86 accord very hot....

[Deadhead]

ok, so i hosed down the radiator today, and the only part where it steamed off was on the top of it where the hose is... nowhere else
what now?

[jeffcoslacker]

Gotta watch it as it dries. A cold spot with no flow won't dry....You could take your upper and lower hose off at the radiator and run your garden hose hard into the lower side, see if it flows hard out the top, or if it resists the flow, or if a bunch of crud comes out.

[Deadhead]

well, i did that yesterday and it flowed hard through it just fine. There was no crud either. Does that mean that the radiator is fine?

Also, when i dissconnected the lower hose from the engine, there was a bunch of crud that came out of that.

[Deadhead]

ok, after driving the car after i flushed the radiator, it still isnt' cooling like it should... still get's hot, but not quite as hot as before.

Also, when i dissconnected the lower hose from the engine, there was a bunch of crud that came out of that. Would it be a problem to flush that area?

[Deadhead]

ok, I"M DONE!

i took it to a reputable mechanic where they found a problem with the cooling system. The Radiator cap had bad gaskets on it, so they replaced that. SO i drove the car hard and around on the near highways and it got just about as hot as before. SO i go back to the mechanic, and they bring out a thermometer where they find that the engine is doing just fine, no excessive heat anywhere, so the problem is the gauge. Thanks for all of your help.