Are/were you getting combustion gases into the coolant??

 

Well, I am getting pressure back into the cooling system from revving and that's the only thing that would explain a lack of suction pulling the coolant thru the system

 

I think the air you saw at Oreilly's when burping the cooling system was actually combustion gases.

 

That would make sense. Even the guy from O'reilly's seemed a little surprised that it kept 'burping' even though it had been idling that long with the thermostat open. I just actually started it for the first time in a week (I was out of town) and the light came back on.. We also just had our first real cold of the year. I wonder if the temperature change didn't dis-lodge the K-seal??...blew white smoke again...

Mercifully (thank you God) I have an appointment for the head gasket this weekend so the biggest and most likely culprit will be out of the way. Then, if I still have an issue we can rule this crap out.

I have appreciated all the input. Learned more about combustion engines in the last month than in the 56 years prior (LOL)

 

FIXED I thought I would follow up on my post with an OUTCOME.I have read many forums trying to find, diagnose, make sure I was paying for the correct service(s) etc, so in the future if anybody has a similar problem they can know the resolution... I noticed perusing forums that many people never post the FINAL outcome so as a reader I couldn't get the 'end' of the story

I found a well recommended local mechanic. He is a 'jobber' who works out of his home garage.

Before he got started he explained the coolant overflow problem better than anyone so far, saying he thought that if the head gasket was compromised, it would be blowing exhaust (air) backwards through the system.

When he pulled the heads he discovered something that is one of those "Wow" kind of things.

At some point in the past work had been done and the heads pulled..when they were REPLACED the heads had only been finger tightened...whereas the normal torque recommendation is 100 lbs. Right there is the problem. If those had been properly bolted I may never have had any issue.So...as the motor was already apart, he proceeded to do the head gaskets, adjust the timing etc.

Problem solved. Took it out on a long fast test drive.. sat at it's traditional correct temperature setting. No more blowing coolant back into the reservoir...no more temperatures soaring and plummeting.

Thanks again for all of the help and input I got.

-marc aka solpig

 

Thank you for posting the resolution.

Yep, that's one it would have taken a bit to get to.