yep...you are probably right..and when I took it to Pep Boys they most likely did it right and the check engine light was now off when they gave it to me however they still told my that they felt the head gasket was bad. But the car is running fine.

The other thing I noticed it that the thermostat was running closer to the halfway mark...just a little bit below it when the outlet let go....when i got it back from Pep Boys it runs now just a little bit above 1/4.

It may have stuck and that's why the water outlet top poped off...just a guess. When Pep Boys did their check they may have inatvertantly force it open! And put the new anti freeze in the correct way.

I'm going to change the thermostat just for safety it is ten years old. But both Pep Boys
and a Chrysler Expert on line said the head gasket was gone and never mentioned the special procedure about putting antifreeze in the 2.7 V6 that the owner manual mentions. I was just sitting there reading the manual by dumb luck while the car was warming up when I came across that paragraph.

I almost sold the car for junk to the tow truck driver! I got a little lucky!!

Bought the car with 60k on it and has runs great. Got 83k on it now. Only paid 4k for it and it looks new except for a little top wear. Hint: if the threading on the sides starts to rot I went to a craft store and bought a curved needle. They also sell plastic coated black steel thread! I just fixed the spots and it holds perfectly. It's a little tough getting the needle through the canvas sometimes so I change the needle after it dulls but well worth it...the top doesn't look like a piece of junk for being ten years old!

 

As I mentioned that small ratchet didn't work for me and cost about $14. Couldn't get enough leverage to crack the screw under the manifold. I bought a swivel head and an extension (about 12") and put an 8mm on the end. It worked perfect...the screw was tight and I needed the extra leverage to crack the seal. Anybody want to buy a small 8mm ratchet cheap? lol

 

I also have the edges of my top decaying, but my plan is to replace them with new edging since I have sections missing. I will be using this sewing awl tool from Tandy. There is a Hot-To video for it. It shows $22 for it, but I bought mine at Tandy in Mississuaga Canada for $10. They also have a tool to mark the stitch locations with 5,6, or 7 stitches per inch.
Sewing Awl
Tandy Leather Factory - Sewing Awl Kit
Marker tool
Tandy Leather Factory - Craftool Overstitch Wheel System

 

Awesome...didn't know that existed...at least what I did worked even if it took a long time. Also I put the top up half way and put a broom handle to hold it there. This took all the tension off of the edging making it easier to work with....Thanks!

 

My overheating problem came back yesterday morning again! But the temp gauge still shows below half! Then I put in more anti freeze and bled out the air again because I had to go to the bank..about a 5 mile trip. No over heating again or bubbling in the expansion tank. Could the thermostat be sticking..it's ten years old. Only thing I don't get is why the temp gauge doesn't shoot way up...never had that happen on a car in 50 years. When any car I owned over heated including one with a bad head gasket you could see the temp gauge going up. I drove a car for a year with a bad head gasket...I just added fluid as it went down the gauge let me know. Well I got to use the car this morning so I'll see what happens...I have anti freeze in the trunk. At least when I stop I can see steam coming from the expansion tank if it's over heating lol.

 

There are tests that can be run for a blown head gasket. You can run a compression check, a bleed-down check and cooling system pressure check.
Another symptom of a blown head gasket is a puff of white smoke at a cold start.
You may just have a weak pressure cap that is allowing steam to escape even though the car is not really overheating. Check out the cheap solutions to your problem first.

 

Great advice! I'm taking it a mechanic my son knows. He's not even going to charge me for doing a block check. I'm going to copy your suggestions and give them to him also. Oh..one more thing...I noticed a small dimple in the hood of my car. When the water let popped off the brass bleeder went up through the insulation and pushed into the hood making a dent!
I can live with it but to bad there wasn't more protection there or some type of rubber piece that covered the bleeder screw.

 

You could probably get that "dimple" repaired by a Paintless Dent Repair technician.

 

Strange..if i run the air or the heater it seems to cool it enough so the car runs fine. No rumbling in the expansion tank. I took it to inspection , I was over due and the car passed emissions...I got a two year new sticker! Can a car with a bad head gasket pass inspection? Well at any rate I'm having a block test done Monday for free. Maybe the thermostat is causing all this. At least I know I can use the car if I leave the heater on or the air on! lol

 

Good idea..if the car is ok I'll do that..it's small but it does annoy me!