Motor Broke - Fix, Replace, or Dump Car?

[GregA]

UPDATE:
I went by the shop yesterday to check on the status of the Jeep. They said that they believed that the new Coolant Temperature Sender that was installed was either bad or marked wrong.

What they did is measure the temperature at the base of the sensor with an infrared device and saw about 163 degrees, while the temperature gauge in the Jeep showed 210 degrees.

So they had to find a new sensor from the local Jeep dealer.

It took a couple of days for the part to arrive. Once it did (today) it was installed and the temperature reading on the gauge is back to "normal" (right around 210 degrees).

I took it for a test drive (same distance & conditions as the other drive) and it looked fine.

So it looks like the Jeep is back to its state before this whole thing happened, except for the new components. The shop said to keep an eye on the oil pressure and the temperature gauges, and to bring it back in about 100 miles to have the oil changed again (because of the stuff that got in there from the overheating).

Thanks to EVERYONE that gave me input and support during this time. It is greatly appreciated.

Take Care,

[GregA]

Originally Posted by GregA

UPDATE:
...So it looks like the Jeep is back to its state before this whole thing happened, except for the new components. The shop said to keep an eye on the oil pressure and the temperature gauges, and to bring it back in about 100 miles to have the oil changed again (because of the stuff that got in there from the overheating).
...

Well the Jeep was NOT quite back to where it was ... the wife was driving it yesterday and called me on the radio to say that it was "in the red" again. She got it home OK and once again by turning on the heater (full blast) I was able to get it down to just above 210.

So I took it back to the shop this morning asking for advice. After talking for a bit, I took it over to a local radiator shop (recommended by my mech) to have it looked at and get more advice. Once there, we talked about it and I pretty much decided that it would be best to have a new radiator put in (vs. having the old (original) one cleaned out).

While I was waiting to be picked up, I watched him take everything apart to get the old one out and noticed that it was THIN - probably about 0.75 inches where the fins are. He even made a comment that he doesn't see them that thin anymore. The new one is probably 1.25 to 1.5 inches thick.

Anyway, this afternoon I get the call that it was ready to be picked up. I also had them replace 2 heater hoses (also original & bulging some) and the upper radiator hose was getting pretty soft so that was replaced too. Also, the heater control valve was brittle from age and broke when the hoses were cut off.

The Result:
Car now runs mostly below or at 210 degrees on the gauge and when the electric fan kicks in, it cools off within about 2-3 minutes (it ran for 5-10 minutes at idle before the new radiator).
Total cost of radiator job was about $365 including labor.

So hopefully that is it for a while. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Take Care,