Is this considered overheating?

[Flynbrd]

It's 103 outside and the temperature gauge wants to keep creeping above normal. Ac is on max and I can hear the radiator fan. Runs cooler on freeway, almost normal. Reserve tank is full. Picture was taken while idling after a 20 minute drive. Thoughts? Dealer wants 130$ just to look at it.

 

[joegr]

Yes, that is very much overheating. Overheating starts before the gauge even moves out of the center. (And, that's not a "reserve" tank.)
Just wait till you find out what they want to fix it...

 

[elephantrider]

that's overheating.

 

[1LoudLS]

Si

 

[Flynbrd]

The catch tank at the firewall was pretty low. Topped it off then tried to bleed the system. With the bleed screw removed it took a few seconds for the coolant to come out. It was a very small stream that hardly flowed. After 2 mins the stream was more consistent. Oh on a more good news bad news, the balancer is starting to fail. I was looking for leaks when I noticed the balancer not being true while it spun. Had a slight wobble to it.

 

[hite337]

Its not a catch tank either.....

 

[joegr]

It's a degas bottle. It's function is very different than the other things you have called it.)
Anyway, you'll have to replace most of the plastic cooling system parts. After you do that, you'll have to bleed it correctly.
Plastic parts: http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?91092-GenII-LS8-Cooling-System-Overhaul
Correct bleeding: http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6x33004.htm~gen~ref.htm#extract_142

 

[theophile]

This may be a stupid idea, but in reading about the failure issues with the degas bottle and other plastic cooling-system parts, I started thinking about the message-center buttons and the traction-control button that tend to break, and how folks have recommended using epoxy or something similar to reinforce the plastic screw posts before they break or crack.

Assuming you have a degas bottle (for example) that is new or has not yet failed, would it work to brush on a coat or two of E6 epoxy or something similar? It should flex as the bottle expands and contracts, should withstand the temperature, and may provide a measure of reinforcement of the plastic. Thoughts?

 

[1LoudLS]

not going to help..., reinforcing the plastic for the buttons is different because there is no pressure. you could put ten coats of epoxy over all of the parts but as soon as the part begins to fail and that pressure builds up, its still going to blow apart and let air and coolant out and then back in...