Overheating

[cactus]

I just last night flushed out my rb20det and replaced with fresh coolant..now my problem is that the thermostat wont open, when i drive it it reaches just over 3/4 and the bottom radiator hose is stone cold when i put my hand on it after a drive, I have taken it out and tested it in hot water and it opens properly all fine. put it all back together put the bleeder nipple to the top and also checked for anthing that could be stopping it from opening, there was nothing. I was told today that there could be an air pocket that would prevent the water from making proper contact with the thermostat....is there only one bleed hole or is there a second one lower down on the engine for the thermostat housing??

[RANDY]

Do you have the correct thermostat for your car? If the rating is much higher, then it won't open when it should.

Other thing may be the waterpump. If it died, then it won't circulate the water.

And if you want to get any possible air out, there may be a better way, but I only know of the one that involves starting and running the car at idle with the radiator cap off until the bubbling stops. If your pump is working properly, you should eventually get coolant spilling over the top as the car warms up.

[Syphon]

Use something like a coke bottle cut in half, with some tape wrapped around the mouth piece of it so that it fits tight in the radiator filler neck. pull bleed screw out, run motor and keep filling bottle up, so that water sits higher than bleed point on inlet.

Does that make sense ?

Also make sure your heater is turned on, ie set climate control to hottest setting.

Give the motor a good bleed. You can also squeeze the top radiator hose occasionally while bleeding to force any air which can tend to sit in there.

Good luck

[blind_elk]

Or use the cooling system bleed valve (located near the front of the plenum, if you had SEARCHed).

[cactus]

All fixed

Just had to piss around with the bleeding eventually got it.....

Cheers

ps to blind_elk, if you read my post you would see i metioned the bleed valve at the plenum.......

[SECURITY]

just thought i'd ad this for future searchers... bleed valve is circled.