it did its first over heat thing about a 2weeks ago, i replaced the thermostadt with a 160* and bleed the system...i have been removing the thermostadt to check the coolant level in my radiator b/c i have the annoying water level sensor going bad problem...i have to add about 2 cups of water every other day, then sometimes i dont have to add any? the neck of my coolant resovior has coolant all over it, and thats when it hasnt over heated...im assuming there is air in the line, because there is never any water in the top radiator hose when it gets hot...i catch it ever time when its about 250* and the check gauges light comes on.

my question is am i bleeding the system correctly? i unscrew the brass fitting, and add anti-freeze/water till coolant comes out then tighten the brass fitting back down. i do this when the water is warm, and the car is off. after i do this the car is fine, and cools right off...but im wondering if everytime i check my coolant level, should i bleed the system b/c when i remove the cap, it lets off pressure?

more or less am i bleeding the system wrong?

thanks for your time,
steve

 

YES, your bleeding the system wrong.


Your car should be running when you bleed the system. LT-1 coolant caps are clumsy..so make sure it's on properly and secure first. Start the car up and let the engine cycle for a minute of so. Open the Bleeder screw on the driverside firs and let the air escape till the coolant starts to come out then close it. THen go to the Screw on the passengerside of the Thermostat area and do the same. I spent 60 bucks to learn that trick at the dealer...ahd same problem. Mechanic just showed me how to do it right then and there.

 

Also check and make sure your cooling fans are comming on..

 

is it getting aroused?

 

It is totally correct to open the bleeder screws when you are adding coolant with the radiator cap off. If you have the cap on and wish to bleed a warm engine, just crack the bleeder screws when there is pressure and the engine temp is high enough that the thermostat is open. Close the bleeders screws when nothing but coolant comes out.
Keep the remote reservoir filled to the proper level. If you must check the coolant level by removing the radiator cap, do it in the morning when the engine is totally cool. Coolant should be at or very near the top.
If you are experiencing a repeated loss of coolant and air in the system, you might have a head gasket problem. You might also consider a new radiator cap. A malfunctiong cap could cause air to be sucked back in during cool down.

 

Do you have the correct t-stat for your car ? These things can all be caused by using a regular SBC thermo also.

-Shannon

 

yes i had to order it, it has the little ext. part built on..it was $19 so im sure it was the right one, i had them look it 3 times, and it looked like my old one!

i bleed the system again topped it off cold, then let it warm up to operating temp, then cracked the bleeder screw a #@%^ load of air came out then coolant, i checked the resoivor and filled it up, and everything seems a-ok now, i did it 3 times to make sure it was fully bled!

thanks for the quick response and input

steve