stuck thermostat?

diymirage said
Not much of a test, but with the upper hose off and the belt off I can hear the impeller sloshing around as I move the water pump pulley

This is with the belt back on , sure seems to be flow in the coolant

For now I put it back without a thermostat
I should have time for a good shakedown tomorrow, see what it does

Is the bottom hose soft? Is there a coiled wire in it? If not, then it may be collapsing under the suction from the water pump. When I bought my Duster, the bottom hose did not have a coiled wire so I put one in.