Rick,
  If you haven't become familiar with the bleeder bolt on the top of the
radiator it is certainly time that you did so.  Remove your upper grill and
you will see it at the upper corner of the radiator on the passenger side.
If it is the original screw, you do not need to remove it completely to
allow the air to escape; just screw it out about 3 threads or so.  To bleed
out air the system must have pressure in it; else you will just be letting
in more air.
  If the pressure cap on your expansion tank works properly there will be
pressure whenever the system is fully warm.  Else you have to add pressure
by some other means.  When the system is hot and pressurized, crack open
the bleeder and listen for escaping air and watch for coolant flow.  Close
it back up and repeat again later if you wish.
  This is an essential step any time the cooling system has been opened.  A
significant amount of air in the top part of the radiator can cetainly
reduce its effectiveness and cause high operating temperatures.

Larry A.

On Fri, Feb 12, 2016 at 7:12 PM, Rick Cooper <rickdcooper@gmail.com> wrote:

> Two days ago I replaced the big coolant pipe that runs along the LH side of
> the engine (from pump to thermostat area) since it had rust bubbles
> happening.  Put on a nice shiny stainless steel one from Frank Condelli (
>
> http://www.frankcondelli.com/staging1/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=61_93_95&product_id=367
> ).
>    At the same time I put in a new thermostat rated for 87 degrees C,
> though I'm not sure why -- guess I was tired of a lousy heater.
>
> Yesterday I did a 100 mile journey and the temp gauge stayed around the 3/4
> to 7/8 position, maybe a needle's width from the high end of the gauge.
> This seems high, from what I've read here.  I'm wondering whether I've bled
> all the air out of the cooling system and it is running inefficiently.  I
> lost about a gallon of coolant in replacing the pipe and think I've
> replaced about that much.  I also topped up the reservoir a couple times
> after warming up the engine.  This morning (day after my journey), the
> reservoir was down a couple of inches so I've topped it up again.
>
> But I've read here about raising the front of the vehicle and removing a
> bleeder cap on the rad.  Should I do that and add coolant there?
>
> Thanks, Rick
>