overheated in -20 weather

[Erik the Awful]

6.1 Hemi water pump housing has a bleeder built-in. It's an allen head plug that is usually seized by the time you need to use it, so it rounds out instead of loosening.

Most Japanese cars since the '90s have a bleed port on top of the intake manifold. As a Nissan tech, I almost never used the bleed ports. I'd lift the front of the car a full foot off the ground and use a Lisle coolant funnel.

 

[Hipster]

Alright was away for a bit but here is what I did. And it is 5.7 in a 1988 Chevy. I had to shotgun parts on it being i was in a snowbank working on it in -10 degrees. I put a new waterpump, thermostat, and a put a tee in the highest heater hose on the block as well as a new radiator cap. I filled the block first through the thermostat hole after installing the water pump and then put thermostat in. I then filled the radiator up with the bleed tee in the heater hose and closed it when coolant was flowing through it. I filled the radiator and drove it home. Of course the gauge was fluctuating as I drove it home but never went hot. I pulled inspection cover on the waterpump and impeller was still attached and it spun. wasn't as free as new waterpump but nothing stood out to me. I then went to check theromstat and I really couldn't tell anything on it. the new thermostat I put in was a 195. I waited until it warmed up outside and parked my truck on a hill and removed the radiator cap and blocked the radiator until it opened the thermostat and it took about half a gallon to fill up the radiator. I then capped off and took a long drive. It seemed to fix it but every morning the first time the thermostat opens when its cold outside it has to climb to almost 210 before it opens and then it will stay to what looks like 195 for the rest of the trip to work. IDK why but it bugs the crap out of me. I keep checking everyday to make sure the radiator is filled up and it is full. I think its fixed but it bugs the crap out of me that it climbs to 210 on first thermo open.

210 is not overheating. The cooling system developing pressure and the addition of antifreeze raises the boiling point.

Boiling over is overheating. Dash gauges are notoriously inaccurate.

Drive it.

 

[Hipster]

Most Japanese cars since the '90s have a bleed port on top of the intake manifold. As a Nissan tech, I almost never used the bleed ports. I'd lift the front of the car a full foot off the ground and use a Lisle coolant funnel.

The vacuum/fill system or purging the bleeder is a better solution. Some engines just can't be burped with the funnel. I always crack the bleeder to make sure I have fluid there.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Some engines just can't be burped with the funnel.

Yeah, I had an 87 Mercedes D300TD (or something like that) Station Wagon with a 6 cylinder Turbo Diesel. It was a PITA to get that thing burped.

 

[Hipster]

Yeah, I had an 87 Mercedes D300TD (or something like that) Station Wagon with a 6 cylinder Turbo Diesel. It was a PITA to get that thing burped.

Piece of cake with vacuum/fill system. lol