Lower Radiator Hose Remains Cold. Problems!!!!

[Mikey_23_ny1]

97 lsc
I changed out the radiator due to a leak, then water pump plus tstat as well just to play it safe... New hoses yada yada...... I burped the system best to my knowledge(could be the problem). I let it run and warm up and all but then it seems im watching the temp gauge climb. I changes the tstat again thinking maybe it was defective but still the same....I noticed, it seems like there is alot of pressure building up in the upper hose, lower rad hose is cold and the temp is rising.. I let it cool down and then repeat the burping procedure... I remove the crossover cap, fill if needed, rock the car up and down on each side, ill start it up, let it runn over allittle(nothing gets on engine) and when it really overflows i'll put the crossover cap back on... And the watch the needle rise again and the lower hose remains cold... uhhhhhhhhhhh.... maybe still air in the system? havnt driven it yet... gonna cruise around the block a bit... its cooling down now though... gonna try burping it again before i go out for a ride... Fan works...... I had the heat on in the car at the vents.... The heat works... floor vents all work... ac works...ac also turns the fan on all good...

[MichiganTeddyBear]

hmm, not sure on this one.. but here is a thought... did your new lower hose have a spring like device in it to keep it from collapsing?? if not, it may be collapsing and preventing any coolant from being drawn into the water pump.

[luxuryrules]

Wonder if it's just not moving through the rad?

Pull the lower hose off the radiator, let the coolant drain from the hose. See if anything comes out of the radiator as well.
Then, pull the upper hose from the crossover pipe and pour coolant into it. See if it actually filters down to the bottom.

Is it also possible the impeller on the water pump is shot?

[Mikey_23_ny1]

Thanks for the input... I think I might be ok... I've been driving it around pretty much all afternoon and evening and it seems ok.. After i took it for that test run earlier, I let it cool down a bit and then repeated the burping procedure. Now that lower hose is hot so im assuming its circulating. Plus I had the ac on as well... I shut it off for a while as well when i was driving.. temp does not go above a certain mark.. That mark is about half way on the gauge. Dont entirely trust the gauge but it looks to be ok... I should have changed out that coolant sensor when I had everything apart.. I'll probaby have to dump a little bit of coolant out to change it right? That sensor tells the fan to turn on? (besides the ac) And then i will have to repeat the burping again right after the change? thanks

[Mikey_23_ny1]

hmm, not sure on this one.. but here is a thought... did your new lower hose have a spring like device in it to keep it from collapsing?? if not, it may be collapsing and preventing any coolant from being drawn into the water pump.

I checked that hose... I was thinkin the same thing at first.. thanks;)

[Mikey_23_ny1]

I checked temp using one of those digital temp things. About 170degrees at the heads and valve covers after driving for about an hour. Does that sound about right?

[luxuryrules]

Where is the water temp guage after an hour of driving? Should be halfway or less, if so then you should be in good shape.

Good question on temp of heads & valve covers, it sounds ok to me but I've never used an infrared gun on my car so I really don't know where it should be.

[Mikey_23_ny1]

Where is the water temp guage after an hour of driving? Should be halfway or less, if so then you should be in good shape.

Good question on temp of heads & valve covers, it sounds ok to me but I've never used an infrared gun on my car so I really don't know where it should be.

The temp gauge in the car will always max out 1/2 way up. It never exceeds that. Been driving it alot this weekend and just wanted to make sure that im not running hot. Thanks;)