John, how recently have you replaced your radiator?  I had this problem
once with a van that got hot.  I guess there must be some sludge inside the
engine which develops over the years.  When the van gets hot this liquifies
and it pushed up into the radiator.  Now the radiator is no longer working
at it's best.  You can tell this is the problem when you turn on the heater
and it makes the temperature go down.  The heater is acting as a small
radiator, cooling down the motor because the main radiator is no longer
working properly.  So a new radiator should get the van back in the cool
zone where it used to be.  I know it worked on the van that we had a
similar issue with.

Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

On Sun, Mar 23, 2014 at 2:04 AM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:

> UH-OH!!!!
>
> That coolant loss episode Friday may have left Ol' Red with some engine
> damage after all. Took him out on a run today with the rear heater hoses
> clamped off and the engine ran perfect - EXCEPT - the temp needle ran
> with the bottom of the needle on the top edge of the little light or
> down so the bottom edge of the needle split the light. However it's cut
> - for Ol' Red that's running hot. For fourteen years it's always been
> the other way - top edge of the needle splits the light or the top edge
> is just touching the bottom of the light. The only way I was able to
> cool it down on this run to CENTER THE NEEDLE OVER THE LIGHT was to turn
> on the the front heater full blast. Even then, on a long uphill grade
> the needle tended to creep up. And this was a relatively cool day.....
>
> This is not good!!
>
> More checks tomorrow. I'm open to suggestions.
>
> John
>

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com