Ok...a quick primer of cooling systems.
First, unless your thermostat is bad, putting in a cooling one will not help. Assuming its a 190 degree one, its already open at 210 degrees. Also, water boils at 212 (at sea level)...and with a properly maintained cooling system that can go up to 16PSI, your water won't boil until about 240 degrees...hence, as long as you stay below the boiling point...your usually ok...though continuous operation at 240 is not the best thing. Lets assume that your gauge is accurate...then 220 under low speed, heavy loads is about normal....add in the factor of higher altitude (thinner air), and 220 is actually about right.
Before you worry about your temp you need to look at all the variables. What is your normal temp when driving on the fwy and in stop and go traffic? Stop and go traffic on a hot day should give you a good baseline to judge your engine temp. Also, does then engine feel hot?...i.e., steam coming out?...running rough? If not, then once again, your ok.
Now for solutions. If you have a 79 then the thermostate is most likely a 180 degree model. Don't go cooler, it won't keep you cooler, but the engine will not run as good and in winter time it will be hard to heat up the cab....thats assuming you have the top on....but then, its a jeep...who needs a top.
Next...is the fan shroud installed?...if its gone then that is most likely the cause of your higher temps....the fan to too far from the radiator to work properly without it. When is the last time you flushed the system?...also, a 50/50 mix of water/antifreez will give you the best heat transfer and provide good corroision protection.
No need to add hi vol pumps and extra fans if the original stuff is working right. One last thing...did you drop your gear ratio's when you put on the 33"'s...if you have stock gears then you are really putting the engine under strain at low speeds....at a min you should have at least 4.11 or 4.27 gears..I'm running 32's with stock gears and I'm pushing it already....(for xmas I get new 4.27 gears...i have such a wonderful girlfriend)....
Let us know how it turns out....the feedback is good.........John
84CJ7
