96 legacy wagon, 2.2,  automatic

 

Put new heads on this summer,, no problems since until tonight.

 

Car over heated.  After going about 8 miles. 

 

needle went to the top,, I parked it.

 

Radiator cap was cool ,, I took it off ,, nothing bubbling out.

 

Top hose was hot!   Bottom hose was cool/warm.

 

I have put in a new stant thermostat,, (the good one) when I did my heads.

 

I could see wet/ water around  the bacak of the passenger side head light.

 

I tried to put more water in it,, and filled up the over flow bottle. 

 

I turned on the A/C and the heat on high.

 

I tried to go back home,, but went about 2 miles or so and it was pegging again,, so I pulled off and sat it . 

 

I need to deal with it tomorrow.  Suggestions?

 

I THINK I might have slowly lost coolant over time and now I have a air bubble again or something.

 

The Screw  at the top left side of the radiator is sheared off and I cant remove it.  

  MY plan is to remove top hose and try to pour water down into the block. , and start it and do this over and over again.

 

Any help is appreciated.

Bad thermostat, faulty water pump, clogged radiator.  I would suspect it's one of those three and not an air bubble.  the reason people say to fill from the top radiator hose is that water has to go through the thermostat to get into the engine.  

 

What you described is no flow through the radiator.

My money's on the radiator. 

 

Emily

Update:

I went back to get it,, poured water into the top hose took quite a bit.

 

filled radiator,, it was low too.

 

Drove it home about 6-8 miles,  Never went above the normal temp. 

 

heater was throwing heat again,  unlike last night.

 

Parked.    Found radiator leaking pretty bad from the side.   SO I guess I lost a lot of fluid over time,, or whatever.

 

Ordered new radiator @rockauto $55.  plus 16 shipping.  Auto zone = 122.

 

* I had taken the whole motor out when I re did the heads this summer.  New hoses etc.    
when I pulled the top hose from the radiator I found  "sandy grit"  all around the inside of the hose.  Im presuming this was somebody in the past using leak seal on the cooling system in the past.  Because I never did.

 

could be cast iron flakes too I guess..  I dunno.

 

Thanks Texan and ccrinc

Update:

I went back to get it,, poured water into the top hose took quite a bit.

 

filled radiator,, it was low too.

 

Drove it home about 6-8 miles,  Never went above the normal temp. 

 

heater was throwing heat again,  unlike last night.

 

Parked.    Found radiator leaking pretty bad from the side.   SO I guess I lost a lot of fluid over time,, or whatever.

 

Ordered new radiator @rockauto $55.  plus 16 shipping.  Auto zone = 122.

 

* I had taken the whole motor out when I re did the heads this summer.  New hoses etc.    

when I pulled the top hose from the radiator I found  "sandy grit"  all around the inside of the hose.  Im presuming this was somebody in the past using leak seal on the cooling system in the past.  Because I never did.

 

could be cast iron flakes too I guess..  I dunno.

 

Thanks Texan and ccrinc

It is an easy swap to install a new radiator. I did it on wife's 98 OBW a few years back. Check out both the top and bottom radiator hoses. If worn, it is a good opportunity to replace them. The tranny  ATF gets cooled through the radiator, so you will need to add some ATF that will be lost in the swap.