StuntManFox

Well Today my neighbor and I cut out and replaced my front cross member because it was rotted out. Well upon the removal of the cross member we put a weeeee weeee weeeee tiny itty bitty hole in my radiator. So I went to autozone and got some JB weld.. cleaned up the area with some sand paper and shop towels.. and applied it to my hole.. Problem solved! I then put the radiator back into my truck.. connected the hoses poured the radiator full of coolant. I started the truck expecting it to burp and allow me to add more coolant but it just.... sat there running without circulating any coolant my bottom hose was nice and hard full of fluid but my top one remained soft and squishy.. I'm not getting any heat either. Everything worked perfectly before i went and effed with it!!!! But i let it run and it would burp and spew water out of the top of the radiator.. we would pour more in... then BURRRP it would spew like old faithfull and we would put more in.. I attempted to drive it around the block to see if it would help it out.. but the temp gage started to climb after i went a few hundred feet so i shut the truck off before it got into the red and coasted it back to my house. When I put the radiator back in the trucks was facing down hill.. I don't know if this would matter at all when it comes to fluid circulating.. I'm baffled right now and I really need your help. Thanks alot.. By the way the truck is a 94 4Runner with the 3vze.. Thanks

rhale

be sure and start it, turn on your heater to the hottest setting and let it idle some more. often times it will force a bubble into the heater core and since it was setting facing down hill the bubble will rise, hence towards the heater core as it would then be slightly higher than the radiator. also check/change your thermostat.

good luck

Tubbyfatty

water pump hooked up? lol. But from what you say it sounds like that jb weld might of gotten in the rad and clogged it up. But I dont know much about rads so im sure someone will correct me.

Good luck.

YoterUp

It has to be this time of the year ive never had this problem in my life but i just finished my rebuild and mine is doing to exact same thing all day today i changed my thermostat and everything i get about 4 football fields down the road and my check engine light comes on but my temp gauge never goes above half. something up if you get a good answer on this thread do me a faver and PM it to me thanks!!

abecedarian

doesn't the 'hot' water (the water under pressure) enter at the top of the radiator, and the cooler water (under suction from the water pump) exit the radiator at the bottom?
so why would the lower hose be 'hard'?

...just something to think about....

Jay351

When you burp the system you have to make sure the rad is the highest point. Or else the trapped air will simply go to the highest point and stay there (coolant lines).

So, Park the truck on a hill facing up, or on level ground and jack the front end up as high as you can (my method). Set the heater to hot, open the rad and start it up. Run till its at op temp, making sure you squeeze the rad hose a few times, try to get as much air out as you can.

StuntManFox

Thanks for the input fellas.. Hopefully I didn't fry my water pump. I doubt any sort of JB weld got into my rad and caused problems.. the hole was so small i dont think any coulda got into it. I'm gonna try turning my truck around tomorrow so its facing UPHILL.. mayble i'll even jack the front end up on flat ground... drain it out and fill it back up and try it again.. Thanks.. I will keep ya posted.

StuntManFox

Thanks fellas.. I pointed the front end of my truck UP the driveway.. then i proceeded to chalk the rear wheels and jack the front end up as high as i could get the jack to go... i started getting some inside the truck.. i added more and more water.. the temp gauge stayed half way like always and i drove it around some.. it seems to be absolutely fine now.