How long to wait - coolant bleed

Now to the cooling issue.
I appreciate the offer of help and guidance regarding blow back..
Not quite sure how I’ll attach a hose at the radiator vent point and blow back but I get the idea.
The radiator is brim full.
With the PRT stat I need that to open before anything will circulate back to the engine/expansion tank The bottom hose is below the vent so it is entirely possible that air is in the return leg but the stat needs to open as I read the diagram.

The heater is a different issue and water should vent from that point. I’m waiting for delivery of some fittings to be able to further bleed the radiator part of the system before re trying the heater vent again.
As the rad is brim full I would expect something out of the water rail vent by the cylinder head. But nothing last time. And that is why I wish to crimp the hose to push the water down the rail rather than take the route to the head tank
 

Buy a cheapo hypodermic syringe (1/2 litre ?)  Connect to heater bleed with suitable clear plastic pipe. Suck and see what (if anything) comes out. Does the heater valve work?

You dont need to connect the short piece of hose to the rad point or to water.
Simply butt it up to the rad and blow down the tube.
The rad is full but either the flow or return pipe is airlocked preventing circulation.
It really only takes 30 seconds.
Good luck.

VinceR, thanks for the syringe idea. Yes the heater valve works as far as I can remember. Only got the car in July last and put it on SORN  in Oct so not a great need to use the heater in that period last year! I have a syringe but not that big and if all else fails I might try that.

At present there is a tube from the heater bleed to a 1Litre bottle and during the last run I did collect about 25 mm in the bottom of the bottle.  So something is getting through - eventually.

For the heater bleed valve to work I found it needed the coolant level in the resevior increased a bit. It hardly did anything at all whilst at the nomal level

Delbourt wrote:

PS never did find the relay under the steering wheel. That can wait for another day.

Can you post a picture of your fusebox under steering wheel?

Notanumber wrote:

For the heater bleed valve to work I found it needed the coolant level in the reservior increased a bit. It hardly did anything at all whilst at the normal level

Hence jacking the back up or perhaps pop rear on ramps? 

That would most likely work but I just took the lazy route and poured a bit more water in.

Speaking of levels, peering in the filler hole reveals 2 ridge levels.  Are these the Max and Min markers?

Ive never been very sure and may be wrong but looking down into the resevoir I treat the top of the stalactite type upstand to be the standard fill level. In order to be able to bleed from the heater bleed valve though I usually take the level almost up to the top though.

In terms of shifting air blockages, I found that removing the black plastic shield under the bonnet allows you good access to the rad hoses. A good old squeeze of them usually burps the system quite effectively.🤣

I’ve worked a reasonable size hole in the plastic cover, over which fits a blind grommet. As I have an excess of 1/4” extension, I’ve drilled one through & cross drilled it. With the appropriate socket siliconed on the end & a tommy bar, the nipple can be loosened, allowing the coolant up the extension & away.
M