Still in wonderland as to my 96 Taco overheating

Hello fellow Taco heads,and Im back again with a lot more knowledge due to idiots forcing me to get books and tools and dive in head first!Ok ,so,I had an overheating problem back when,turned out the head gasket was crushed on the exhaust side,pumping fumes into coolant equals hella hot! So,I got a new head kit,everything included,(head bolts,gaskets,etc,,)did the job myself,triple checking every step along the way!Turned the key after turning the last bolt,very proud of myself!One rainy night some five months later,look at my temp gauge,it is rising faster than the Rising Sun in Japan (pun intended)!Stop,open the hood,extremely hot top hose,cooler bottom hose.Changed the thermo in the morning,letting it cool over night!I never let it go red on the gauge!After that,all good for a couple of weeks,last night,gauge is climbing again.Pull over,let it sit over night ,going back to get it this morning.All the threads I have read! Ive checked and double checked all hoses,belts etc..Im having Kool Radiator here in Vegas check it today!Once again,everything is new,radiator,water pump,thermo,water inlet on the top hose,top and bottom hoses,belts!What in the hell could I be over looking!?!?!? Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

Are we to assume you have no coolant loss?

What driving conditions is the overheat happening under?

You don't mention the cooling fan. Status of the fan clutch?

But whatever, we're all just non-present guessers. The radiator shop should easily pinpoint your problem with a pressure test and infrared gun.

 

Replaced the radiator cap yet?

 

X2 on the cap. It's #1 part to verify


EDIT: I wanted to add, is your EGR working correctly? It works to bring temps down in the cylinders, and I have seen a bad switching valve cause overheating conditions IE rising gauges, bubbling expansion tank etc

 

Any work done to the head, or heads?
ditto on radiator cap too
water pump replaced recently with the proper gasket (yeah my 3.4L looks to have the original pump from 2002 because theres no metal gasket).

 

New "everything,cap,radiator,water pump gasket,egr regulator,checked egr by applying vac,etc,,,

 

normal driving conditions,brand neww 188 dollar fan clutch also

 

thermostat?
So coolant is disappearing or leaking?

If its disappearing than you probably need to get the head checked for warpage

 

Okay, lets go old school here. Locate a combusted Gas vapor checker.

$35 Lisle 75500 Combustion Leak Detector

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-75500-Combustion-Leak-Detector/dp/B0007ZDRUI

You may have made a mistake in the head gasket swap.

 

Sounds like an air pocket to me.

 

Also check O'rielly's for the exahust gas checker. I was able to rent one there with the fluid.

My overheating issue turned out to be 10 pounds of mud packed into my radiator. Your's is new so obviously not the case.

 

Great suggestion!

I would also get a compression check out of the way

 

Heading to Kool Radiator now.Compression check will be done to!Ill get back to you all soon for the details on that!

 

Is it the original radiator?

 

I'm agree w Mr crowntown. If you've check the usual and no luck check for exhaust in coolant. I will say this doesn't always cause coolant loss but usually does specially if you overheat it (in the red). I had similat prob on my 86 22R. Problem persiste even after new head, gasket, pump, radiator, tstat etc. Turned out to be hairline Crack in No. 2 cyl. Once I determined exhaust in coolant, off came the head. Filled block w tap water, let sit over night and a rust line in No. 2 appeared plain as day. Good luck. Peace.

 

Btw. I just did the head on my 04 2.7 w 229k. Running like a champ.

 

Ok,so,after some time down at Kool Radiator,everything checks out ! Good compression,no exhaust being pumped into the coolant,coolant flow after thermo opens,hoses are fine,belts are fine,cap is fine,RADIATOR IS NEW,gonna jack it up in the morning and run it with the cap off in case there is an air pocket in the system,and will check the overflow tank and radiator daily for coolant level!Hopefully this over heating problem will end!Thanks for all of the input!

 

when you put the thermostat back in did you position the jiggle valve properly? On 4 cyl it is positioned at 12 o'clock for the V6's it is at the 6 o'clock position.
You do have the heater core "in the system" and not bypassed I hope and if so the valve is installed correctly

 

Faulty gauge or temp sensor?