V8 overheating!

Hi all
Please can somebody help?i had my 110 for around 6months now and this is first problem and I'm stuck as only know basics when comes I it.for last 6months when driving the gauge stayed just over the half way mark,and couple times went up to 3/4 mark but yesterday it went up as high as it can go.my dad suggested the thermostat so I took that out tonight and it still went up to the red after about 7-8mins of idling.dad took rad cap of when running and we could see water pumping around in the rad.also dad pointed out that the top hose coming out of the rad is hot to touch and the bottom hose coming out the rad is cold to touch when running this isn't right is it?please can any body suggest what could be?
Cheers benn

sounds like your radiator is blocked up. take it out and flush it with a hose and see if any crap comes out

When you do go to flush it out, back flush it rather than the same direction otherwise you won't get very far. Helps if you turn it upside down I find.

Does the top hose go rock hard when it overheats?

assuming its a 3.5...i would guess fecked rad.replace it...or even fecked collent temp sensor..again replace it..
worst case fecked head gasket.

Thanks for replys,yes is 3.5 I hope is just blocked rad I give it ago at weekend.the top hose doesn't go rock hard when hot,should it?

no it should not!

does the heater work ok??

Ok yes heater works fine

I just flushed out rad not much came out just few small flakes,now the bottom hide gets as hot as the top hose so guessing tgats how it's meant to be?but still eventually gauge went into the red after ten minutes.the gauge goes up steadily,would this still rule I. Cooling temp gauge?cheers

I would say head gasket.
My motor has decided to do the same thing this afternoon and the top hose was rock hard.
When the coolant system over pressurises, I think its because the gases are bypassing the head gasket.
This means the heads need to come off and gaskets replaced.

i still going for fecked rad...

no or reduced flow will give increased pressure in top hose..

if head gasket has gone then gas in coolent test will show for sure..(if you not have tester, i expect you do not,) then any GOOD garge will have..
do not pay alot for the test..it takes a minute to do and costs them a couple of quid in tester liquid at most..

I would go with blocked rad as well.

When you flush it out with a hose all you really do is open up enough channels in the rad for your garden hose flow and pressure to get through. You cant unblock all passages in the rad this way.

You can check the rad another way by running the engine up and placing you hand on the rad as its warming to make sure all parts of the rad are getting warm at the same time.

My guess would be that some parts of the rad are not getting flow through them so it is like you have a very small radiator.

Dont bother trying to flush can be v hard to clear. Get a good used rad if your unsure and replace it.

What about using a pressure washer to flush the rad out?
Surely it wouldn't do any damage as I would have thought that the pressure under normal loads would be higher than the regular household pressure washer.

if ur headgasket has gone the top hose will pressuerise by combustion in the system and it will get solid asif its going to burst..also it can be your water pump just because you can see the water going round this dont rule out the pump as i have had that many times and changed the pump and its put the problem rightas the pump break down under load..try fitting a new pump first before you go ripping the head off and put a new stat in to.pump off ebay no more than 20.00. stat 5.00.always try the easy things first.

I think even using a pressure washer would not completely unblock the inside of the rad as the water will still flow through the easiest part. Could be worth a try though as its not going to cost anything but time. Unless you don't own a pressure washer and need to buy one, then it will cost