HELP - overheating again (long)

[idoc]

I have a 66 wag I bought about 6 months ago. I drove it a little the first two weeks I had it and it had a slight problem with overheating while idling or moving slow. I attributed it to being a newly rebuilt engine and not having a fan schroud. Also the problem seemed to be getting better as time went on.

Since then I have had it in the garrage. I have replaced the front clip and while doing that have added a fan schroud and changed my fan from a 5 blade to a 7 blade.

Tonight I hooked up the hoses to the radiator, filled with fluid and started it. I let it idle for about 5 min and everything seemed great. The temp gauge didn't pass the mid point. So, I decided to take it for a quick trip up the block. I drove about 100 ft. from the garrage to the road, looked down and I was way hot. I let it idle for a minuit to see if the temp would come down and it didn't so I shut it off.

After about 15 min I checked on it and the radiator was warm to the touch but not hot. The engine however was still very hot.

What is going on? Did my thermostat go bad? Is there an air pocket in the enging not letting water pass through?

PLEASE HELP. After tonight I am so frustrated I told the wife maybe we won't go to Ouray after all.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

[gsmikie]

thermo stat comes to mind ....do you have a fan clutch ???? pull the top heater hose on the intake and see if water comes out if not fill the rad until it does come out i have to do this on my late chevy or massive air pocket

[AJ Johnson]

yeah... id suspect a thermostat or a blockage somewhere. also make sure your waterpump is circulating

[Big Blue J-10]

Yank the thermostat and see what happens.What about the water pump,or possibly the radiator it self(I had to replace all of these items to cure my over heating problems)

Adam

[AzFrank aka Desertson]

One thing that had me stumped one day when mine overheated was.....a clappsed(sp?) lower rad hose (cavitating). At idle the temp was fine,but when I started to drive, the temp would shoot up. The only way I found it was I sitting at gas station water/air pump and I reved the throttle. As the rpms picked up, the lower hose slowly started to clapps due to being old and weak (soft). Pinch the 90deg bend of the hose and if it is really soft then 10-1 its no good.Even though there is a spring inside to keep the 90deg formed, they will rust thru and break.
Another thing too I noticed when I was adding water at g-station was when the rad was full,and then I increased rpms, the water would start to gurggle (pretty good a few times)out the filler neck every couple of seconds, kind of like a constant air pocket trapped in system that won't go away.
Hope this might help. ;)

[idoc]

Thanks for all the replies.

I went back down this morning, turned the key and the temp gauge pegged far right at the hot, ie it was my gauge that wasn't working right. (I hope)

So I finished priming it today and will paint it tomorrow.

Ouray is still a maybe - YaHoo.

[brent]

I could write you guys a book on chronic overheating...and I haven't even got to the root of the problem on my own rig.
But when you say the radiator is just warm and not hot I would automatically assume you have scales and blockage etc etc and needs to be rodded out.
My 2 cents anyway, Brent

[JeepKahn]

I've heard mention in the past that these motors will have airpockets and that if you totally drain the system the only way to purge it is to fill it through the water outlet in the motor otherwise the tstat is sitting in air and won't open... Head wrench at a local jeep specialest told me I think...