ssjhook

Hey guys I think i bent my radiator today by slamming down on low curb that divides my lawn....(my car is dunked pretty low)

anyways now my fan is scraping against the radiator, makes a very loud noise and it is bending the radiator fins

i have a few questions....first is there anyway to bend the radiator back enough to where it wont scrape? (no it doesn't leak) or is there a way to adjust my fan so it doesn't scrape? (it is barley scraping)

i also noticed the fins on the fan have tabs on the bottom that stick out that are responsible for scraping would it be really bad to trim them back or cut them off so they dont scrap?

in the mean time before getting repairs can I unplug this fan? I have 2 fans and i'm pretty sure this is the a/c fan, however it kicks on with the radiator fan

racebum

you need a new radiator and a respectable ride height

besides looking stupid slammed cars break parts frequently, have about 1/3rd the tire life and handle like ****

ssjhook

yeah tell me about it...

i got a mobile mechanic coming on tuesday to try and tweak it for me, i cannot afford a new radiator for at least a month

maacoreds13

Replace the radiator immediately. Even hairline cracks can cause it to leak. If it's your a/c fan, don't turn on the a/c.

doood

iTrader: (1)

you can afford to slam the **** out of it like an idiot but cant afford to make the inevitable repairs that come with being low?



did you thoroughly think this decision through?

cvcrcr99

Bending it back may cause a leak if it isn't leaking now.

ssjhook

Im not the one who slammed it, just bought the car about 2 months ago and had to put 500 into getting it smog legal, i'm in debt and don't know a lot about cars so i haven't had the resources to get it raised

Bear in mind this is my first car...i made a bad decision today and i'm paying a hefty price, but in a literal sense I cannot pay

The first thing I wanted to do to the car was have it raised only to find out my smog papers were forged and I had 30 days to correct the situation

ssjhook

As mentioned in the original post the a/c fan is kicking on when the radiator fan is kicking on, so I'll ask again is it ok to unplug the a/c fan until I can afford a new radiator?

Sticker Bomb

You'll spend more trying to get it bend straight, and then it will leak, they normally always do when you start messing with them from being bend.

ssjhook

so its pretty unanimous that i shouldn't bend it, my buddy says he will pick a radiator for pick n pull for me and do the work for free...he's not a mechanic but he's pretty handy with cars, i'm kinda nervous he may not do the job right....i guess i wont be in a much worst situation than i am now :/

ssjhook

https://honda-tech.com/forums/acura-integra-6/importance-both-radiator-fans-working-2991972/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/tech-misc-15/wiring-condenser-fan-radiator-fan-together-3066396/

I found these threads I guess its ok to just unplug the ac fan for now?

Tony M.

Replacing the radiator is not hard at all. If you need help to replace it, just ask here or message me. I'll walk you through.

ssjhook

Thanks I really appreciate that....does anyone have any feedback on this banged up support bar? Is this going to make it very difficult to install a new radiator?

1998GsRIntegra

That would be part of your core support. It looks quite bent. They're supposed to be straight across. It looks to be pushed back at least an inch, probably more. That is a problem. You're going to have a heck of a time installing an unbent radiator with it like that.

Tony M.

Yep!

That looks pretty bad. The new radiator might not fit right with the bottom support bent as much as it is.

ssjhook

jesus....am i going to have to get that entire core support replaced or is it something that can be banged out?

teggy!

if u can't swap a radiator you are in big trouble. bend it back slightly and check for leaks. if it doesn't leak ur ok, if it does, take off the 2 hoses, unplug the fan and replace. if the support is bent find a way to bend it back/get something welded up, or replace it. only way to learn is to try


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kyden

if your radiator bent, your radiator support is done. a new radiator isn't going to fix the problem.

B_Swapped93

Don't suggest that OP simply try n bend that back a new rad is 100% as for the rad support a better pic may help. but I don't think he's going to hammer it straight.

S2BumpsticksGSR

Damn, dude! Bending it that far also pulled on inner wheel-well. Luckily, most people never notice slight front end misalignment. PULL the core support back straight w/a come-along and a block of 2x4 when the old radiator is out. It will need quite a big/few pulls to un-crush that btw.

cvcrcr99

You MIGHT be able to pull it straight. Don't expect a new rad to sit in there like it did before though. I am sure you can get it to work.

Rad replacement is cake on this car.

Yes, you can simply unhook the A/C fan without problems.

Yes, you replace the entire core support, however, it is spot welded in by Honda and will need to be drilled out, and usually the new one should be welded back in.

EsotericDB8

holy ****. My car has been lowered since i bought it and i haven't had any problems other than tire wear and my 20 year old OEM struts blew.

wedge some cardboard in between the fan shroud and the radiator until you can afford a new/used one

racebum

if the support is too tweaked to handle an oem replacement radiator you could move to a triple core mishimoto half rad like the turbo guys.

would be considerably less expensive than the body shop and frame rack

you just need the half rad, a fan and splice your primary fan wires into the new one

ssjhook

Thx for the help and answers guys...

Its not a show car or anything so i dont mind if the radiator doesn't sit perfect or if the core support is a not perfect I just don't want my a/c fan to scrape i would like to be able to use my a/c

if i get a half radiator will that rule out any chance of me using my a/c again? also will i have to jimmy rig the half radiator onto the support seeing as the support was made for a full radiator?

ssjhook

heres some more pics