Top Half of Radiator hot, Bottom Half Cold?

[ItsnotaGN]

I believe the Buick 350 has a bypass hose at the water neck which could account for a stuck thermostat and hot upper radiator hose. Some water gets by no matter what. Couple thing I would check, heat gun across radiator, check heat drop from top to bottom, as earlier stated pull t-stat and check with a thermometer on a stove in a pot of water for the actual opening temp, the "cracking" temp should be a few degrees before 195, it should be fully open at 195.

 

[MrSony]

Type of cap?

Standard replacement 16psi.

 

[TURNA]

Standard replacement 16psi.

Get the type with the red handle that you can release the pressure with.

Let it run get hot the let the air out.

 

[TURNA]

 

[pontiacgp]

take the cap off to see if that is flow in the rad

 

[MrSony]

Get the type with the red handle that you can release the pressure with.

Let it run get hot the let the air out.

why?

 

[TURNA]

because they are 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times better than a standard cap

You can burp the system and just for safety reasons as well

 

[Skippy]

I might have missed this in the thread but one thing to try is drain the coolant, unhook too and bottom hose, with the cap on run a garden hose into the top hose with a rag around it to seal it the best you can and see how much water comes out the bottom. It should flow out pretty freely. If it starts pushing back out the top faster than it goes in there is most likely a blockage. Pull the rad, flip it over and put the hose in the bottom and repeat that way. If there is a blockage that may flush it out. Sorry if this is a repeat of someone else’s suggestion.
Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[black_aerocoupe]

I guess you are hedging on protecting your engine when a new 951 for 92 F-body is about $100?
There is a metric ton of diagnostic misinformation in this thread, some probably / hopefully tongue-in-cheek.
Use a UV laser thermometer, see what the temp. difference is between the top and bottom of the core.
If the bottom is significantly cooler than the top, or doesn't warm up commensurate with the engine coolant outlet temp, things are likely blocked, making it worth your while to diagnose further. Usually, removal of the lower hose lets you readily see corrosion at the lower tube ends of the core. Maybe your system had poorly maintained coolant mixture and it happened quick (in 2 years, assuming you bought it new.) Either way, you have multiple signs your radiator has some blockage. Confirm and replace. Your t-stat is easily tested with a thermometer and pan on the kitchen range.

 

[pontiacgp]

and just to claify that would be the rad cap, not your baseball cap.....

I might have missed this in the thread but one thing to try is drain the coolant, unhook too and bottom hose, with the cap on run a garden hose into the top hose with a rag around it to seal it the best you can and see how much water comes out the bottom. It should flow out pretty freely. If it starts pushing back out the top faster than it goes in there is most likely a blockage. Pull the rad, flip it over and put the hose in the bottom and repeat that way. If there is a blockage that may flush it out. Sorry if this is a repeat of someone else’s suggestion.
Hope you get it sorted out.

you should have saved your post for page 16.....