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Posted by David Sherman on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 14:22:11 :
In Reply to: 52 M37 overheat posted by Chuck Reiss on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 10:14:49 :
Sometimes it's informative to feel around the engine block, head, and radiator as the engine is warming up, and see if there are any unusually hot or cold spots. If you have a non-contact infrared thermometer, you can do it the fancy modern digital way. A clogged radiator, for example, will usually not be evenly clogged and you'll find certain spots that stay colder than the rest. A rusted out water distribution tube or clogged passages in the block might result in hot spots. A fair amount of rust can be gotten out of the block by removing the fitting for the block drain plug (so bigger hunks of rust can come out) and flushing it with some vigor through the upper radiator hose or heater hose. Best to dry flushing in every direction through every port until no more rust comes out anywhere.
Another cause of overheating is if the timing is way off. If the engine's running badly or is weak, tune it up and get it in time first. Removing the thermostat is never a fix for anything, but it's a good way to diagnose that the problem is indeed not a non-opening thermostat. I've often thought I had a water pump that wasn't pumping, but in every case when I took it off and looked at it, it was fine, and something else was the problem. Lastly, did you by chance make your own water pump gasket and not cut all the holes in it that need to be cut?