Yeah it's looking more and more like a head gasket change is in order... New radiator too....

 

Ugh. Sucks. Maybe try radiator first? Cheaper and easier. You could try doing compression test to confirm.

There is an old thread from Savanna Buzz that messed up his gasket job. Lots of information there. Lots of threads On HG jobs. Good luck.

 

Couple less common things I've personally had happen over the years that are worth checking:

1) Lower radiator hose sucking in at higher (road) RPMs. Maybe you already checked it. If it's a new hose, probably not the case. Give it gas and see if you see it suck in.

2) Lower radiator hose (if it has a spring) gets clogged up by piece of crap. I once had a big piece of metal get bound up in a lower radiator hose spring. It was a first for me ...long time ago though. Don't know if it came from the radiator, or what. Looked like a 50 cent sized piece of tin. Very unlikely, but just sayin..

3) Water pump impeller loose. This happened on my brother's car actually when we were kids. Ford 302. Car would idle and be good around town all day long, but overheat on the hwy. Finally, after replacing EVERYTHING in the cooling system twice, it seemed, we pulled the water pump. The impeller was somewhat tight by hand, but a little loose. When the coolant would get somewhat warm it would expand enough to slip on the shaft. And it was a new water pump so we really didn't have any reason to suspect.

4) Head gasket reversed. Not sure if it's possible on a L/R or not. Probably not likely, but worth considering if nothing else rears it's ugly head.

5) Radiator ...Well, I've actually never had a clogged radiator so clogged it wouldn't keep the vehicle cool. I always run filtered water (never tap water). But I've had some get fairly limed up way back in the day ..when I bought them. You could try running some rid-lime or another product through them (something aluminum-safe). If you have a pump that you could circulate a cleaner through with a 5 gal bucket as a resivour and leave it on for a period of time ..that is helpful. I have a Harbor Freight pump that is good for things like this. As long as the radiator doesn't leak, it sounds like you know what yer doing ....flush out yourself.

Also, by the way, did you do a sniff test or run a test strip in your overflow tank to try to determine if there is any combustable gasses getting into the cooling system? I mean, it's possible to have a cracked head or block ..bad headgasket (new) ...I know you know these things, but ....

Is it possible to reverse the fan? I think I read you replaced the fan clutch. If the fan was reversed you could be pushing air back through the radiator..

Run it w/o a thermostat and see what she does.

Ok, just throwing out ideas... .don't taze me bro!!

 

Yeah man, checked all that already. Even temp wired fans to run on ignition source. No tstat and still hot under load. Did have exhaust gas in coolant but not anymore after blue devil snake oil this past week... Lol. Band-aid on a bullet hole... Compression check, radiator shop are next then I'm gonna start the teardown for head gaskets this weekend.

 

Yeah that head gasket in a bottle is not so good on these engines, your rad might have been on the way out and now its clogged from the bottle of blue devil

Did you check between the rad and condensor for leaves and crap?

Don't recall your year but if obd2 buy an ultragauge do not go by that fake **** temp gauge on the cluster, it just reads cold and your screwed man lol

Need to have a stat in to slow the coolant flow so heat can be removed from it

Flushing trans lines will do nothing, engine and trans coolers are seperate units in the side bowles

My vote is ultra gauge and radiator with plans to do head gasket, most of us have been through this so we have some idea what we are talking about, owning a rover can be frustrating its either learn to deal with it or buy something else just my .02

 

I can see the flow with the top rad plug out. More than likely still clogged... Yeah I have a tech tool reader the tells me everything from temp to O2 status, to tps reading to spark advances. The 9 o'clock on the dash tenmp gauge is 180-215. I'm guessing that's not too accurate. I'll pull the rad and take it get checked and buy the head gaskets.

 

if the rad does not fix and you do head gaskets get the heads checked to make sure they did not warp, mine did

you also need all new head bolts they are stretch type not reusable

i could see flow in my rad too but it had so much calcium buildup that even with having it rodded out it was nfg

recore and a new brass/copper rad is very expensive, i opted for the aluminum with plastic bowels direct fit, the all aluminum they sell does not fit it is built wrong

 

Yeah gonna do the rad and head gaskets. O'reilly's has a kit for $267. Comes with felpro hg's, valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gasket etc etc. I'm gonna see if I can fit a different rad on her. I've do with it before with a 1 ton K5 Blazer build I did.

 

there is no real swap fit cause of the lower hose, new aluminum is cheap enough from ebay

don't forget you have to buy new head bolts

 

Not sure why the lower hose would be a issue. Do you mean cuz of the angle? Not concerned that angle. I'm gonna give it a try and fit a Chevy or similar type radiator with trans cooling capabilites. I weld and fabricate so I'm not worried about modifying it to fit. I find it hard to believe that no one on here has ever fitted another radiator on these rigs. .