Ok I have a 93 integra with a B17a1 and cable gsr transmission. The engine has 1200 miles. I have had it professionally rebuilt top to bottom. It has a 2 core aluminum radiator, stock everything else as far as the cooling system goes. Here is the weird part. The car will run at temp for 30 miles roughly and then the Guage starts to climb. I have tried removing the block guard and replaced the headgasket with a new oem. The system flows water well at an idle, I have bled the system with a vacuum pump. I know there are no leaks external, because the expansion tank works as it should. I have proved the fans work and that the sender for the Guage is correct. I have even replaced the t-stat, even though my old one was a brand new one from acura. The car is turbocharged, and it has a good tune. Has anyone had a problem like this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

A few things to check

Does the fan switch work? When the car is over heating is the fan on?

What kind of fan is on the car, when I first put together my turbo setup, my car ran hot as well. Upgraded to a 13 inch SPAL curved blade fan and it fixed my issues.

Does it always overheat or only if you are driving, sitting stopped, etc.

Could be an airflow blockage.

Pressure test the cooling system and check the radiator cap.

Compression and leak down test the motor.

 

Fan does work and does run when the car is warm. Doesn't matter how I drive it, easy ,hard, traffic, highway. You get 30 minutes give or take and it's over. The funny part is the motor runs great, idles great, even at 250 degrees. Compression is good, leak down is good. Since I posted this, I have put a brand new autometer guage in the system, still gets 250 degrees. But I noticed that the heater hose running from the core to the t Stat housing is cold (105 degrees). Does lack of flow through the heater core break the loop of the cooling?

 

Sorry, forgot to answer your other questions.
900 cfm slim fan with a shroud.

System checks out on pressure test

I do have a 1800 cfm spal extreme performance fan but have not gotten it installed yet.

The only way I could figure checking airflow was to block small sections at a time of the radiator core. Even with a 3x3 inch piece of cardboard it overheated within 5 minutes.

The head is strait as is the block, checked with a precision strait edge.

 

250 Degrees?!?!?!! Hope that is a typo LoL

What does the tune look like as far as timing?


Generally when you bleed the cooling system, you turn the heat on, so coolant circulates through the entire system, did you do that when you bleed the system?

 

I'd put that fan on to see if it changes, what does your engine bay look like?
Maybe remove the shroud and see too?

 

No 250 isn't a typo, I did turn the heater on when I bled the system. I have factory service manuals, and that is the procedure I followed.

I actually have the shroud removed and the fan just mounted with those cheesy cables you put through the cooling fins. It didn't seem to make any difference.

I need to get a new shroud made to mount the fan, the old one was welded on, and even though it is a 12" fan like the one I have it is bigger around and hangs over the old shroud.

The deck timing is set at 16 btdc. I can't remember what the tuner said for sure but I want to say it's 25 all in. It is a very conservative street tune, because I don't want to explode the b17.

Im thinking the way the heater hoses are ran, if the core is plugged, the water in the end of the passenger side of the head would not flow. Since the sensors are there in that same spot it might explain why the car runs fine, but reads at 250 degrees. Does this sound reasonable?

Man thanks for your input, I have had a hell of a time trying to come up with ideas.


Here are some pics of how things are laid out in the bay.








Not the best pics, but all I have on my phone

 

250 is ridiculous and wayyyyy over heating. I have my protection enabled to throw a CEL when the temp hits 220.

Normal operating temp is around 190 degrees.

How are you measuring the temps?
What does the cluster temperature gauge read, maybe your aftermarket sensor or gauge you are using has an issue?

What engine management is the car running? 25 is conservative, maybe a bit high around idle though if you meant 25 through all ranges.


Setup looks great! May just want to wrap the DownPipe to help with heat.

 

Thanks for the compliments. I tried to do the best I could since I was doing it.

Im guessing mine will never throw a cel since it hasn't yet. The car is tuned on chrome, with a chipped p28. I have a aem v2 but was hoping to work the bugs out this season with the chrome.

Im reading Temps from the stock locations. When I hooked the autometer guage up I put the sender in the stock guage sender location. The stock guage is correct as it rides in the normal position until it pegs itself. Wich would concurr with the autometer guage.

Timing is 16 btdc at idle and 25 at 11psi. Im told this is conservative.

I have considered wrapping the downpipe and dump tube, but they are ceramic coated and look much better than a wrap.

I will post later on how bypassing the heater core works out.

On a side note the car idles at 220. And the fans are on at 230 ish and back off at 220. But the lower hose I'd only 180 with a temp gun. Wich is why I think for some reason the head must have a flow problem near the sensors.

Thanks again for your help.

 

I wanted to update this thread. I have figured out the cause of my overheating problem and thought I would share.

Basically, the fan switch is so far away from the cylinder head that the head was getting 220 and the fans were not coming on.

I am guessing that this is due to the 2 row radiator working WAY better than a stock one so the temperature drop is significantly greater than stock.

My solution was to add a smart controller for the fan. I chose a dakota digital. It allows you to adjust both the on and off temperature.

Hopefully this will help some people out, I know it really gave me fits trying to figure it out.

The car now runs 195 around town and 200 after beating the **** out of it.

 

Stock location for the fan switch?
I've never heard of anyone having issues, wonder if it was just an issue with wiring or the switch itself.

But regardless it's nice to see you fixed your issue.

 

well if one coolant hose is hot and the other cold the onlything possible going on here is the t-stat is stuck. or atleast not opening.

 

T Stat did open, coolant flows through radiator. Lower hose does get warm, but is about 30 degrees cooler after passing through radiator. Wich is normal. Fan switch was tested with a multi meter and the resistance is correct compared to what the factory service manual says it should be. Posibly a lower temp fan switch would fix the problem. But with the controller I chose, it uses the stock guage location to activate the fans. And that is the hottest part of the coolant system.