Help!Overheating after rebuild

[hulkster_s13]

So here is the situation I just put in my rebuilt Sr and it overheating. Bottom of radiator is cold. So I changed the thermo figuring it was stuck. Now with the new thermo and oem radiator cap it's still overheating at idle,coolant is overflowing into canister and bottom half of radiator and hose is still closed. I have a used koyo,FAL duals, water wetter with 50/50. I have a gauge and it's reading 220 and it's still climbing when I shut down. My next guess is that the radiator is bad. But I took it to a radiator shop and they cleaned and leak tested it. It was all good. Please give me a suggestion

[roboticnissan]

Head gasket is on upside, backwards or both

[hulkster_s13]

Pretty sure I don't have the headgasket on wrong. This isn't my first rebuild of an Sr. I have a cosworth hg. I'm thinking it's the used radiator. Has anyone every experienced the cold hose and bottom half of radiator cool to the touch

[nismoman]

Are you sure you properly bled the cooling system?

[hulkster_s13]

I just bled it again still same thing

[hulkster_s13]

Well it turns out that both new thermo stats were sticking closed. So I just left it out. Now no overheating while idling.

[Garber]

always test a thermostat before putting it in.

[fufanu180]

That's awesome that it doesn't over heat anymore but the thermostat is still important. Are you sure it was sticking closed? sounds maybe like it is an underlying problem. A thermostat isn't that complex, find it weird that both thermostats you used weren't working correctly. Just trying to help.

[hulkster_s13]

yeah they both stuck. my friend said with that kind of luck i should go to Vegas. doesnt overheat now i drove it. got a little hot like around 215 but it went down real fast. my temp sensor location is the adapter piece that bolts in between the head and the water neck. i dont know if that makes it seem like im running hotter than normal. i would usually run sensors in the top hose. i might still have a air pocket. as for the thermostat this is the first time i've ever ran without one, i will be putting one in that i test first. first thermo was from checkers(orielys), i vowed never to buy parts from them again, they messed up pretty bad on parts i ordered for my pathfinder.like special ordering disc brakes, after a day of waiting and i also took apart my brakes for the job they brought in drums lol. they said if i could wait another day they would get it
second thermo was from napa. next ill just get one from nissan. ive never had a thermo stick before.
timing is dead on. TPS is set. Iavc is set idles like a purring kitten.

[nismoman]

Yeah always buy Nissan thermostats.
You have another issue though if you car gets up to 215 with no thermostat installed. Either you aren't bleeding the system properly or something isnt working.

And how do you know the thermostats were stuck did t
You test them in hot water?

[hulkster_s13]

I didn't bleed after I took out the thermo I just filled it to see if it would heat up still got to do that. Tested them in water

[fufanu180]

yeah you need to be sure to bleed the system. drain the radiator, jack the front end up, turn on the heater, take the bleeder screw out, fill it until it starts coming out of the bleeder screw and then top it off. 215 is way to hot especially if the thermostat is out.

Oh and rev the engine up to about 2500 consistently to speed up the bleeding process.

You most likely have air in the system right now.

[nismoman]

yeah you need to be sure to bleed the system. drain the radiator, jack the front end up, turn on the heater, take the bleeder screw out, fill it until it starts coming out of the bleeder screw and then top it off. 215 is way to hot especially if the thermostat is out.

Oh and rev the engine up to about 2500 consistently to speed up the bleeding process.

You most likely have air in the system right now.

ditto^^^^what he said

[Mangudai]

Does coolant shoot out of the bleeder hole if you take the screw off?