If you decided to eliminate T-stat for few days, then just use a straigh pipe instead of T you were going to use & connect bottom Radiator hose to bottom engine hose, & then use a short hose instead of the one going from plastic bleeder to T-stat & cap it off, (make sure cap is nice & tight so it don't pop off when system builds pressure).

 

Just read through your post and sounds like we're having the same problem, gonna go ahead and do the bypass because I don't need the chance of a defective one until next week.

As a general update, last night I waited until it cooled down and topped off through the bleeder screw (there was some air and pressure but the pressure was to be expected and I guess the air was a good sign that that was all my problem was.. guess not as you will soon find out) and went for a drive around town, temps were around 207-210, nothing I don't think to worry about for around town and radiator was a cool 88-100 all around when I got back and used the temp gun. I saw some things about checking upper and lower hose temps and I went ahead and checked them with the temp gun and the lower hose was significantly cooler at 110 compared to 185 on the top hose. If I read through some posts correctly I'm pretty confident it is a bad thermostat. Also I'm not sure how good those hoses are at insulating the temperature or where the coolant temperature sensor is but either my sensor is bad, those hoses are insulating the temperature, or the coolant is losing 30-40 degrees by the time it gets to the upper hose from the sensor.

This morning after it was ice cold I topped off through the bleed screw and there was air in their again and I noticed that the level was dropping ever so slightly when I watched it, but was for sure dropping. This makes me think there is a leak or it was just going into the expansion tank since it is higher up then that, but that would mean my cap is bad and is letting air out which is not likely since I have replaced it in the past month due to it constantly overflowing through the overflow tube. I have no coolant leaks and I'm not losing coolant so I don't know what to think of it. Anyway after top off and putting the screw back, went for a drive in town and held temps 205-210 which is slightly lower so I was hopeful. Parked and went for another drive and my temps were right back to where they were 212ish driving and 217 stopped at a light. Got on the highway and my temps spike to 221 and get stuck there and then sometimes drop to 212 for a little bit and then go right back to 221 until I get off the highway. Starting to think theres something wrong with the sensor after taking the temp of the hoses and looking at the temp logs.

So after everything I'm thinking either a bad thermostat or a bad sensor, regardless I am going to go ahead with the thermostat bypass just to be on the safe side for this trip. As for doing the bypass, I am blocking off the hose that goes from the bleeder valve at the top to the thermostat? And doing a straight connection from the bottom of the thermostat to the other hose on the top of the thermostat?

EDIT: How do I block off a rubber hose and does anyone know the inner diameters of all 3 hoses?

Thanks for the help

 

1.25 should be the hose diameter.

 

Are all 3 hoses that go to the thermostat the same?

 

Yes they are all 3 1.25

 

Thank you sir I appreciate it

 

The best way to cap a rubber hose is to make a end cap from aluminum,
BUT if you don't have the tools , then get a post end cap, you may ask were to get one? Google "Lowe's.com" then in search box type "Blue hawk end cap", two items will come up, one is like $2 the other $.50, they are 1"3/8 diameter, but you can lube them with coolant and squeeze them into the hose, put the lip of end cap in first , so you can put a clamp behind it so it don't slip out, it will do the trick,, (can also cut the ring off the back of it to make it lighter,)
------
(Or use something similar to it)

 

 

Everyone has their own method of bleeding system,,,
I try to have front of truck higher than back & raise the expansion tank, & I get rid of air in system fairly quickly.

 

The heater hoses and the heater core hold air. Raising the bottle doesnt work on all rovers.

All these thermostats ARENT BAD, they are made by major companies with other states that dont fail.

Once again...air. Squeeze your hoses.

I'll run your bad stat in my rover.