once again -overheating question

TxAlero · 05-09-2012, 11:17 PM

Seems I have a Christine engine. :'( first time it has overheated in a few years since I changed out the head gaskets. Now I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what's wrong this time.
I over heated last Friday and was getting no heat, so I went and and checked fluids for milky or rise in oil levels and smell of Ravi. After checking everything out I figured it was a thermostat. Replaced it added fluids and drove it 20 miles down the road with the temp guage at around 3/4. Then it dropped to 1/2 as I got home. I flushed the system and replaced fluids. I drove it normally this week putting in at least 100 miles with no problems, today as I get home the temp guage almost goes to red and dumps fluid when I park. Later tonight I fill it back up and drive to auto zone less than a mile away and the guage goes above 1/2 but not at 3/4 but was going up. No heat either, Auto zone was no help and on the way home the temp stayed in the middle. But still no heat.
So can I rule out a HG, since it didn't overheat after I started it up after replacing the thermo? What else should I look at next? Hoses, water pump, LIM , rad or what?
Sorry for the long post......

03glgold · 05-09-2012, 11:47 PM

How old is your water pump...I would say it is either gasket or water pump...also other than when it boiled over are you losing fluid? On my dads 97 chevy w/ 350 it was doing something very similar to what you are describing because of a cracked tank on the radiator.

I would wait for someone else to chime in on what they think before just taking my word for it though

Mike The Canadian · 05-10-2012, 07:39 AM

Hmmm... weird... did you bleed the system of air?

TxAlero · 05-10-2012, 11:40 AM

I thought I did. Update, drove it this morning and the temp went to 3/4 then dropped to 1/2 and stayed there for the rest of the trip. And on the way back home it stayed around past 1/2 but not at 3/4 then dropped to 1/2 again. I went and bought a water pump let's see what this does.

xXManwhoreXx · 05-10-2012, 12:03 PM

Burp dat hoe

TxAlero · 05-10-2012, 02:25 PM

Umm funny thing I'm not really sure how to do that, lol
Anyone have a nice picture of where I bleed the rad on a 2000 3.4 v6??

MMGT1 · 05-10-2012, 04:58 PM

Whats the ambient temp there right now? Are you using A/C when this happens?

billytheman1188 · 05-10-2012, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxAlero

Umm funny thing I'm not really sure how to do that, lol
Anyone have a nice picture of where I bleed the rad on a 2000 3.4 v6??

7mm bolt on the heater tube.....right in front of the upper intake. That's the highest point to bleed the system.

TxAlero · 05-10-2012, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billytheman1188

7mm bolt on the heater tube.....right in front of the upper intake. That's the highest point to bleed the system.

Thanks, I looked while installing the water pump, I'm not sure how I overlooked that. Need to wait 24 hours for the seal to dry completely, blah... more to come.

a.graham52 · 05-11-2012, 08:12 AM

the fact that you have no heat coming out of your vents is a key sign of either air (combustion gasses getting into the system) or low coolant. the real question is why did it do it the first time. bleed the coolant and then try it out. do not let the temp gauge go obove 3/4, youll risk warping the heads and causing the headgaskets to fail.