After spending 880 dollors on having a head gasket water pump and radiator replaced in my 1998 pontiac sunfire 2.2 liter it has no flow thru the brand new radiator engine runs supur hot 260 degrees in 2 miles both hoses to the radiator are extremly hot but the radiator is ice cold any ideas why it is still overheating ?

General advice:U must track the leak .How much it takes to loose the coolant?.If the coolant shows under the car must identify the tubes clamps that need tighten or replace.If a radiator related problem need clean/solder/replace.If leaky water pump,replace.If no trace of coolant ceck the oil.If is color altered(milky)u have a head gasket ahead (with head revision)or a broken engine block/piston cyclinder.If the oil is ok,ceck the smoke:whity smoke means coolant in the pistons head.Again best guess:head gasket (can leak also in the intake manifold).Very rare coolant shows in some cars in the power stearing oil (!?) track the tubes.Tip:colored coolant (green...)is better visible in leaks.Tip:water coolant may show rusty spots where dissapearing (radiator,expansion deposit,pitched tube).Hope u deal it.Cheers.

hello! I had the same problem with my 2000 Pontiac Sunfire... there might be one of these 2 problems with it.... maybe the Heater Core is jammed and the coolant dosen't flow thru the engine to cool it off, or the water pump is defective.... does the heating works or not? if yes, the water pump is defect, if not, the heater core is jammed, try a ''radiator hose cleaner'' (sold in Napa's or Carquest..) it will act as a kind of ''decloaker''.. if works, good! 15$ solution... if not, replace Heater Core... ~150$

Turn the car on with a/c on go to the radiator there should be two fans the one that is on is call the condensor fan, now what we need to do is turn off the a/c let the car run until the guage gets about half way, water boils at 212 degrees so the fan has to turn on right at that level. If it does not turn on then it is 1 of three things. 1. Fuse 2. Relay 3. Bad Fan motor. If it does come on then omit all this. Asumming that there are no leaks. Then there is a restriction somewhere. Most likely concerding you did a head job sounds like a intake gasket or head gasket may have been put on backwards and you are blocking the wrong port which is killing the water circultion. So take with a ray teck gun check temp at the upper and lower radiator hoes to see if they are the same. If they are then that is not the problem . Make sure that the radiator is not clogged.

I would test the ECT ( electronic coolant temp sensor ) first.

TWO- poss.head gasket on backwards or coolant sensor not turning on the cooling fan on , also you have to bleed the system which is located on the housing going to the top rad hose at the engine.

A thermostat that does not open and close would cause these very symptoms. Since it does not allow coolant to flow through the system, it will make the engine overheat. Since it won't allow the "heated" coolant to pass by your fan, the heat will continually blow cold air.
Stop driving the car immediately, becuase the next step will be some blown gaskets - especially head gasket. Other possible reasons can be as follows:-- It could be just low on coolant. if it is then add coolant... with low coolant the water pump can not move enough coolant to supply hot coolant to the heating system . also if its low the motor will over heat fast..... If the system is full then you may have other problems.. such as 1) bad thermostat 2) bad radiator cap ( not holding pressure so it will leak coolant) 3) blown head gasket . 4) bad heater core (leaking coolant out.. check the floor board under the dash on the passenger side.) 5) bad hose or clamp. Thanks. Keep updated for any more query. You can rate this solution and show your appreciation.

No, just basic mechanics hand tools. This vehicle is 11 years old. I recommend you perform a complete cooling system service at the same time you replace the water pump. Drain, flush, replace the thermostat, replace the water pump, pour in a 50/50 mix of the correct antifreeze and distilled water. (Do not use tap water). Bleed all air from the system. Also inspect the radiator hoses and heater hoses. Replace as necessary.

It sounds like you have air on your cooling system, recheck the coolant level at the radiator cap. "engine cold" Make sure the radiator is filled to the top and add if needed, place the radiator cap back on only at the first click and make sure the over flow tank is at the full level and start up the engine to warm it up with the heater on high heat. If you like you can go for a 10 min drive to ensure the thermostat has opened and all the coolant has cycled through out the engine and heater core. With the engine still running, close off the radiator cap to the second click and then turn off the engine, this should have worked the air out of the system. If not do it again and keep en eye on the over flow tank, top off if needed. Good luck and hope this helps. 

ok, its time for a radiator flush. there is major sludge in the internals of this radiator. Make sure the thermostat is in the correct position as well. I've seen many cars come into my shop with the thermostat inserted backwards.

If you have the 2.2L engine, headgasket 8.0 hours, engine 18.3 hours.
The 2.4L engine is , headgasket 12.7 hours, engine 20.8.
This is if you have ALL of the right tools and have experience.