ya, i have the same problem right now when i drain the system, then try and bleed it and fill the system again, the first run seams to have no heat coming out the vents and the temps will climb quicker, but i let it get to like 150 and then i shut the engine down. let it cool and then i do the bleed again and it will remove the air pockets in the system and ill start the engine again and right away ill have heat come out the vents and the motor will not get hotter then 203 for me.

so sounds like you may still have air in the system.

 

Hi Brian.
It started with a broken hose. One of the smaller size ones broke at the plastic joint. I replaced that and at the same time the water pump. The pump started to grind and grabbing the pulley wheel I could feel loads of play. I did not change the stat at this time. I refilled the system and thought all was good. Then after about 5 mins of running it would start to get hotter and hotter. So I shut down and checked. I found the lower part of the stat and lower part of the radiator to be cold to the touch? I figured a bad stat so I replaced that. Now its doing the same thing? Today I spent more time making sure the system was bled. at first I was not getting any heat from the vents. But after a few try's (bleeding) it gets nice and hot now. But after about 8 to 10 mins now it slowly starts to climb in temp. From what an earlier post mentioned I'm feeling I still have air trapped. I also read somewhere on this forum the lower part of the radiator does not get hot if the outside temp is low. It only takes from the lower part when needed? Is this true? If so it sounds like I still have air in the system.
Thanks for your help.
Cheers John.

 

Yes I think I do. What are you using to measure temp? A special outside gauge? I'm just going by the dash temp. It always for me stayed bang in the middle, be it freezing cold or boiling hot outside. As soon as I see it creep up I shut off. I know these cars are sensitive due to aluminum heads.
Cheers John.

 

Ok This morning I checked again. Filled as much as I could. ran the car for about 8 mins or so and the temp creped up again. This time I noticed the top hoses to be highly pressurized? So fearing the worst I checked the oil cap and there is a slight white emulsion in the cap! Does this mean a blown head gasket? If so, I need to fix it myself as I'm trying to prep the car for my son after he passes his test. I'm not shy about getting my hands dirty I just recently did the leaky rocker cover gaskets which was a bit of a pain but not to bad.
All the best John.

 

I'm using a blue tooth ddevice and a phone app to read my temps.

The temp Guage on these trucks are not so good. Iv not been past 210 and my gauge cluster was still in the middle.

 

If you had a HG leak between a combustion chamber and a coolant passage then that could explain your swollen upper hose. The only HG leak I have experience with is the slow drip out the rear of the passenger side of the block. If pressurized air can go out then coolant can go in... pull plugs and check chambers for anything unusual, like steam cleaned etc. I would think this would cause misfire codes though.

What brand T=stat did you buy? Many of the Motorad units are bad out of the box. Others don't operate at the advertised temp. OEM Grey 180 is the only one to buy.

 

I know this may sound crazy...but are you sure you have the serpentine belt routed correctly? Some of the routing on these belts can be confusing...and I've seen seasoned mechanics have a water pump running backwards because of it.

Also, did it overheat when the hose broke initially. And, when you say you could feel a drag on the original waterpump...did you see any scoring on the block where the impeller fits into the block?

The bleeding wasn't that big of issue with both my 01 and 03. Simply drained, changed fluid, ran for a bit...bleeding every couple minutes, shut off, let cool, refilled, ran it for a few more minutes and bled one last time, cooled it down...and refilled...done.

Something seems kind of weird with your issue, especially the part about taking a lengthy time to get heat through your vents.

You can buy an inexpensive tool at most parts stores that mounts to your reservior and will help predict if you have a head gasket issue.

Brian.

 

can you still get the belt on wrong even if you have the smooth side on smooth pulleys and the ribbed side on ribbed pulleys?

 

Hi Guys.
So I went back to check again today. I am starting to think the small amount of white emulsion on the oil cap is condensation. It really is very little and there is no evidence of water on the dipstick. fingers crossed Now I have bled again today and it seems to be getting better. The heat is coming out of the vents inside now. Nice and warm. I just sat out there with the car for 10 mins and the temp held smack in the middle. I took it up to 3k for 30 seconds and it still stayed good.
My question is in regards to the thermostat. Even after 10 mins of running (it is a little cold here Northern Cal) the upper hoses going in are warm, but the lower one is cold? Is this normal? I have read somewhere on this forum the lower part of the radiator can stay cold and only draws when needed? Something about warming up the interior fast. I am a little confused about this thermostat situation its the 3rd one now? As far as the serpentine belt routing. I will defiantly double check that. I'm 99% sure I have it right. but stranger things have happened
Thanks Everyone for your help.
Cheers John.

 

Hi again
I borrowed a temp gauge from a friend. I was starting to not trust the dash gauge. I run the car for about 10 minutes it seems fine to me. But can anyone tell me the specific areas to check temp? It has a laser pointer, what are the key areas to watch for? After 10 to 12 mins the dash gauge starts to climb to the upper levels though not in the red. It behaving very differently than ever before. Using the laser the engine does not seem to be overly hot.
All the best john.