnt boiling at all. So I guess my propensity to take the back way was keeping temps higher.

Lookey what I found. Its is a crack about an inch long between the threads of the bottle and is visible from both inside and outside. This must be why I am not maintaining pressure. At least I hope it is :brows: Image Not Found

Aside from the boiling issue, it seems to cool just fine, especially now that I have the clamp on the cap. It still boils, but it takes longer to get to full temp, and remains steady. Before it would fluctuate as much as 20-30 degress depending on traffic and how fast I was going. I have not had to top off the bottle yet, and I am going to see if I can go a bit longer than before without refilling. The tstat is doing its job so long as there is enough coolant in the system and it maxes out at about 210 sitting in traffic. The rad hoses are good enough for now, and arent collapsing, even though the lower seems to be missing the spring inside. The radiator itself has no leaks or obvious damage and looks to be in good shape for its age, at least from the outside. Next week, I plan on doing a tune up on the MJ. Rad hoses, new CCV elbow, spark plugs, cap, rotor, air filter, and oil change. Ill check the radiator at that time. I do not have AC, but will be retrofitting an electric fan as soon as I can manage to go pick it up. In a little while, I am going to go out and check for cracks in the bottle neck since it still seems to be losing pressure regardless of the clamped cap. I wouldnt be surprised if the opening was cracked or something.

Well, after running some errands today, I think I am back to the loss of pressure idea. The clamp on the cap seems to help the system be more stable and run cooler in general, but I don't think it can hold the full pressure. Without the clamp I can pop the cap off without unscrewing it. My reasoning behind this is I just got back from running a few short errands nearby and the truck stayed nice and cool the whole time staying around 190-200. I made 2 stops a few miles apart, and both of which I was around 200 or so when I stopped. No boiling at all. After my last stop on my way home, I got caught in the same crappy construction clusterfook that has been causing all sorts of trouble in this area for months. Sitting there, I reached 210 where it held steady, and when I got home a few blocks away, it was boiling away. So I guess it really isnt holding the proper pressure to raise the boiling point high enough. So long as I am moving, the cooling system does its job and keeps the engine in a good range below the tstat threshold, but sitting with little air flow seems to get the coolant right to the boiling point. Guess its time to look into a new bottle and/or cap. Beats head work though!

Have you tried a dealer? Or one of the larger online retailers with lots of OEM parts like Quadratec or 4WD Hardware?

Ding ding ding, I think we have a winner. I tried the hose clamp method and took a trip up to the local wendys drive thru to test. First thing I noticed was that the engine temp rose slower and stayed more stable. It stayed around 190-200 and did not reach 210 until I was almost back home. Also previously, I could watch the temp gauge move depending on traffic and speed I was moving. But when I got home, the bottle was bubbling like crazy, although the engine temp was still right where it should be. So I guess the exhaust is pressurizing the cooling system after all, although it takes some time to do it. Not the answer I wanted, but at least its an answer. Now to figure out if its a crack or the head gasket. My guess is a crack since it does take some time before it starts doing it. When my ZJ blew its head gasket, the expansion bottle would start bubbling almost immediately at idle. But hopefully no major failures occur in the next week since I can't do much about it now.

I don't think that is it since it should start bubbling immediately and it does not until it heats up. When the head gasket went on my ZJ 4.0 a few years ago that is exactly what happened though. That engine is what I have on hand now.

I understand what youre saying, and if it were working properly, I would not fill it so. The temp does not spike until I have been driving for a while and have managed to(i am assuming I am burning it off, because while driving it does remain within spec and below 210) go wherever it goes. The cap will pop off whenever there is pressure, but it won't erupt out unless it gets really hot, or I drive for a little while. Whatever is happening to the coolant, it is receding enough that by the time it reaches the boiling point, the overflow bottle is already at halfway or less. The temp spikes suddenly after it has reached a critical point in its consumption of coolant and can't cool anymore. By this time( about 20-30 miles) it takes significantly more water than if I were to just top it off before I left the house. The times that it blows out are when I make a trip and forget to top it off before I leave, and decide to top it off wherever I'm at before I head back home, while the engine is still warm. Then it will overflow, but as long as I fill it while its cold, by the time it reaches the boiling point the level is within spec. It does take it a time to start boiling. I can drive to the store and back and it would be ok, but if I hit the drive through, I can expect boiling, especially if the coolant is getting low, but not low enough that it spikes. I konw the head is cracked, but like you said it could be cracked elsewhere, but I won't know without a tear down, and REALLY don't want to do that right now since Ive got too much other to worry about. It drives, and thats the best I can hope for right now. It just seems weird how it is acting. I am definitely going to address the cap sealing, but I have a feeling I am still going to be losing an inordinate amount of coolant with no obvious signs of where its going. Thats what really puzzles me, under most circumstances the coolant stays inside the system or engine, and the occasion that it really boils and erupts is very few and far between so long as I give it the right attention here and there. The only place I can figure all that coolant is going is into the cylinders, but the engine isnt running so. Regardless, the cap is about all the work I can manage on it at least over the next week or two, so hopefully that solves the major issues. I may have caused the cracks in the head that I saw. When I swapped out valve covers there were some...issues...with the grommets and screws and not paying attention I overtorqued a few. After that I got a little seepage of coolant from a bolt hole or two, but nothing would leak once the bolt was installed fully. But it would not surprise me at all if there were more cracks in the head. This engine is pushing 200k and was not well cared for by its previous owner(s).

It won't help. The purpose of the thermostat is to keep the temperature UP, not down. If your cooling system can't cool down to 195, it certainly can't cool down to 180. Quadratec has new pressure bottles for about $25. be sure to get the one with a new cap ... I don't think anyone has ever been able to get a seal using a new bottle with an old cap, or a new cap with an old bottle. And do NOT "top off" the bottle. Liquid does not compress, so when it heats up it has to blow the lid off. The bottle should be filled to the halfway mark (there's a post inside) when cold. Do not fill it beyond that. I know under normal circumstances it should not be filled to the top, but in the interest of not having to stop suddenly, I have been doing it temporarily. It doesnt compress, but its sure going somewhere. Really the only time I lose any coolant is if I start it briefly after filling since it burps some air out, if I leave it running, it doesnt puke anything out. The reason I want to switch to the lower tsat is for the same reason, the time it takes to rise that extra 30 degrees could mean the difference between making it to work, or pulling over on the highway.

Yeah, I am going to try a new cap for sure. Luckily theres a junkyard near me, but I have been hoping to wait to make the trip until I had some more $$ so I could make a day of it. I like the hose clamp idea though! I'm going to try that first tomorrow. If I can ever manage to make time to pick up that fan of yours from your brother it will help me out a lot since I plan to set it up on its own temp sensor with the HO water neck, as well as putting a switch on it so if I start getting too warm, or if I'm sitting in traffic, I can help the system out a little.

I know they did, which is why I decided to use that engine on another project. but if I do swap it over, I will try to use the renix electronics and the Hesco TPS adapter with the HO TB. The biggest issues I see are having to extend the wires to use the front mounted coolant sensor, and my engine does not have the spot for the knock sensor, but Ive seen the swap done before. The TPS seems to be the biggest hurdle. My fuel pump gets a little grumpy at times, so Ive been passively searching for a suitable replacement.