I have read enough ideas as to how to bleed the air out that there is blood shooting out of my eyes.
1. The factory design on the DII sucks, AGREE?
2. Factory (RAVO) method if done 100% correct will work, MAYBE
3. Running engine when bleeding is a parts house dream when you get a meltdown.
4. Fill using the Bleed screw, no that might just be the answer.
I am going to make a funnel adapter to screw into the bleed screw whole and hand an IV System from the hood to fill the system.
It SHOULD
1. Make that the highest point so that air is forced back to fill tank so that with the cap off SHOULD let all the air out.
I have tried
A: Raise the front wheels a foot and fill from tank with bleed open (NOPE)
B: Rav, factory method (4 times) NOPE
c: Sealed system drove at 80 mph for 20 miles let cool then did the RAV BLEED (NOPE)
I have ordered the upgrade kit for the throttle body, JUST IN CASE then will try my IV system of bleeding.
Will use a 1 quart Gator Aid bottle drill the cap add a fitting filling with Green stuff (not Gator Aid) and see what happens.

 

Just finding the highest point won't nesaccarily do it. Imagine a cave system with water filled caves, and a sealed air pocket. There is water at a higher point, but it doesn't push out the air.

You can drain the whole cave system, but when you refill you can trap air at any level. The highest point is almost irrelevant.

I've never had a problem with bleeding coolant and trapped air. But I also don't really know why, as so many others do have issues. I just raise the bottle with the cap off, unscrew the bleed screw till it p**ses out. Drive it a bit. Top off. Done. Having said that, I've never done any kind of aggressive drain. I've only ever taken the bottom hoses off, below the thermostat. I refill through the top hose, till it pours out, then complete through the bottle.

 

What about a vacuum fill?


One review:
I just used it to fill my Landrover Discovery II which can be a bear to bleed. First off it would not pull the correct vacuum, found a cracked plastic pipe was the culprit. When it pulled the correct vacuum the system filled properly and quickly. I wish this had been around when I owned a shop. Would have made the long hours of bleeding a system a few minutes of work.

From a thread on dweb:

P.T., I have access to a vacuum coolant changer, what's your opinion those types of machines?

PT's Response: Well, if I could make one at home, I'd be using it! Anything that makes it easier to circulate coolant during this process is a good thing in my book!

I've cobbled together a vacuum filling device and I can now fill a dII and evacuate all the air at one time and it has improved that process immeasurably.

 

I know it not correct but; i installed my pressure tester, clamped the upper heater hose with a pier on visegrips and pull the upper heater hose off the heater core.
as soon as coolant comes flowing thru i put the hose back on and tightened the clamp.
not according to the RAVE, but it does allow you to purge from the highest point on the system.

 

Tried the IV TRICK, not worth the hour to build the darn thing (Waterfall)
Did the RAV things again (Waterfall)
Now I just got in the update kit for the throttle body cooling connection will try that next.
This is ALL on the 2000, the 2003 was ready go first try.
Now we have a 4.0 (2000) and 4.6 (2003) was there a SLIGHT change in those two to cause this grief?
Operating temps on 2000 194-214 stays at a steady 208 on level ground with +4 to 5 UPHILL and a drop of 4 down hill. All from the UG.
The 2003 is rock steady at 194 deg.

 

The best way I've found to completely fill a cooling system is to draw a vacuum on it and let the vacuum pull in the coolant. I do it all the time on all sorts of vehicles and it works flawlessly every time.

 

Waterfall is now HISTORY
The Rav instructions worked after I elevated the tank as HIGH as possible.
Drove, no gurgle at all.
Temps still up a LITTLE on this 4.0 After a 20 mile run at around 60 it was sitting between 204 low and 215 High. Average was about 212. The 4.6 runs at 194 in both the DII and the P38.
Look like a radiator and water pump like I did in the 1998 D1 that runs at 194 also.
This DII is at the 210,000 mark so if this is all original then it needs to be done. The PO SAID he did the heads and it runs well and no water where it does not belong.
Will keep updating as a trundle along on this one.

 

Waterfall is BACK. No idea why. Temp is also on the rise running at 214 to 220.
NO water in the oil
NO visible leaks
Nothing looks wrong
I got the kit for the Throttle Body Plate it is that you would not see any water since the heat of the engine would make it go away.
Also the Temp Gauge sits fat dumb and happy dead center. UG tells a different story.
Back to the drawing boards.

 

I wouldn't be happy running it for so long at that temperature.

I don't recall which thermostat you have?

I'd be thinking there might be something else going on, other than just difficult to bleed, to have those temps 'and' the bleed difficulties.

Edit, just read up a bit. 210k, maybe orig water pump? Hmmm

 

Is this a vehicle you just recently got?

Edit: Never mind, I just saw you got it in September. When you replaced the hoses, how did the insides of the old ones look? Could a pervious owner have used copious amounts of stop leak? That happened to a D2 I'm working on. Hoses were gunked, radiator was gunked, had to use a different intake because the old one was clogged, water pump was rusty, corroded, and pitted.