First test no leak.
Put a pressure cap on it and it held 29 lbs for 1 hr 30 min.
Checked the oil. No water, no foam.
Nice and clear.
Ivan put in the orange coolant after the last flush (which was clear)..... he knows not to, that I like the original green, but we would be just testing so it’s ok.
I had a thought as to why he had reported bubbles in the coolant and running really hot at the heads. I had this happen to me before.
I asked him if he filled it when this happened. He said yes. I asked him if it sucked up any coolant after the hot blow off after the heat soak. He said it did but very little. Ok then.
He hadn’t started the car since moving it this morning and filling it with the coolant. I asked how much it took this time. He said “same as before.... about 2-1/2 gallons.” Ok I said. (It takes 3-1/2 gallons btw) ......Astute readers will remember I bought precisely 7 gallons of distilled water for exactly two flushes just 5 days ago.
I then proceeded to remove the top hose and put the pressure testing cap on to it and pump it up a bit, leaving the cap off the radiator to observe the level. It was almost holding with just the slightest loss. Too slight. Ivan asked what I was doing.... I told him it was magic.
I released the pressure and just put my hand over the end of the hose and file d it almost to the top with coolant leaving about 4” and lowered it and raised it a few times giving it a squeeze to help move the slug of coolant in the hose. Held it up to see if I was finished and the hose started to slowly collapse as it slowly drained, finally, through the cleared vent hole in the closed thermostat.
Hooked up the top hose back on to the radiator and very slowly added another 1/2 gallon to the system... right to the rim to see and check for bubbles.
Then I asked Ivan to start it while I checked for bubbles. Sure enough.... a few started coming up but very small. More importantly, the level started dropping in the radiator and I had to keep adding coolant to keep it up to the rim. Then the coolant began to warm and it started to expand in little fits never going over the top and draining quickly to the overflow container. But.... no more bubbles.
Let it run with the A/C on high auto at 65 for about 20 min. to get good and hot and turned it off. Heat soak took the coolant in the reservoir from min to max and no boiling.
Heading back now to check if the system took back the coolant. But it looks like no head gasket issue.
I think he and I both forgot to check if it was really full..... And that the thermostat was allowing it to fill the block to the top and also fill the heads.
Stand by...