Replaced Rad, what now?

[/;p0.lo9]

Hi I have had the dreaded overheat issue, have found and replaced a dodgy hose and the radiator which had gone on a seam. I have hopefully bled the coolent through the system properly. I have also taken it round the block a few times and the coolent level has stayed ok. My question is what now? Should I take it to get head/compression checked out, or just drive and hope for the best or would you suggest any other course of action?

[mikexgough]

Hi I have had the dreaded overheat issue, have found and replaced a dodgy hose and the radiator which had gone on a seam. I have hopefully bled the coolent through the system properly. I have also taken it round the block a few times and the coolent level has stayed ok. My question is what now? Should I take it to get head/compression checked out, or just drive and hope for the best or would you suggest any other course of action?

from what you describe....all seems okay......... have you let the coolant cool overnight.....? as it will be the lowest level.....
If you do and the level topped up to the maximum..... and all is well with no white smoke/mechanical misfire issues as well as further overheating , then it sounds like you have cracked it, pardon the pun........
If there are signs of overheats/coolant loss then yes take it for a head test......

[missfixit70]

If it's running right, you've bled it properly & got the bottom hose hot & no coolant leaks/overheating you should be ok, BUT, what are you using to monitor temperature? If it's just the standard temperature gauge, it's not really telling you a lot as it's damped over a fair range once it's up to running temp, once it shows signs of overheating, it is getting VERY hot. May be an idea to either undamp it using the mod described in the coolant alarms factsheet or fitting a Mason alarm, or fit an external temp sensor/alarm and or low coolant alarm.
If you're still losing coolant try a simple pressure test - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 06#p392306 , it's easy to miss leaky hoses. Could also be thermostat problems, heater matrix leaks/blockages, water pump leaks, etc I wouldn't jump to a head pressure test.
I also see from your other post you've fitted a hose from a scrapper, how old was it? Always best to fit new hoses IMO.

[missfixit70]

Did you flush the coolant out properly to make sure you weren't mixing incompatible coolants? This can cause horrendous problems & IMO is at the root of a lot of the major head issues. If in doubt get if thoroughly flushed out with a chemical flush & while you're at it replace the stat with a brand new one, preferrably a mazda original, it'll not be much more than a pattern part & it is CRUCIAL to the correct operation of the cooling system that the stat works exactly as designed.