how to

[SRVBLUES64]

Hi Guys, what the best way to get air out of the radiator? could someone give the steps pls

[cdowns]

remove cap pour in fluid while engine is running
that's what has always worked fer me

[bubba353z]

I'm going to assume you're trying to bleed the whole system and not just the radiator....

1 - fill radiator
2 - start engine and turn on the heater
3 - get engine up to temp to open the thermostat
4 - when the level drops in the radiator, add more fluid

Keep adding fluid until the level stops dropping - wait a little while each time you add fluid.

Put the cap back on before shutting off the engine, and then add fluid to the reserve tank if you have one.

Once the engine cools off totally, check the level in the radiator and reserve tank again and you should be good to go.

[SRVBLUES64]

we have some funny guys here on the forum lol my temp reaches 210 quickly I do notice that my fluid does circulate in the radiator, my therm is a 190 I donot have a heater and do not have a over flow res any other thoughts? Im also running and electric fan with a switch in the cab which seems not to cool her down

[71swb4x4]

Have you verified the temp? Are you certain the gauge is accurate?
210 is not a bad temperature to run at, is there a reason you have a concern at that temp?
Electric fans are not created equal. Do you have a shroud? Is it a pusher or puller, and is it installed to work as which ever one it is?
Why not have a thermostat switch on the fan so it turns on automatically?

[64shortbox]

Is it possible you might have a blown head gasket? That would sure make a truck get hot in a hurry.
As to bleeding a system of air I ALWAYS drill a 1/8" hole in my thermostat before instaling it. Most thermostats already have a hole in them with a little "T" thingy in it. I cut off the T with a pair of dykes and drill that hole out to 1/8". This does a couple of things. It will let the air bleed past the thermostat as you fill the radiator and it also lets a small amount of water past the thermostat as the motor is warming up so your thermostat will open up a little sooner.
Just a thought.

[71swb4x4]

Originally Posted by 64shortbox

It will let the air bleed past the thermostat as you fill the radiator and it also lets a small amount of water past the thermostat as the motor is warming up so your thermostat will open up a little sooner.

I also drill the hole, simply to let the air escape when filling the system with coolant.
IMO it does not open the thermostat sooner, if anything it opens it later. The water that goes past thermostat will allow fresh water into the engine from the radiator. Of course the fresh water from the radiator is cooler than the hot water in the engine. All that aside I really don't think that little hole makes much of a difference if any in when the thermostat opens.

[SRVBLUES64]

My gauge is a new gauge, I just thought 220 was high, my thermostat is a 195 and is brand new, the fan has its own shroud, the circulation is good, I have no leaks, I did take the heater/blower off to have more room in the engine bay and Im using a by pass hose, the reason I have a switch to turn the fan on cause I cant find a sensor, so for now I will use a switch. The truck heats up pretty fan and the fan does not seem to cool her down the high temps are at an idle. Im not using a res bottle right now.

[cdowns]

if in doubt of temp use a good known thermometer and take the temp of the coolant// temp gauges and senders are just rough estimates if u r lucky// sender location has alot to do with it too

u can buy a good accurate thermometer in hardware store of supermarkets too

[SRVBLUES64]

well I have no idea what I did but I changed the by pass hose to alittle longer and no over heating it got to 190 and thats it so thanks to all that helped me out Now I can move on