97 Cavalier running hot??

We recently bought a 97 cav with the 2.2 runs great head gasket was recently replaced it didn't blow but was leaking on the right front corner so they changed the gasket before it had a chance to go out completely. There is no antifreeze or water in the oil, no smoke, oil looks good, coolant is full and it's Not going in the red BUT the heat gage is going up about 3/4 which has me more than a little nervous. The radiator fan is working and the heat is working great. Any ideas why the heat gauge is going up so far? I have tried running it w/o the heater on and reved it a little and it refuses to go in the red and there are no lights engine or otherwise coming on I would like to nip this before it becomes a serious problem hopefully it isn't already.

same car, same problem..somewhat. i definitely would like to know the solution to this problem.

i got the same car. its supposed to run a little past half way. but 3/4.....?
I've noticed mine usually gets hot in traffic, but when it gets up to a certain point the fan kicks on. while driving is it trying to overheat?

I have the same on my 97, a few times, a few problems.

1. They said the tank for the coolant needed to be replaced, which was B/S in my opinion. The dealer has had to replace it 2 times now, still no problem.

2. I tested and replaced the thermostat, which didnt help at all. It does run hot, because the fan only kicks in either when the AC is on, or when temps rise. I pulled the 3 prong harness for the fan, and shorted 2 of the wires with a loop, and now the fan kicks on as soon as the car starts. Ever since then, my temps have dropped. Try turning on the AC and see if temps drop. If so, problem may be in the fan.

The water pumps on these 2.2L tend to gum up easly. Especally if you havn't flushed the system in awhile. I found a nice sized wad of sludge in mine about a month ago.
Just flush the cooling system, take out the waterpump, clean it, reassemble, and MAKE SURE you vent the air out of the lines.
This will only take a few hours and a few bucks for a new waterpump gasket.
Good Luck.

yeah and be sure to let the silicone cure before running it. i made that mistake and got the pleasure of doign it all over again.

Perhaps you have air in your system that needs to be purged.
I just had the same problem with my daughter's '96 Sunfire (same as the Cavie) when I replaced the T-stat and a hose-with-a-hole-in-it today. The temp gauge would go right up to the warning (yellow) mark. Once I bled the system, the gauge dropped to the middle range (about 185 degrees)

Here's how to purge the system.
Follow the metal hose that comes out of the t-stat junction which heads off to the heater core. Somewhere on that metal tube will be a sticker warning "do not vent with engine running". This is the bleeder port. Get the engine up to operating temp, shut the engine off, open the bleeder until coolant runs out. Open the bleeder slowly to let air escape