LS overheating but, headgasket tested good?

[PaulPool89]

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/4390120020.html

I'm going to go take a look at this car. The guy claimed to have taken it to two different mechanics who said the head gasket is good. Will not over heat if he has the heat running on low is what he told me

I've been browsing the many other overheating threads for info. Anyone have tips for what I should be looking for? Could it really be as simple as just properly bleeding the system, or changing the degas bottle?

Also the car bucks into 4th gear ugh.

 

[joegr]

It almost certainly needs most to all of the plastic cooling system parts replaced. Bleeding may well cure the problem for one trip, but then it will come back after the engine cools off and air is sucked in through whatever tiny cracks have formed in the cooling system parts.
The bucking may be as simple as coils and plugs need to be replaced, or it could be a transmission solenoid or worse.
It could be a pretty good deal.

 

[PaulPool89]

How much do you think replace all the plastic parts cost ballpark? Thank you for your quick reply I'm enroute now to take a look

 

[joegr]

How much do you think replace all the plastic parts cost ballpark? I'm enroute now to take a look

If you do it yourself, you can replace all but the radiator for less than $1000.
Here's a good thread on it:
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?91092-GenII-LS8-Cooling-System-Overhaul

 

[PaulPool89]

Wow thank you for the link. I did not have time to do go past the first page of the forum search or I didn't put the right keywords to find that.

I think it make be a waste of time tho. I could smell coolant under the hood after driving the car. He said he replaced the thermostat housing. I know the one mechanic he took it too so I believe what they told him is true about the head gasket being good. Everything else of the engine looks original so yeah looks like replacing all the plastic parts will be needed. I let it idle and turned off the low heat, and the fan kicked in after 60 seconds. And the trans does buck pretty hard into 4th.

But it looks like a beater. The guy is not into cars and he or whoever was the owner didn't take care of it. Both side mirror had two screw holding it, front grill cracked missing top trim off rear bumper and interior had screw hold and dash pieces loose from changing the radio into a screen and center arm rest terribly cracked.
If cosmetically it wasn't so bad I would take it and roll the dice on the trans just being a solenoid but there would be too many trips to the junkyard for this one. A Lotta swirls in the clear coat. He bit at my offer of 1800 and I told him I'd get back to him. But with a grand to fix the cooling issue I think I'll pass I don't want to rob the guy