cooling and A/C system overhaul questions

I think it's time to replace my radiator... with a highflow water pump, fresh 50/50 coolant and a new electric fan I can't keep the XJ cool. At speed it tends to drift toward 215-220 degrees and when stopped it goes up to 230. I'm thinking the stopleak I used in an attempt to fix the cracked head may have clogged up a bit of the radiator.

So, I'm looking at the 2 row "all metal" radiator from radiatorbarn.com I know their 3 row is a CSF radiator which get pretty good reviews on the various forums, but I think the 2 row will maybe cool a little better and resist clogging due to larger fins? Any advice on this topic would be useful. I just installed hood vents this afternoon which should help matters, but realistically I shouldn't even need them... after all, hundreds of XJs in Delaware do fine without them.

Also, the A/C hasn't worked in 3 years. The system loses pressure a few minutes after a full recharge and I can smell refridgerant in the cabin so it has to be the evaporator. The heat works great (tested it the other day, 150 degrees at the vents!) but since I'm tearing apart the Jeep, I may as well replace the heater core, too... Also the accumulator. Just keep the tubing and compressor.

And I'm wondering... should I replace the condenser while the radiator is out?

the fins look ok and I haven't seen any leaks from it. I ordered the CSF 3 row radiator tonight, hope to install it on the 14th or 15th. Gonna get new hoses, new t-stat and cap, too.

yeah ordered that last night, too. ordering from rockauto.com was cheaper even with the shipping! upper/lower hoses, tstat+gasket and new cap. Also ordered the accumulator for my A/C stuff, since they have the best price.

I'm not gonna do the A/C until my vacation (woohoo 7/19-25) so I'll order the evaporator in a few more days. Really dreading taking apart the dash. But I read a trick to add small piece of felt to where the trim pieces touch so they won't squeak as much, so I'll do that when it gets put back together.