Just got back from Jeep Jamboree - Coal Mountain

TerryMason

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I took the family to the 2025 Jeep Jamboree in upper Pennsylvania. It was a blast! I was able to get two Jeep badge of honor badges, one for Barney Rubble trail and one for Fern Ridge trail.

The trip started off on the wrong foot. I had made it 2 hours out of Virginia when the temperature began to climb. I was okay on the interstate but it would overheat if I came to a stop. I ended up buying a water pump thermostat and fan clutch in New Jersey and then installing them at 11:30 at night outside the Airbnb in Pennsylvania. I actually had to install the thermostat and water pump twice because the first time I didn't scrape the gaskets off totally and it leaked like crazy.

I haven't tested it in boiling water, but I think the thermostat was the culprit. It looked pretty crusty

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Once I got my heating problem fixed it was smooth sailing. The trails were a lot of fun and very challenging. Especially Barney rubble, if it weren't for the spotters I would have had a hard time.



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It was a great time and I certainly wouldn't mind going back next year. The food was awesome. Buffet for breakfast and dinner, and a bag lunch all included in the price.


I managed to take some video with my new GoPro. We've got a section going through some brush, then a hill climb, and finally the Barney rubble trail.



Not sure how it worked out, but the whole trip from start to finish ended up being 1001 miles. A pretty good trip for a 20 year old Jeep with 181k miles.

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Dang wish I was there.

You were near old stomping grounds.

That is more Central PA than Northern PA. Historic route [emoji6] is northern.

I was in The Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton area or NEPA


It was more the big chunk of metal in front blocking airflow.

Above 35 mph you shouldn’t need a fan.
If your RPM was up in the > 2500 rpm trying to do 70 that will push the system.
Keep 62-65 or less than 2800 rpm and there should be no issue.

I drove 525 miles each way across PA and Ohio. When my thermo went it failed open.
I just turned the heater on high and rolled down the windows.
Does your heater work??
Clean the fins. You just did this.
Make sure the side gaskets around the radiator are there so air is forced through the radiator.

Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson
 
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You just fixed the fan shroud. Is this an OEM radiator? Gaskets around the radiator there?
The wench blocks a lot of airflow.
Im sure it is not an easy pop off and on item. And you would not want it to be.

Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson
 
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You just fixed the fan shroud. Is this an OEM radiator? Gaskets around the radiator there?
The wench blocks a lot of airflow.
Im sure it is not an easy pop off and on item. And you would not want it to be.


I had done the radiator years ago (it is an aftermarket one) - I'm not exactly sure what you mean by radiator gaskets. I did the water pump almost two years ago, and the fan clutch less than a year ago.
I don't think I've ever done the thermostat, and it looked like it, rusty on both sides.

It got so hot waiting in traffic that the needle kissed the red of the overheat line. I was just about to turn it off when traffic started moving again. I opened the windows up and turned the heat on, and it was blowing very hot. The ambient temp was in the upper 90s.

I don't think that the waterpump or fan clutch were bad, but because of my timeframe, I decided to fire the parts cannon at it.
Once I replaced those three things it did great. Idled for hours in the woods over the next two days.

The replacement thermostat did not have an air hole at the top, the way that the original did. I'm not sure if that's something I'll need to revisit in the future or not.


On a different note, Knoebels amusement park is awesome! We stopped by for a couple of hours, and it was a really good time. Nice and friendly environment.

The Jamboree was held at Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, which has a crazy 8000 acres. There were plenty of people, but the park is so big that you rarely see anyone else.
 
Holy thermo is important even if you drill the hole.
So I had overheating while sitting with no boilover. That was the issue. Pressure buildup due to the radiator cap sticking. Then BOOM in a CFA line. Top blew off the radiator. I suggest a new radiator cap.
It’s $5 to $10 insurance against a higher cost.
Aftermarket radiators do not have the fin density of OEM and therefore transfers heat slower.

By gasket I mean the metal and rubber on the sides of the fan and condenser that block air from going around the radiator. When they are there the air pressure formed by driving forces a large amount of air through the fins. If they are not there to block the air the pressure doesn’t build.

Ill snap a pic and post it up.


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson
 
Yes Knoebels is awesome. It was app [emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]-[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]] min from my house in PA. And we would hit it up many times each summer.
It’s ranked high in the top ten amusement parks in the country.


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson
 

I've got the shroud / gasket on the radiator, and it's not cut or broken (I actually just replace that too).

I've got a Motorad thermostat in there now - the only one that I could find with the hole in it is the Mopar one:

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So I'll order that up and swap it out.
 
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