1999 Cherokee overheating?

[Stant52]

HI Guys,
Wife's Cherokee overheated today ,went from the normal 210 to burying the needle at 260. Check engine light ,check gauges light, and it shut down ,wouldn't run right . Loss power. She called me , by the time I got there it had cooled ,it started & I drove it home ,I only had to go couple miles on beltway. When I got off exit it stalled ,I waited a minute ,re-started it and drove a block home.
After I got off work I started it & drove around block until it warmed up.As soon as it got past 210 it started running funny ,losing power, then suddenly it was over 260 !. I Checked top radiator hose & it wasn't hot! So I removed thermostat and my wife went to get new one ,but while she was gone I put the old thermostat in a pan of boiling water ,it appears to work find.
So out to the jeep we go ,I start it with the thermostat out & the hoses disconnected and NO water flows though!!
Could it be a head casket?? But wouldn't I still have water circulating though hoses when I run engine ???
So I'm assuming only the water pump is bad ????? Help ,before I tear it apart!
It's a 4.0 ,6cyl. THANKS!

[tblack]

[quote=Stant52]HI Guys,
I Checked top radiator hose & it wasn't hot! So I removed thermostat t it with the thermostat out & the hoses disconnected and NO water flows though!!

This certainly sounds like the water pump is not working. If the head gasket is cracked it will not really run at all and you certainly would not be able to drive it that way. I would replace that pump and the thermostat and back flush the block and the radiator real good. Make sure you get a good flow of fresh water through the block and the radiator. Change the radiator cap too. I don't beleive it's a blown head gasket. Water pumps usually leak before they go bad, but not always.

tb

[Stant52]

Well ,I replaced thermostat, tore out water pump, flushed the radiator & block and found absolutely NOTHING wrong with anything !!!!
So I put everything back together! And I drove it . Friday it took 3 times around the block to overheat & start shutting down . Today I drove it a half hour around the neighborhood,slowly getting farther from home. Ran like a TOP ! Temperature ran just below 210 possibly about 200 thermostat is 195, lower then before ever.
SO , I guess,WE"LL Just DRIVE IT !! All warning lights are out ,temp is good ,oil looks goods. Tomorrow I tow the boat to the lake ,go fishing ,relax. Wish me luck !! Thanks

[GregA]

Originally Posted by Stant52

Well ,I replaced thermostat, tore out water pump, flushed the radiator & block and found absolutely NOTHING wrong with anything !!!!
So I put everything back together! And I drove it . Friday it took 3 times around the block to overheat & start shutting down . Today I drove it a half hour around the neighborhood,slowly getting farther from home. Ran like a TOP ! Temperature ran just below 210 possibly about 200 thermostat is 195, lower then before ever.
SO , I guess,WE"LL Just DRIVE IT !! All warning lights are out ,temp is good ,oil looks goods. Tomorrow I tow the boat to the lake ,go fishing ,relax. Wish me luck !! Thanks

Did you replace the water pump, or just put the old one back in?

The fact that is started to get hot and then was OK the next time might be that there was air in the system and it "burped" out between runs.

Good luck on your fishing trip - don't forget the bait