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i've been overheating in traffic and need suggestions on what to do next.
my setup is a 3tc with timing set with timing light to 10 btdc, engine idle is running at 1k rpm.
thermostat was missing i installed oem 180* thermostat.
radiator cap is good and working, has coolant and is free of debris.
no oil in coolant no coolant in oil, my coolant doesnt instantly bubble and go crazy when the engine is on with no cap either. i'm assuming head gasket is ok.
with thermostat removed i rev engine with radiator topped off and i can see coolant flow. i'm assuming water pump is good and it isnt leaking. there isn't any coolant leaking or coolant level going down.
i have an electric fan controlled by a switch which stays on at all times. 12" 800cfm fan. i dont know if the fan is strong enough. it is setup behind the radiator pulling air through the radiator
both hoses on radiator get hot.
radiator isn't oem but it does have quite a few holes through it. it looks a little beat up. i've checked pretty much everything and believe its the radiator please let me know your take on all of this. thank you for your time

I had an electric fan on my car ,,on the highway the temp. Gauge would go to 1/4 great but once I hit the local streets it would go to 1/2 if stuck in traffic 3/4 of the gauge,a friend told me to go back to the fac.fan and that made the trick ,now local streets gauge is at 1/4 and the temp. Outside was 84* , so I would say go back to the fac. Fan and make sure the fan clutch is good also

Go and get a real gauge that reads in degrees bro, your car still normal at 215 degrees F

stock gauge is working just fine. when it went into the red the radiator cap started blowing steam. my problem i think is an electric 12" universal fan from autozone rated at only 800cfm with no shroud. california heat it's about 80-85* out. i felt both hoses and the bottom one was a bit cooler then the top so i'm thinking the radiator works. it has to be the fan just doesnt cut it.

Lmk if the fan was the issue,,

" quite a few holes through it. it looks a little beat up" I would check up on that first, maybe take it to a radiator shop to see if its ok. I had a lil 10" fan on mine and the weather in Florida is like 100 degrees. My radiator was old (maybe stock) and was rusted inside, the past month it started overheating in traffic also. Changed the pump, not it, checked the fan, not it, replaced the radiator, that was it!
If its not the fan check the pressure of the radiator, maybe its blocked.

i replaced the radiator, and used vaccuum line split in half to use as a rubber seal for the fan to the radiator. it's still overheating. i just did a full tuneup oil ,oil filter, spark plugs, fuel filter, pcv valve, n air filter. it runs a lot better now just overheats when in stop and go traffic.

maybe the valves need adjustment

If you changed the radiator, thermostat and the timing is right, then its the head gasket. The good thing about that? When you change it everything else you already got new. Now will be a good time to get new valves, seals and springs, pretty cheap stock.

Lots of those fans are reversible but you have to change the blade around also. Make sure the blade is facing the correct way.

i have the fan pulling air from the back of the radiator. i have noticed i get bubbles in coolant even though i've bled it on jack stands. where online can i order the oem replacement parts? should i just use autozone. whats a good head gasket to use on the toy