Lifted E30 V2

[GunMetalGrey]

I actually have little knowledge in terms of bleeding m20 systems, as I am more familiar with e46 and 318 style bleeding. 
I know that it's not just the temp gauge as the radiator wasn't getting hot previously. 

I found a few articles on it and will give it another couple goes tonight, after putting the thermostat back in. I may add a hole to that for bleeding ease.

[GunMetalGrey]

straight6pwr said:

pbr is pretty good for cheap light beer. better than lite or bud or other terrible domestic light beers.

Let's get @suspenceful to chime in about how bud light tastes!

[suspenceful]

straight6pwr said:

pbr is pretty good for cheap light beer. better than lite or bud or other terrible domestic light beers.

on topic - i'm sure you know how to bleed one of these cars, but what process are you going through exactly?

i just bled my e30 before winter and it took probably 4 cycles of: start car - warms up - massage radiator hoses -  starts to creep past 1/2 - shut it off - let it cool - open the cap - more coolant - repeat.

GunMetalGrey said:

Let's get @suspenceful to chime in about how bud light tastes! 

I held back my comments. But now that you've asked for it... I'd snort Bud Light before drinking PBR through my mouth.

Bud Light is the best light domestic beer by far.

PS: I thought you didn't drink when you were angry? 

[GunMetalGrey]

Well who wouldn't be willing to snort water?

It amuses me that you actually think I got angry about the whole situation!

[HipMF]

straight6pwr said:

pbr is pretty good for cheap light beer.

Technically, PBR isn't a "light" beer, although they make that too...

I only drink it because I'm a hipster.

[Bassboy3313]

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[GunMetalGrey]

Tried a couple of things last night and got it to not overheat quickly like it had before, but it still crept over half. 
When I stopped I noticed that the hoses seemed to have a bit more pressure than what I would assume to be normal, and the radiator still wasn't getting full coolant flow. 
Going to re-bleed and try again.

[Earl]

Does the car still have heat or did you loop it? Could be a clogged up heater core?

[GunMetalGrey]

Earl said:

Does the car still have heat or did you loop it? Could be a clogged up heater core? 

Car has heat, heat works quite well.

[KaiserRolls]

Have you shot it with a temp gun?

[GunMetalGrey]

KaiserRolls said:

Have you shot it with a temp gun?

I can assure you it is actually overheating. 
But no, I do not have one.

[Jdesign]

Could it be a flow issue? Did you try forcing coolant through the system or vacuuming the air out? Also are you putting the car at an extreme angle when you are bleeding it? I think sharing your bleeding process in more detail might help depict the issue.

[jc43089]

The e30s all have self bleeding cooling systems right, early ones had the rounded expansion tank and late had the lumpy one.  Is your bleed line clogged that comes from the top of the radiator?

[GunMetalGrey]

I am starting to think my problem is not surface level. 
I massaged hoses for awhile last night, cracked the bleeder for a bit, and checked levels. 
I then went for a drive, and the coolant took awhile to get to temp but slowly started creeping past once I got there. I felt the radiator and once again just the top row was hot. 
I went to squeeze a coolant hose after shutting the car off and it was hard, much more so than normal. The rest of them were plagued by the same problem.

I am starting to think that somewhere in the cooling jacket the block was cracked when the "coolant" froze and this is causing my problems.

I started all of these lines with the letter I, so that is amusing.

[GunMetalGrey]

Hoses were soft last night. 

Car is sitting outside in a timeout.

[straight6pwr]

couple ideas to try -  fill the radiator directly from the top hose opening

did you run the whole thing with the thermostat completely removed?

[GunMetalGrey]

straight6pwr said:

couple ideas to try -  fill the radiator directly from the top hose opening

did you run the whole thing with the thermostat completely removed?

Yeah, it crept over 1/2 when idling.

[Boris3]

Probably missed reading this in earlier posts but is the radiator used or new? If only the top hose and top part of the radiator are getting hot could be a partial blockage issue in the radiator even if fluid is running through it. Flush might dislodge it but not necessarily.

As far as blockage somewhere else, block drain plug pulled and block flushed? Getting any heat, if not maybe the blockage is in the heater core?

[GunMetalGrey]

I have tried two different radiators, one from the previous car that was known working. Same issue was present in both. 

Drain plug in block I'm not 100% if I did or not. 

Heat in cabin is hot as crap when it starts overheating, so that isn't plugged.

[Boris3]

Sounds like there is some circulation taking place.

Does the bottom radiator hose heat up at all?

Thermostat housing is all clean, no partial blocking?

I'd go back to KaiserRolls point about shooting with an infrared to get a sense of actual temps at the block, temp sensor housing, etc. You replaced the sensor and checked the plug wiring but how about the gauge (ground nut loose)? Still may be overheating but is the gauge reading the extent accurately?

You mentioned water pump blades and freezing earlier, when you stethoscope around the pump area any strange noises?