Overheating after repairs

My 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse continues to overheat (though not to the extreme that it did before) after replacing the head gasket and thermostat. What now?

Looking for a bump up. I’ve only got a couple days coming up where I can do any sort of work on the car.

Under what conditions does it overheat? Does the temp fluctuate at all - when you’re driving, idling or otherwise? Have you checked the operation of the cooling fan(s)? Is the radiator maybe clogged up? Was the cooling system completely purged of air? Did the thermostat go in the right way (it is sometimes easy to get it in backwards).

It always overheats after it reaches it’s normal operating temperature. The temperature fluntuates but not necessarily when idling or driving at high speeds. The cooling system was purged. The fans do run when necessary. The thermostat went in the correct way.

I haven’t checked the radiator for clogs, but if it is clogged, it must be very extreme. The upper hose gets too hot to touch after running, and the bottom hose remains ice cold. My culprit?

I’d say that points to your culprit. I think the first bets would be on a bad water pump or a clogged radiator.

Concur with Cigroller.

Check radiator (after coolant is removed and hoses disconnected) by pouring water into the top. It should run out of the bottom as fast as you can pour it in.

There is also the slight possibility that there is an obstruction in the block.

Small correction. Today while driving I noticed that the temperature increases drastically when stopped at intersections, etc.

Does my last update (idle does present a much higher amount of overheating) change the potential culprits?

That is normally - at least in part - a cooling fan problem. You say that the fans do run when necessary - this suggests maybe not. They could be functional but not necessarily turning on at the correct coolant temp.

How would i best diagnose and repair this? I don’t exactly have an abundance of time, tools, or money to spend on parts since i just did the head gasket and clutch this year