Re: OK, I'm stumped...(97 Legacy Wagon overheating)

Hachiroku wrote:
> Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket
in
> a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
> little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:
> 
> The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
> temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to
rise.
> It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
> stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little
cooling,
> and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will
raise
> the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
> there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.
> 
> Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
> radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I
filled
> the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
> 'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
> plain water. 
> 
> When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
> side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
> overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and
ran
> the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the
guage,
> and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't
get!
> Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated.
Also,
> there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator,
it
> took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!
> 
> I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
> radiator. 
> 
> This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it. 
> 
> Open to all suggestions...
If you remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop they can flow 
and pressure test it. It's not very expensive to have them do that.

Are you absolutely certain that the thermostat is installed correctly? 
Just a thought.