copied from another memember SSS R i do beileve was the name

Open both bleeder screws
Poor coolant into radiator
You will eventually hear a hiss
keep filling to brim of radiator and let it settle down until you can't fill it anymore
it's possible the lower bleeder (on t-housing) will start to trickle fluid.
Close bleeder screws
start engine
have someone watch temp gauge while someone else watches coolant level through radiator
fill radiator as the level falls
when you can't fill anymore, close radiator
let system pressurize while still watching temp gauge carefully
Open t-stat bleeder screw
if it leaks coolant you are good to go. close bleeder screw
if air comes out let the system pressurize again and repeat.
do the same for the top screw.
Don't fill radiator COMPLETELY to the top. You want to allow it some room to expand when the coolant starts to get hot.
Once you see a steady stream of coolant start pissing into the radiator from the steam pipe you know the engine is good for coolant

 

Air lock? Go to shbox.com----great site for diagrams, diagnosis, etc.

 

yea i would completly think it would be a airlock problem, im suprized he isnt running into issues with erratic engine temps etc.

 

Ehh, im 99% confident that its a clogged up heater core.

If a car is not low on antifreeze, and has no heat, the majority of the time thats what it is. My Camaro did the same thing. It could be the middle of a 90* summer day, idling in traffic, with the stock stat, and I would only get luke warm heat. So I flushed it out when I did the cam install, and it is WAY WAY WAY better now, even with a 160* stat in place.

Id bet my life on it that it needs flushed out. I mean, id do the bleeders first, cause its fastest/easiest, but ...

 

ok im gonna bleed it tonight then and see what happens, thanks for the step by step instructions. I would have thought it was clogged to but its wierd how anti-freeze moves through the line once the car has been turned off.

If that doesn't work, whats the best way to flush out the heater core since compressed air might end up blowing out a line?

 

disconnect the lines going to the heater core and use a water hose.

 

In cool weather mine dont warm up that much, Theres 2 bleeder valves up top there.
Theres one showing in the picture there and another right above the water pump hideing in all the hoses

 

Been running a 160 for 1 1/2 years and have had no problems with the heater. Thermo opens at 160 and that means coolant in heater is at least 160 when coolant is circulating. 160 is plenty for heater and defroster in most places.

 

Actually, the t'stat temperature rating is the temp at which it STARTS to open. Typically, it will take another 20* before it is fully open. I've driven my car in 0*F weather with the 160*F t'stat, and the heat was fine. Might have taken a couple extra minutes to feel really warm, but that's the extent of the impact.

 

I bled the radiator today and there was no air in it, everything was fine. So i guess my next step tomorrow in the day light will be to hook up a water hose to the inlet and flush the heater core to see if there is a clog.

 

I had the 160* t'stat when the engine had no more than a few bolt-ons, so its not an issue of my engine generating "a lot more heat". Yes, my car came from the factory with the oil cooler, and its still in use.

Have you consider the possibility that 1)you have the wrong t'stat; 2) it was not installed correctly; or 3) it was faulty when you installed it?

There are way too many people running around with 160* 'stats and good heater output. I'm not alone.

 

If you understand how the heater operates, you need only check each of the steps to see where the problem lies---yes I realize that I am oversimpifying it, but the process of elimination is the best place to start.

One thing not mentioned is that the controls that open the heater may be boogered or the gates may not be working properly to divert the coolant through the heater. Do you know which hose is the inlet and which is the return? Start by looking at the heater hose configuation in Sh.box. com.

I had 5 heater cores put in my Bronco---each one sprung a leak in just a few months. Decided it was because the coolant was no good and the acid ate right through the cores. But that's another issue.

Just be sure to let us know what you did to solve your problem---that's what this site is all about.JMHO

 

I have a 160* stat, AND a BIG oil cooler, not the stock one. My heater works great.

With the STOCK stat, and BIG oil cooler, I had NO HEAT AT ALL because it was clogged up. Coolant looked good, but flushing it out proved differently.

 

Great thread, great timing as winter is coming here in ND and our car had no heat with a 160 with 40-50 outside air temp.

That will not cut it in a ND blizzard.

So I got a new 180 from the dealer, popped off the hoses to the heater core and backflushed - lots of crap came out. So I backflushed the engine oil cooler too, but that seemed clean.

Sucked the old coolant out of the over flow tank.

Installed the 180 thermostat.

Slowly filled through the rad cap with the two little vents open. Started car to circulate, shut off. Refilled to top withmaking sure coolant came out of little vent valves. Buttoned up system, put about 1/2 gallon in overflow tank, ran car until radiator fans kicked in. This car has a manual fan switch and with the fans on and the 180 thermostat controlling the interior heat is hot enough that you can't hold your hand over the vent!



I put the car in the garage and tried the little vent valves, instant coolant.



Thanks!

 

" Z28Roxy " The hypertech thermo I got did not have the lower part like the stock thermo. nor did the mr gasket. I dont know if this applys?