These cooling system problems should be this complicated. Since it ran fine before you should be able to get it to run again.The system is so basic....rad, stat, coolant, water pump, and hoses. First off make sure you have everything on the car that should be there, fan, shroud, stat, etc.

Drain it again...completely. File the rad and start it. Cap off. As whats in the rad gets sucked into the motor add some more to the rad. Try and get through this stage before your stat opens. Once you hit your stat temp watch for the coolant/water rushing back into the rad. Obviously you have cold water/coolant in the rad and as it rushes into the engine the temp will drop. The key is the water pump it has to push the water back to the rad at a pace where the hot water does not heat up the recently cooled water.Keep your heater on heat...are you getting heat??? Now you have a bunch of hot water in your rad...is the fan working to cool this water??? When it starts gushing out put the cap on fast and watch for the next cycle. Is your fan shrould one?? Stats have a range...which one do you have??? The system should cycle in that range.

The system does not pressurize with out the cap on the rad. A proper working 15 psi cap will make sure all air and excess coolant escapes into the over flow. The coolant in the over flow get drawn back in when the engine is cold. Bad cap equals over heating. FWIW. If you don't have enough coolant in the rad your over flow will go dry. Just keep adding until the system stablizes. Make sure its filled to the proper mark.

Jim

 

Just reading my book here. Test for clutch fan. Fan should not spin more then 4 times when spun by hand.

Jim

 

I have been watching this thread for a couple of days. Seems the thing was woking fine before you fixed it. You got air in the system when you drained it the first time and have simply not gotten it all out, the engine will heat up very quickly with a bubble on the engine side. 2 fixes recommended: Keep the radiator that is in there, it was working before it will work now.
Drill a 1/8 hole in the tstat, this will allow air to excape the engine/heater core and into the radiator to be replaced by coollant.
Fill the system to capacity, does it have a filler neck on the hose from the t-stat to the rad? Is there a filler cap on the rad at all? if not, put one on the hose, thats the high spot in the system, you want a non vented cap there. The normal vented cap on the overflow tank should take care of the system.

 

Have you found the problem? I also had cooling problems. Tried the usual routine. Radiator flush, thermostat replacement, new radiator, air dam replacement. Car still runs about 200 degrees and when I drive it at higher speeds (excess of 80 mph) it goes to 210. Good luck with your problem.

 

Thats what was wrong with mine, after I had just replaced the radiator,
waterpump and thermostat. Mechanic was able to stop the fan from spinning, with his hand, while car was idling. Replaced fan with flex and and removed clutch, problem solved.