Heater core bypass and coolant refill

I bypassed the leaking heater core in my 2002 Blazer (180K miles) by connecting the 5/8" and 3/4" heater hoses together where they previously entered the heater core. I am having trouble with overheating presumably because I have not bled the system fully. I may have caused an air lock when I connected the two hoses together because they looped above the top of the cooling system. i did not want to cut the hoses but the new loop is a tight fit under the hood. My plan is to cut the hoses and use some 90 degree fittings so that the heater hose loop can be lowered to its original position below the top of the cooling system. Is there anything else I should do to get a properly bled system? Can this be indicating reduced water pump performance as well? Just before removing the hoses my cooling performance was very good.

Thanks,

George

Try this:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=469926

It was the routing of the heater core bypass. I modified it so that the heater loop was not rising above the top of the radiator and bleeding the system became a routine matter without even elevating the front end or passenger side. Now its off to verify the leaks through pressure testing the main system and the heater core separately.

George