shoulda closed the bleeder valve when you shut the engine off, it you left it open it could have pulled air back in through there

 

you think so shrp? i figured it would just let the pressure built up inside out. But in any case i'm gonna top the reservoir off with coolant tonight and while i do that I'll just turn her on and bleed it again.

If bleeding the sytem is as easy as it seems than i feel like an expert at it by this point.

Any idea why the reservoir went dry?

And adukart, that makes enough sense but mine doesn't get much past I'd guess 210-215 than as soon as i start driving it almost immediately goes back down to normal

 

It will because the water pump will push fresh cooler water past it immediatly pretty much, should have clarified that it takes less than a minute for mine to come back to normal, 210. My resevior is always dry, even when I fill it one week later it is dry, but my radiator is always full. Could be same thing you have cause mine will get well over 230 driving in town when it is 82+ outside, starting to make me nervous. (will be putting in 180 t-stat soon)

 

So adukart, you've been having overheating problems too? Anything like I've been going through?

 

Just got bad this summer, a lot like yours. I have flushed the system very thoroughly many times (8 to be exact) because the previous owner, my uncle, had the t-stat replaced and the not so smart mechanic stripped one of the bolts out holding down the hose on the t-stat. So instead of fixing it he dumped a lot of stop leak in that did NOTHING. It still leaked and plugged the heater core. So when I got it, in mid winter, the radiator had 1/2 a gallon left and the water pump was shot. So we replaced the t-stat, fixed the bolt, and replaced the water pump. All likely causes of over heating but like you my reservoir is empty and sometimes will over heat more than others. Sorry this is long winded just frustrated with stupidity and the sway bar broke on my brothers century today.

 

the coolant has to be going somewhere man, you need to find out where it is going and fix it, and until you do keep an eye on the reservoir, i bet if you keep topping it off your overheating issue is kept under control (i dont want to say it will be gone because until you find the leak its not gone)

 

K, after I'm done with the sway bar install tommorow I will check it out. Probably a small leak between the reservior and radiator. I had always thought if the radiator is full you were fine but you guys have made some very good points, think this may also be ajoshi91's problem too?

 

Yeah, its weird, before when it would voer heat it would over fill in the reservoir and now it just goes bone dry. topped her off tonight. and as far as i can see now signs of a leak. It must be going somewhere.

I'll do the basics like checking my exhaust smell, my heater smell and check my oil for that milky residue. The truck runs just fine. if i were a blind man than i would drive the truck and assume all is well.

But its weird like i mentioned before it would overflow out the side hose there, now it goes dry. Heat and air work to as far as i remember.

And aduakart if there was a leak i feel like i should see a small pool of dripping somewhere. I've never noticed a dripping anywhere and i have looked. never thoroughly but rough glances all the time.

 

I haven't seen a leak on mine either, the resevior always goes bone dry, yeah it has to go somewhere, but where......

 

its possible one (or both) of you guys has a very small leak into a cylinder (headgasket probably) allowing just the tiniest bit to seem into the cylinder, be vaporized and blown out the exhaust without any major signs showing except for the coolant slowly dissapearing

and adukart, as long as the radiator is full you wont overheat, however with the slow leak in the system the radiator will not stay full, the overflow is also a storage tank for extra coolant as it expands out of the radiator when the engine heats up, and will also store enough coolant for just this kind of situation both of you are facing, keep that reservoir full and you keep the radiator full and the truck wont overheat, let it run dry and it will eventually overheat as the radiator starts to empty.