i wonder if you have a stuck closed thermostat or a clogged radiator because based on what you said the coolant is not flowing through the radiator, so something is in the way.

 

The weird thing is I replaced the thermostat with a brand new one when I put it back together. I don't think the rad is clogged as it seems to much of a coincidence it would happen right after the plenum fix. But I guess anything is possible. I found I had the fuel injectors plugged in wrong but I dont see how that would affect anything with the cooling system.

 

Check if you put the thermostat in the correct way. Then, if you used the cheap brand thermostat, you will have to bleed the line and get the trapped air in there. If you used a good brand or a mopar, you have a different problem.

 

The hissing sound maybe telling you, there is a leak. You will need to pressure check the cooling system.

 

also i have seen thermostats failed out of the box, pull it out and drop it into a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil, observe what temperature the stat opens at.

 

I tested the therm in boiling water and it opened. I took a closer look under the alternator I saw boiling coolant coming from the water pump gasket thing I think. Or maybe it was the altternator- condenser bracket. I'll have to take it apart some more to find out for sure. But its a very small leak. Could the smoke coming out the TB be burning coolant? There isnt a drop on the ground.

 

Well after putting the thermostat back together, I took it for a quick spin down the road and smoke POURED out from under the hood and when I opened it coolant was EVERYWHERE like a bomb went off. Looks like it came from the therm housing and somewhere else. Ill have a better look when the engine cools off

 

Bypass hose then?

The bypass hose connects to the top of the water pump and into the intake manifold, like a 3" smaller hose.

If the spring isn't in the intake manifold side then you installed the T-stat backward. The T-stat spring goes into the Intake manifold on that build.

 

I will check that then. But the T stat is installed correctly. Ill take a closer look later at the bypass hose