I just rebuilt my block and maybe I am a bit paranoid but within a few min of idling the cylinder, radiator and pump cover are all very hot to the touch (and equally hot to each other) so the pump itself must be working right? I just did not remember it getting so hot before, my thoughts are in the head gasket. It can only be installed correctly one way since some of the holes are slotted and some are circular but it can be easily installed wrong since everything still lines up and the water jacket passages on both the head and cylinder are all slotted equally.

 

I have always installed the larger holes on the exhaust side and never had a heating problem but remember the LTs don't have a cooling fan so you need to keep moving so air flows thru radiator. Maybe it would be wise to look in your radiator and check that water is flowing if not you might have a water pump issue. I have a inline temp gauge on both my LTs well worth the few bucks they cost.

 

I did just the opposite since I read the coolant needs to be slowed down on the hot side of the engine, and according to the microfiche it shows the slotted and circular holes both together between two studs facing the flywheel side:



I applied a small amount of Three-Bond to both sides of the head gasket just around the bolt holes:



Does your gauge actually read the temp or is it just a flow gauge? So while its cool (when I first start it) run it with the radiator cap off? Will it splash like crazy?

I hope it's not my coolant, I mixed two pre-deluded bottles together. Different brands one was a new bottle of Prestone 50/50 and another was an OLD bottle of premium racing quality coolant (it was much more colorful but the bottle looks like it's 10+ years old)

 

It reads the temp. I put the gasket back the way it was after my first rebuild have heard it is wrong but it works just fine this way. It will not splash up unless you have head gasket problems then it will show bubbles. You can see the water circulate if not then you might have a water pump problem.

 

I checked today with the cap off and I see splashing and foaming so the pump is working, next is a temp gauge. Where did you buy yours the plumbing shop?

 

Bought at a local m/c shop. Check online modquad sells a cool one for around $60