Overheat 95 525I

[patpong22]

Overheated while wife driving, Coolant temp high warning and steam from engine and radiator area.
Can see some overflow fluid from when it overheated but coolant level is still above full mark at cold.
Removed poly belt, water pump pulley feels OK to me, so does viscous fan clutch but I am no expert.
Water pump and radiator replaced by PO about 9 years and 80,000 miles ago.
No visible damage, I haven't run the car again since it overheated, right now I have the belt and hoses to the thermostat off. Stopped because I don't know what/how to do next.
Advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Patpong

[whiskychaser]

Coolant temp high warning and steam from engine and radiator area.
... right now I have the belt and hoses to the thermostat off. Stopped because I don't know what/how to do next.

Check for mayo under the oil filler cap or same/water drops on the dipstick and oily film or black colour in the header tank. These are indications the head gasket has gone. You need to find the source of the leak/steam and you are not going to do that with the hoses and belts off. You can either put them back on, fill up, bleed with heater on full and check for leaks or replace the stat and pump first and then do it. Have a look in Bentleys or do a search - its all widely documented.

[patpong22]

I am using the Bentley and I did searches.
I was trying to bleed the system - belts and hoses back on first and was filling the bleeder hole IAW Bentley. It never stopped filling. Put a gallon in it so far, just had to stop for lightning.
I was looking at parts, when I'm putting the coolant in to the bleeder hole (on the radiator, next to tank) the coolant level in the expansion tank never rises. Is the bleeder hole going in to the tank or radiator? It almost looks like two tanks with a little bit of "mayonaisse" on the one closer to the radiator. I'm thinking may be that one is cracked but in FCP groton they only show the little coolant tank. Don't show my radiator at all because I have an automatic transmission.
thanks,
Cliff

[whiskychaser]

The whole system including the heater radiator is 11 litres or 2.9 US gallons. If you put the last 7 digits of your vin in realoem.com it will probably come up with this but you need to confirm:
RealOEM.com * BMW E34 525i Radiator (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=17_0601&hg=17&fg=05)
In which case you dont fill it via the bleed screw 8 but remove cap 7 and fill it to the mark about half way up the bottle. 8 is to let the air out so you dont get an air lock. I doubt you have mayo on the rad - it is basically emulsified fat which is the result of steam on oil.

[patpong22]

At the top, hairline crack, vertical with seam - radiator to tank
Thanks