cooling system bubble (set my mind at ease)

[shadow460]

Well I went outside to pack the 98 Explorer for a trip to east Texas and what do I find but a big puddle of green goo and a busted side tank seal on the radiator. No problem, right? Especially since I have an Expedition sitting right there I could load and take. My wife is staying here a day longer, so she drove her truck and I guess if worse comes to worse I can ride back with her.
I chose the hard path. I swapped out the radiator, loaded the Explorer up, and took off with my stuff, extra gas, oil, and coolant. When I refilled the system I filled the overflow bottle close to the top expecting it to bleed air on its own and suck in some coolant. Then my dumb self forgot that the heater core is shut off when max AC is selected. To be honest, it was probably shut off through the whole radiator changeout.
The level in the overflow bottle is dropping but it's still well above the cold fill line. I did turn the heater on max for about ten minutes at a rest stop. During the whole 350 mile trip I watched the temp gauge like a hawk and it just camped out right where it usually does. (I'd tell you if the temp fluctuated but I left my fancy code scanner at home).
There is no evidence of further leaks on the system, no white smoke, no smell of coolant, no puddles other than condensate, nothing.
I've got 100 miles to drive tomorrow and then 350 miles back home, and I think I'll make it with no problems, the truck is showing no signs of distress, but set my mind at ease, would ya?
I think it's just air trapped in the system...

 

[koda2000]

I'm not sure why you've convinced yourself that there is air trapped in the cooling system. If you've driven a 350 miles and haven't over-heated (and the heater is putting out hot air when on) then I'd say you're find, but when you get a chance I'd drain off the excess coolant from the overflow/expansion tank. I leave mine at the seam (about 1/2 way) cold. When it gets to operating temp it goes up maybe a inch.

Sometimes the cooling system needs to be burped and sometimes it doesn't. I won't be worrying about it. When my now-departed '01 SOHC XLT blew a lower rad hose and I refilled it with coolant, it pegged the temp gauge in about 1/2 a mile. I let it cool down and refilled the coolant it puked out and it was then fine (apparently burping itself). After 350 miles you're good.

I've changed 3 radiators and (although perhaps I should have) I've never even considered turning on the heater. I've never had a problem and other than my '01 XLT I've never had to burp the other cooling systems.

 

[shadow460]

I topped everything off just a bit ago. Had some air in the radiator but not much and the level had dropped in the bottle but was still over the fill line.
I'll siphon off excess coolant when I get back to OKC. Gonna have to park it and drive the Expedition next week to finish testing some repairs on that vehicle.
But no, no issues have surfaced at all on the Explorer other than having to burp the system. Gonna run out to Tyler with it in a few and then tomorrow back home to the 405.

 

[koda2000]

I topped everything off just a bit ago. Had some air in the radiator but not much and the level had dropped in the bottle but was still over the fill line.
I'll siphon off excess coolant when I get back to OKC. Gonna have to park it and drive the Expedition next week to finish testing some repairs on that vehicle.
But no, no issues have surfaced at all on the Explorer other than having to burp the system. Gonna run out to Tyler with it in a few and then tomorrow back home to the 405.

Ah, the 405. I never miss an episode of the OK Street Outlaws TV show.

If the hose going from the rad to the expansion tank is not clogged and not loose on either end the radiator should always draw what is required to fill itself automatically after a few heat cycles. Blow through the hose to make sure it's not clogged and make sure it has no dry rot cracks and fits tightly on the radiator end. Did you install a new radiator cap when you changed the radiator? You should always install a new cap with you install a new radiator (unless your old cap is fairly new).

 

[shadow460]

I didn't change the cap but that can be arranged. I think the hose is clear because it' drawing coolant from the bottle. I checked it for leaks. I used a zip tie to secure the end of that hose to the radiator. Before all this it wasn't tight anyway.
My biggest concern is a leak but the upper and lower hoses are dry on the outside and I haven't lost any transmission fluid either.