Answer to first question, yes until you run out of coolant and then it will pull in air. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

As for an air pocket, did you 'burp' (technical term) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> it after you refilled it with coolant? If not, you need to do that first.

Also, did you flush the radiator and cooling system out before refilling it? Mine was full of crud when I did it. Yours may be also restricting the amount of coolant and coolant flow thereby making your engine run hot.

Also, did you inspect the inside of your radiator before topping it off? You should. It should be relatively clean of mineral deposits. Mineral deposits = poor cooling ability since the coolant flow is less and the minerals can (possibly?) act as an insulator. If it's bad, you need to have the top and bottom tanks removed and the core rodded, or possibly even replaced. Whatever you do, don't replace the radiator with a poor aftermarket model that has cheapo plastic tanks.