Hello. This is my 1st post to this forum. This forum has been exceptionally helpful lot me on some work on my Blazer, however, I now have something I hope to get some help on.

I have a 2001 4WD 4.3 2Door LS, with about 75k on it. My trouble begins with fluctuating temperatures, the gauge reading at red line. A pin hole subsequently appeared just above my thermostat housing which I replaced both items and that ran fine. I was however not getting heat. Still, that didn't matter so much as the weather was temperate enough not to need it. As the weather was getting cooler I planned on changing the heater core. With this core, the temperature would redline, then drop in a few minutes of that.

More recently, the temperature would redline and then the core would produce steam, then drop in temperature. At this point I was so concerned about asphyxiation I put in the required 7 or so hours to remove the dash and switch out the core with a Delphi, new. Just finished that last night.

Now, the car runs hot and stays hot (read REDLINE). Boy, would I like to think this is air in the system.

I am not claiming to be a mechanic but due to financial constraints, I don't seem to have any other real options and need to keep the car operational to even be able to keep up my work. Recommendations?

 

You may not have much money but you sure have a lot of big words. Did you try burping the cooling system as described in multiple threads here? It sounds like you changed the thermostat but the new one could be bad. You could try running without it to see if that's the problem. You could also have a plugged radiator or in rare cases a bad impeller on your water pump. I assume it's overheating at idle...I don't think you drive it the way it is. Have you checked your fan clutch? Generally a bad clutch would make you run a little warm so I doubt that's the major problem.

 

Thanks. Didn't mean to get "wordy". I'm taking an essay class in college and got used to using them. Burping the system was exactly what was needed. It's running at a little over 190 stably. I'm one happy camper, and now with heat. Tell ya what, when I first had to tear out that dash, I wouldnt have wished that on anyone. Now that it's all said and done, turns out it wasn't all that bad.

Thanks for your help.