The capt's overheating problems.PLEASE HELP.

so before people say search i have searched and read a couple articles but none of them directly relate to my problem.im at my wits end and really need some solid advice on where to look. that being said heres the problem:

car;92 integra db2.with b16a swap.5sp.198k.

past couple months my car has been overheating/getting above normal op temp.first issue was the headgasket.i had that changed and it was fine for a couple weeks or so.then same shit.took it to my buddy at jiffy lube and he did a coolant flush,new radiater cap and noticed my thermostat wires werent connected.so he connected those and we tested my fan and it came on fine. we let the car idle for awhile till my fans came on and so we thought that was the problem.WRONG:argh:

last night i was driving home from kent about 20 miles all freeway.car was fine then with about 5 miles to go it started getting hot.i coasted in nuetral for awhile but the temp kept raising.was sitting at light and the car temp kept going up.i finally turned on my heater full blast and it went back down.WTF?

things i have done:
headgasket/block honed down
checked fans they come on.
fixed thermo wires and the temp sensor under the vtech.
coolant flush.
checked car when it was warm and running and bottom radiater hose is signif lower temp then upper hose.read that means my water pump is ok.

running out of ideas and really just want it figured out.thanks to anyone who can lend some .2 cents,thx g2.

Have you tried another thermostat? Its cheap enough to try. Though i have my doubts, as youd stated that with the heat on, temp went down. Did the heater blow hot? If its not the thermostat, What I would do is pressure test the cooling system. A system that doesn’t hold pressure will overheat. Whether it be leaking internally or externally. Pump that tester up to 15 psi and watch the gauge. If it starts dropping, look for any external leaks. Look hard all over. Play with the hoses a bit. If you can’t see any leaks, leave the tester attached for about 20 minutes or so. Take it off and start the vehicle. If you get a big puff of white smoke, it’s leaking into the combustion chamber.
When the head was off, was it checked/resurfaced?
What brand cap did you replace with?
Do you have AC?

Another likely possibility is the water pump, as it would cause overheating during cruising

ok i will take it to jiffy tomm for them to check the pressure.when i turned on the heat and yes it blowed hot.

when the head was off i assume it was checked by my mech cause he checked the block and found that it needed surfacing.

the cap is a prestone cap that my bud at jiffy threw in.
is there any sure fire way to check the water pump? when my mech did my t belt he said my pump looked old but i didnt have funds to change it.

the car did come with a/c but me and buddies deleted it.my question is how last night when it was cold did it overheat on freeway.i would think the air flow at that speed should keep it cool,right?

thanks welfare,your da with the mugen front is pure sex

Unless the pump isn’t moving enough coolant. Which, if the system holds pressure, it may very well be. Since your blowing hot and temp went down with heater on blast, I doubt it’s the t-stat, as if it were stuck closed, hot coolant wouldn’t be allowed to the heater core. However, it can’t be ruled out. Could be sticking still. You can test the t-stat with a thermometer and a pot of hot water. With the water at about 170 degrees f, tstat should open. Should have really done the pump with the t belt. Pretty much only parts cost since you’re in there already. But no use crying over spilled milk.
You can’t really test the pump. Only rule everything else out first.
So, pressure test the system. Test the stat. I’m also not a huge fan of that cap. You can check its operation by starting the car and popping the hood. Let the engine run. When it gets to operating temp, the cap should allow coolant into the overflow tank. As the engine cools slightly, the cap will allow it back into the radiator. Check to see that that’s happening.
Yet another possibility is a clogged radiator. Pop the cap off and have a look inside the rad. Is there a lot of scale? Rust? Look at the fins, specifically near the bottom of the rad. That’s where they rust and start falling apart.

before doing anything i would check if the engine is actually overheating. i had the same issue just to find out my temp sensor was defect. the gauge would go above normal on the highway yet the actual engine temp was perfectly in spec.

Yea, good call. Check the resistance of The temp sender. Hot and cold. See if it’s within spec