If you're overheating you don't want to bypass the heater core, rather you want to turn on your heater full blast to add additional cooling to the system.
That is, until you can fix the problem.

 

If you have to ask how hard a head gasket job is you are probably in over your head.
Are you absolutely certain the heater core is not plugged? Take a garden hose and flush through it both ways. If it's plugged it will hold an air pocket that will never bleed out. Are you absolutely certain the system was FULL? The sloshing sound is usually low coolant level, low coolant causes steam, steam causes burst hoses.

Trevor (Rovahfarm) is a one man show. Place your order through the website and your parts will arrive shortly. He will contact you if there is any problems.

Rovahfarm has the caliper kits including new pistons, you can do all 4 calipers for about $100+ shipping. Don't bother with a seal kit, the chrome plating on the old pistons flakes off and will not seal.

Rovahfarm beats pretty much anybody for price. I have seen a few good deals on the auction site, but I do not use the auction site because I have seen too many poor quality parts for the same price as I can buy the good stuff for. I really hate that site.

Replace ALL the cooling system hoses when you have it apart for the head gaskets. The 5/16" stuff can be purchased from NAPA very inexpensively, just tell them you need 5/16" coolant hose. Replace all the clamps. Replace the water pump too.

 

I'm assuming its the HG and exhaust gasses are getting into the cooling system adding pressure and air which is causing the cooling to not to work efficiently. I still have the black overflow box which I read it usually leaks and who ever designed a black box with no sight glass at the fill level is genius, it says fill to level when cold.....what level? So when I bleed the radiator for the third or forth time I made sure coolant was at the top of the radiotor plug and overflow box was filled to the half way marks identified by the seam in the overflow box (looking in with cap off). I bearly heard sloshing yesterday and the truck stayed cool for about 15-20 miles with a/c on, then I hit traffic up hill with no shoulder when I noticed she was getting hot, I tried to make it the .5 miles I had to go to get to the shoulder n like 20 feet from it is when the hose blew. So I'm thinking, I could easily do the HG, I am very handy its the heads I'm worried about, finding a good mechanic to check n turn them if needed and the down time that may induce. The strech screw I'd have my ol's uncle (a mechanic) stop by n over see that part. I more than sure he could bring his torq wrench to do the 15lb, n two 90º turns.

 

Level when cold - open cap and look in, line up with seam, etc.

180F stat

Check radiator for sludge.

Machine shop near me machined both heads, plus valve job, $250. Gasket kit 90-120 depending on source, new bolts about $30 - $40. Don't be tempted to re-use bolts.

 

well i flushed everything with a garden hose every way possible, every line, filled it and flushed again, replaced the 192* thermostat with a 190* (no stores had under 190* didnt have the gasket either so i used a little thin layer non setting gasket maker to the old one, filled it with 50/50, bleed it and i have 210 miles with no overheating issues but all of a sudden it wouldnt go over 2000 rpm yesterday. checked the intake that was clear, i was with my buddy a Junior mechanic so he help the idle up while i checked the exhaust, suspecting the cats are clogged i let the exhaust cool and added some $26 Cat/exhaust cleaner when it was cool it went up to about 3000 rpm before it started choking and bogging down after a couple miles i could take it all past 3400 rpm. problem is now my check engine light is on, im sure that cat cleaner did something to an O2 sensor. gotta get the code read

heres what i did with her today

 

and the check engine light went away

 

Every auto parts store near you will carry a 180F stat. They fit Chevys and lots of other vehicles. Might be listed as alternate temp. Advance has their computer system updating, they have part numbers for five or six stats, but not details.

Auto Zone 15358
Oriellys 15358 or 3008

After you get the codes read, you might consider cleaning throttle body with carb cleaner, and cleaning the MAF with made for MAF spray (only when cold and key has not been turned on, sensor heats to 350F inside when powered up). While they are reading your codes with their super demor unit, also look at what your TPS reading is, it should be around 9% at idle, and increase smoothly as throttle is advanced. You can do this in position 2 with truck not running.


Note: Don't argue with parts guys, make them think it was their idea in the first place.

 

well after a few hundred miles the temp guage started to rise once or twice so i turned the heat on full blast (not fun in the summer) and it almost instantly came back down. so i took it to a local mechanic after work on day and he didnt have time to really go over it but he pressure tested the system at 20 lbs and ran the truck for 25-30 mins with no pressure lose or gain
he said if i had the time he could do a complete leak down test but he had a few recommendations first

1. remove the theromastat completely and run for another few hundred miles n see what happens.
2. flush the system again and use a flushing agent this time.
3. If it were a HG leak its probally very small he said and recommended Blue Devil...kinda leary on that one.
4. and get a new radiator hose since mine kinda scared him

what do you guys think?

 

Warm up the truck, then turn off. Measure temp on radiator fins top and bottom, in a straight vertical up and down line. If temp in bottom area is 10 degrees or more colder, radiator is clogged and needs to be rodded out. Pretty common with 15-16 year old radiator.

Running with no stat is no fix. I have seen plenty of vehicles with no stat because owners would not fix causes of overheat. Will run a D1 at 140 - 150F. Too cool for good oil lubrication, so you just wear out engine quicker. But you can locate and install a 180 thermostat. Where are you located?

Do you have a sound like water gurgling thru pipes under the dash? That would be air or exhaust gas in coolant. There is a chemical test mechanic or you can do to test for exhaust gas in coolant from head gaskets.

The temp dropping a lot when heater turned on can mean the radiator is clogged and not physically cooling off like it should.