Overheating... running out of ideas HELP

Need help here. 87 325ic
Short version of story.. changed valve cover gasket and then for some reason car seemed to get hot...needle gets to red (yes I turned the car off).
So.. I changed thermostat... nothing different....
So.. I changed water pump (and timing belt) and another NEW thermostat... still goes to red
Have burped this thing forever... I still get a couple little bubbles but nothing major
Checked direction of thermostat, and believe it is correct.

Car will start up fine..needle moves slowly up but kind of slowly keeps going.. heat is hot from vents.

If I let it idle it will eventually go to red, if I reve it, it will go down a little sometimes but eventually will go to red and then I'll shut it down and try again to burp it again.. with very little bubbles but lots of antifreeze from the bleed screw.

SO......... what am I missing?????

make certain the ecu is turning on the electric fan - and/or the fan is plugged in

fan clutch.

How do I check the fan clutch, and where is the electric fan connection?............guys thanks for your suggestions... I already feel like I have a chance on this thing.

your fan clutch is the fan in between the motor and the radiator. it's connected to the motor. turn your motor on, (grow a set of balls for this) and see if you can stop the fan from spinning with your fingers. if it stops easily, you need a new fan clutch. highly recommended that you don't drive the car til you put a new fan clutch on. getting it off is a pain in the ass, you'll figure out a way, but keep in mind the fan clutch is REVERSE THREAD so it's not righty tighty lefty loosey like normal threads.

I have read to try to test the fan clutch with a rolled up newspaper (not hands, which I'm game for..) question is, what specifically am I trying to stop.. the fan by trying to stop the blades from rotating? (namely sticking the newspaper in the plastic blades or something else?

Is it overheating all the time or is it only overheating when you are at idle or at a stop

Originally Posted by Krumchev2

Is it overheating all the time or is it only overheating when you are at idle or at a stop

At a stop.

OP: you can use a rolled up newspaper but don't JAM it in there, just put it where the blades spin lightly.

In reply to Krumchev2, it pretty much will always head to the red zone. I can get it to come down a little sometimes when I reve, but once it gets 3/4, I can't get it back and it will continue to climb, so, I turn it off. So..... yes, all the time. Heading to try the fan test for the fan clutch now. Also going to check to see aux fan, as I haven't checked that at all. (although, I don't think it should have to have that run to stay out of the red zone).

theres a possibility its just the sensor as well giving you false readings...

I got the car warmed up (pretty hot) and I did the newspaper test, I put a newspapwer into the fan blades (slowly) and was able to stop the fan blades pretty easily, I assume that means fan clutch is the culprit. (right?) On to getting one of those I guess. (I already took it off once for a timing belt change, so I know I can get it off.

Originally Posted by gwmlb

I got the car warmed up (pretty hot) and I did the newspaper test, I put a newspapwer into the fan blades (slowly) and was able to stop the fan blades pretty easily, I assume that means fan clutch is the culprit. (right?) On to getting one of those I guess. (I already took it off once for a timing belt change, so I know I can get it off.

Yup, that is your issue. That's what keeps your motor cool while idling. I recommend not driving it with a bad fan clutch, that's how i blew my headgasket. replace that and you should be good.

Thanks, just ordered one, hopefully that will get things going. I appreciate the help. I'll update once I replace it.

Originally Posted by gwmlb

Thanks, just ordered one, hopefully that will get things going. I appreciate the help. I'll update once I replace it.

so did replacing the fan clutch make your car not overheat anymore?

This seems like a never ending saga.....
I got the fan clutch and replaced it. After doing some bleeding of the coolant, I had a different situation... before it would go up kind of slowly and eventually get hot. Now it would just warm up and keep going to red... I bled the coolant multiple times with like a single tiny bubble.
The line from the bottom of the radiator was not hot at all and the two top ones were veryhot...that then told me I needed to check my brand new thermostat. So, I ran it without a thermostat and it didn't get hot anything like what I had before.. and I then felt good that my fan clutch was needed. I put in another new thermostat and that then somewhat fixed the situation. I can now drive the car places. I still have an issue but will start a new thread on that one...
Either my sensor or gauge seems goofy. Beyond that.. I think I'm set.
Thanks everyone for all their help on this thing.
Fan Clutch was needed.

your radiator could be clogged too, but beyond that i would take it in to check for a blown headgasket, if you havnt. i didnt want to read the whole thread