i just swaped an itr engine into my ef si. the engine starts and runs but once i try to vtec the temp needle rockets up and the rpm one goe crazy. the top radiator hose is very hot and the bottom one cold, please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks

 

You need a new radiator or a new water pump. If you know somebody who has a laser temperature gauge (50$ for the nice one at napa I think), point it at your radiator after it's warmed up and start at the top moving back and forth and down slowly, as soon as you hit a spot where the temperature is drastically different, you know that your radiator is clogged and you need a new one, flushing your system might work too but it's an annoying process and it never works completely.

 

If you changed the Timing Belt/Water Pump like you should have before you put the engine in, it sounds like a radiator. If you didn't, this is a classic example of why you should do this on EVERY TIME you put a used engine into a car. It's even worse when you swap an engine and snap a timing belt and shoot a couple pistons into your head. So be happy this didn't happen first!

Even if you didn't, I would still start with the radiator, it will be cheaper and a much easier and quicker job. After market radiators are DIRT cheap with lifetime warranties, junk yard radiators are even cheaper. If this does not fix it, you've got a shiny new radiator and you'll kick yourself in the *** for not changing the water pump when it was out of the car making it 10 billion times easier to do.

But lets hope you did

Good luck and let us know what happens!



Modified by loudandlow at 12:10 AM 10/27/2007

 

It is also possible that the thermostat is bad. With a bad thermostat, hot water DOES make its way into the top radiator hose by natural convection (and even into the top tank of the radiator). But the bottom hose will be ice-cold. Since thermostats are SO cheap, replacing the thermostat should be your first course of action - especialy if you have already replaced the timing belt and water pump.

 

you guys are going to **** on me cause i didnt change the water punp or the tining belt, i was in to much of a hurry to see my car vtec. i am going to start with the radiator cause i used the laser gauge and the temp has a drastic change on the right side.

is that why my vtec is going crazy as well?

 

does ur car smoke?

maybe blow headgasket...

 

No car dont smoke! what radiator should i use? i amthinking of getting a oem one from a 93 integra!

 

Upper hose hot, bottom cold = thermostat or clogged radiator (not), only use OEM stat.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Duane_in_Japan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Upper hose hot, bottom cold = thermostat or clogged radiator (not), only use OEM stat.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agree with DUANE and StorminMatt . Replace your thermostat first. Cheap and easy. Use new housing o-ring as old one will leak. Also a little silicone or honda bond helps to keep the seal. Def use an oem thermo and gasket!

Radiators do clog up but its not your problem since this only happens when u hit vtec or when ur car gets very hot.

Since your draining your coolant you should just do your water pump for the sake of it since you did not replace your timing belt yet, Do your pump/TM belt in one shot. You will feel better once its done anyway. ITR motor is too nice to blow from ripped TM belt

 

yes change thermostat first. also check a number of other problems like, does the fan work?, radiator cap maintaining pressure?, is your timing correct? these can also cause your engine to overheat

 

timing is good, but my fan doesn't work. i changed my thermostat. Do you think i should change my v-tec solenoid since it goes crazy whenever i v-tec. im sure the radiator is clogged because it has a drastic change in temperature from end to end.

 

what model car do u have?

is it a dx or std hb? if yes did u convert to obd1.. most likely wiring is fucked up. fan not going on will cause ur car to overheat.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dannysolis92005 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">timing is good, but my fan doesn't work. i changed my thermostat. Do you think i should change my v-tec solenoid since it goes crazy whenever i v-tec. im sure the radiator is clogged because it has a drastic change in temperature from end to end.</TD></TR></TABLE>

OK, If both radiator hoses are getting warm then the thermostat is working, if the fan is working then the outlet of the radiator should be cooler than the inlet, if the outlet is cooler than the inlet and the fan is not working then the water is not flowing through the radiator and the outlet hose should also be cool, this is a bad thermostat. Did you use a Honda OEM tstat.

I dont think that a radiator would clog 100%. One more time on those temperatures please. Monitor both hoses from a cold engine while the engine is warming up, could take 20 ~ 30 minutes if you dont operate the throttle by hand at the throttlebody cable.

 

Forgot to mention, if the tstat does not open, then the fan switch will not get hot enough to turn on the fan. Change OEM tstat.

 

At around what temperature should the thermostat be?

i have checked the upper and lower radiator hoses and the upper one is drastically hotter than the lower, so the fan is most likely not turning on because the fan switch is not getting hot through the lower radiator hose. i am buying another radiator tomorrow. any suggestions before i make my final decision on the radiator?

 

You need to test the radiator hoses while the car is warming up in the driveway, not after a drive, this can take up to an hour, just be sure of the problem please, more help if you need it.

 

I got a new radiator, overheating problem is fixed!!!!!

NOW...

I only need to fix my vtec, it will engage for about a second then the rpm's go crazy(rpm needle shoots to redline then all the way back to 1000 rpms) Is this the vtec solenoid?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Being a little lazy today, your original post did not say if you have a manual trans, clutch slipping????? I do not know a corrolation between VTEC and RPM gauge, although you do need to be going like over 3K before VTEC will kick in but again, how is the actual gauge involved, I understand the ECU tells VTEC when to kick in............

 

sounds like a bad ignitor(inside the distributor).

 

well i ran my car and it runs okay! i know its not at its best but i think i got a tack problem cause the needle goes nuts when i hit like 6k rpm but the engine does engage vtec! the radiator was my cooling prblem! i changed it and the fan switch and my car dont over heat! now i just have an exhaust air leak somewhere. would my header be a problem cuase the header is bigger that my exhaust like by 1/4 of an inch!how can i check for and air leak? thanks for your healp

 

The tach gets it signal from the ignition coil directly, maybe it is weak at high RPMs. Use your hand CAREFULLY to feel for exhaust leaks.

 

i found the air leak....took care of that...only thing left is the rpm tach, ill check the ignition coil, the car still seems like it lacks power.

is it due to the 3 inch header that connects to a 2.5 inch exhaust?

 

If there is no leak, FOR SURE, then it does not matter for your HP range.

 

i talk to a guy from a1 motorsports shop and he said that the 4-2-1 end pipe was to big and that that was my problem!!!!! he say the customised it but the header look oem to me!!!!! wil i be better of with a 4-1 header!!!