96 lumina 3.1 cooling issues

[M8087]

My 96 lumina 3.1 randomly overheats (well, about every 2 or 3 drives). I have replaced the intake gasket, the water pump, and the thermostat. The radiator cap is also fairly new. I have a tiny leak at the plastic tank on the radiator (near where the upper hose connects). When I add water, it seems like it can't get enough. My questions are:

1. Can my leak cause all of these problems?
2. Can I remove my thermostat in an attempt to relieve some of my symptoms?
3. How do I get rid of ALL of the air bubbles in the system?

Also, is it normal for the heat not to get hot?

[jeffcoslacker]

Sounds like you haven't managed to purge all the air...you have to open the bleeders at the water pump by-pass and thermostat and fill into the radiator to purge the air, then close it all up let it run to full operating temp, shut off and let it sit a few minutes, open the cap and bleeders, refill, etc...until no more air comes from the bleeders...air in the sytem will keep it from siphoning from the resevoir also...

In case I wasn't clear...fill into the radiator, not the resevoir, it'll never work that way...

[M8087]

Thanks for the reply. I've tried opening the bleeders and filling it before, but I haven't tried doing it multiple times. Hopefully it will work