nuckingfuts

hey i posted a long time ago, i think last summer around this time.. i keep having problems blowing the top end tank on new radiators.. it's not like "blowing" off, just starts leaking coolant all over the place..

i have: new thermostat, rad. cap, upper & lower hoses, water pump was replaced recently at recomended milage interval. the car never over-heats or runs hot, not once.

this started probably 30k miles ago when i first bought the integra, it appeared to have the stock oem radiator, with the core all corroded and green, leaking all over. so i called up radiatorbarn.com and bought a replacement from them (with lifetime warranty). i bought a radiator from them for my crx years ago and it has been fine.

no more than a month later the radiator i purchased for the integra started leaking on the top end tank. i called them up and was told that they have been having problems with integra owners radiators due to the high reving nature of the engines. i have an LS motor with bolt on's and it is not a high reving or high horsepower application mind you.. radiatorbarn said that i should upgrade to a radiator with all metal end tanks (just like oem) so sure that seemed like the problem and i splurged the extra cash to get the all metal radiator..

a few months pass i open the hood to do the routine fluid check and what do i see? coolant all over the top end tank.. i couldn't believe my eyes, i call them up and they say the best they can do for me is to keep warrantying the radiators... so they ship out another one. i get the new radiator, take it out of the box and it is broken from shipping... i call and they finally ship out yet another radiator.. i put that radiator in and it is almost winter 2005 i put the car in storage (snow sucks)... i take the car out of storage this summer start driving it and guess what happens? ******* radiator leaking at top end tank AGAIN!

this is pissing me off, sorry to rant but i have probably bought 60$ worth of coolant, been on my back pulling out the radiator 5 times.... (btw i know how to install a simple radiator and i always bleed the system from the valve by the cylinder head) it is not installation error... there is nothing that could rub on the top end tank and cause it to leak/get a hole. it is also not leaking out of the cap i have replaced that 2 times just to be sure, nor is it leaking from the overfill return. the car never overheats! i don't know what the problem could be i am stumped... CHEAP RADIATORS??? thats what i'm thinking, they do sell an "all aluminum" racing radiator for the integra but i don't know if i should try my best to get my money back and look somewhere else for a aluminum radiator? what do you guys suggest?!


anyways, thanks for any help! i live on my own, this is my only form of transportation, i can't afford this mess nor do i deserve this ****!

SHystrdyGSRtdy

what kinda radiator cap are you using (it seems some people think that my 1.3bar mugen cap caused this problem)? this same thing has happened to me lately:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1330674

my friend is selling his all alum. koyo dual core racing one for $230 picked up:

https://honda-tech.com/zero...age=1

rustyhatch

honda radiators just plain suck. i have had it up to here with them. i guess honda wants to sell a few engines. not the right way to go around it i think.

nuckingfuts

i am and have been using the stock oem rad. cap(s)
this really sucks

Sam92Teg

Just a shot in the dark, but is your upper radiator hose new? If there is a pin-hole leak on the bottom of the upper radiator hose that shoots a small stream at the radiator, it would appear to be the radiator when it is only a leak in the hose. My stock Integra radiator had plastic tanks, not metal. I swapped in an $85 all metal radiator off ebay and it has been perfect for 60K miles so far. Good luck.

nuckingfuts

yeah like i said the upper and lower hoses are new.. i try to replace the cheap stuff first to make sure thats not what is failing instead of just assuming it is the radiator. i have new cap, thermostat and upper&lower hoses. water pump replaced by mileage and the car never overheats or runs hot.

SHystrdyGSRtdy

maybe a radiator shop will be able to pump air into your system and pin point the leak?

Jimmii

iTrader: (1)

yeah i had the same **** happen to me just about a year ago. the place where i went to get the radiator said that there must be something up in the block or the fans arent working. I had everything checked out by a mech. and he said everything was fine... its just the radiators that sucked. the radiators installed before had plastic tanks, causing the same **** you experienced. I told the guy that sold me the radiator to give me one with metal tanks, everything was fine after that. no leaks or anything, but since you did that already the only thing i could say is to go to a mech. and ask for a block test. that will bring up the problem.

SHystrdyGSRtdy

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by grnGeeeSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah i had the same **** happen to me just about a year ago. the place where i went to get the radiator said that there must be something up in the block or the fans arent working. I had everything checked out by a mech. and he said everything was fine... its just the radiators that sucked. the radiators installed before had plastic tanks, causing the same **** you experienced. I told the guy that sold me the radiator to give me one with metal tanks, everything was fine after that. no leaks or anything. Try finding one with metal tanks and your problem will go away.</TD></TR></TABLE>


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nuckingfuts &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">radiatorbarn said that i should upgrade to a radiator with all metal end tanks (just like oem) so sure that seemed like the problem and i splurged the extra cash to get the all metal radiator..</TD></TR></TABLE>

non-VTEC

make sure your not using a high pressure rad cap (mugen, sp00n) like someone mentiond before.

i had the same problems with my new replacment radiator leaking at the top end tanks from the rad cap (1.3kg) holding to much pressure in the cooling system.

swithced it out to a stock (1.1kg) rad cap and never had a problem since.

if your cap is 1.1kg then try replacing it with a new one...it may be defective....