89 Cherokee Pioneer

Bird In PA · Aug 9, 2009

I have an old 1989 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer 6cyl. 4.0l and the body is in great shape for about 20 years old with the only rust holes are behind the front passenger's seat and right behind the passenger's side rear wheel. but it overheats and I don't want to pay thousands of $ to fix it, my price range to fix it is about 2-3 hundred $ for either a good used engine or an engin rebuild kit.

Bird In PA

RusselAZ · Aug 9, 2009

Put a new radiator in it.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 9, 2009

I'm with Russel. In the 1980's most manufacturers put marginal radiators in their vehicles, IMHO. Most of these jobs plugged up with crap, crud, and corruption fairly easy, and weren't too receptive to backflushing the system. And there's no radiator cap on these Jeeps to make sure the radiator is full of coolant...so you might remove the top hose from the radiator, fill the radiator as full as humanly possible, and then reattach the hose. Might be complicated to burp the air out of the system, and it might not...I honestly don't remember.

Also, don't rule out the obvious...water pump, thermostat, fan clutch...any of which might cause overheating if they malfunction.

Hobo, NC · Aug 10, 2009

Hard to say but if you go after the rad remove the front grill assy as a unit (headlights and all),,, then you can swing the drivers side of the rad out to get at the A/T cooler lines,,, I have seen the wrong water pump on'em also. I have replaced quite a few rads in jeeps,,, they are small rads.

Bird In PA · Aug 10, 2009

Mine is a mt.

Bird In PA · Aug 10, 2009

I have one problem only with the radiator besides no filler neck on it and it is that it leaks out around the lower radiator hose. And do you remember above the lower radiator hose is some type of sensor with 2 wires coming out of it, what is that for? If you want me to I can get pics.

I already replaced the thermostat.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2009

does it have electric fan ? If so ,make sure it is running , I believe the sensor for fan is screwed into the radiator .Not 100% sure ,,but I;d check that out

bradk · Aug 10, 2009

New radiator.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2009

Always remember that a correctly functioning cooling system is all about flow...airflow through the radiator as well as coolant flow through the system.

If your lower hose is leaking, fix that first. Leaking coolant can mean insufficient coolant flow to transfer the heat from the engine to the radiator. Good deal on replacing the thermostat. How's your water pump? While I was taking automotive classes at the tech school, I saw 2 separate cases--not on Jeeps--of vehicles with water pumps on which the impeller had disintegrated...so while everything looks good, it might be a good idea to pull the water pump and take a look at it. [I know that belt adjustment at the PS pump is a PITA.]If it's OK, you're just out your time and some Permatex or silicone gasket-in-a-tube.

Since these engines aren't known for blowing head gaskets, I'm not too concerned in that direction.

I don't recall the sensor you're referring to...but if you go to the AutoZone website, I think you can pull up the AllData service manual info on that engine.

Hobo, NC · Aug 10, 2009

If its the box cherokee style don"t matter,,, after you remove the top radiator support theirs only 4 screws are so that retain the front cover
(headlite gill assy),,, sure nuff opens every thang up to work on the front end.

I got a pix but it will b later 4 I can look it up on photo bucket

mlauk · Aug 10, 2009

If it is an automatic, I would install a transmission cooler and run the transmission lines through the trans cooler only. Also, make sure the radiator is good or replace.

Bird In PA · Aug 10, 2009

I think it is what bryan said it could be, "the fan sensor."

Bird In PA · Aug 10, 2009

I have the whole front headlight, grille assembly off allready because I replaced both power steering hoses over the winter and then the heating problom. How much should you tighten the belt because I tightened it until I couldn't turn the wrench any more. I also have the radiator unfastened from doing the power steering because that thing is a real pain in the a** when you do the hoses. I'll try to post some pics.

Hobo, NC · Aug 10, 2009

The belt adjustment is a PITA soooo I had would sneek up on it and have to go back and adjust it again and not B 2 tight and take the P>S> pump out are the water pump bearing,,, it is hard to judge,,, 2 tight is not good

Anonymous-0 · Aug 11, 2009

MY fan on my '88 Jeep Comanche with the 4.0 [Same as a Cherokee] was driven by the serpentine belt...so there WAS no fan sensor for an electric fan. If yours has an electric fan, and therefore a fan sensor, then I have no idea what your setup is...but I doubt it's an electric fan from the factory. My Comanche didn't have AC, so there was an idler pulley that sat where the compressor was on the Jeeps with AC...and the fan was just below that, rather than on the water pump like what we saw for the 50+ years of Americna cars and trucks before that.

Bird In PA · Aug 11, 2009

When we got the jeep it had an electric fan on it just like our 93 laredo and 98 sport. But all three have A/C.

89 Cherokee Pioneer

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