Okay I have a JDM h22a engine from an 94-97 Accord in my 92 Prelude. has app.25 to 30k miles. I took it out for a drive after replacing the automatic shifter cable and now the damn thing is over heating., Checked the over fill tank and it was empty so i filled up the radiator and tank to the top and drove it today. it still is over heating It is not dripping checked all the hoses. looked at the thermostat and got all the air out soooooooo what could the culprit be. any help would be great. I also checked in the oil dip stick and it was not slugy at sll just oil. WHERE IS MY FLUID GOING. please tell me there is another option other than the HEAD GASKET?

 

If it is the head gasket will some one tell me if a H22a4 head gasket from a 97 SH fit on the Head of the H22a?

 

bump

 

I have kind of the same problem, they told me to do a leak down test, I'm already looking into it, look at the "my H23vtec build gone bad" thread, it shows you how to do it. My compressor is bad so I'm still trying to get another one.

 

sounds like the hg if you don't see the coolant anywhere else. although i do recall someone recently having a crack in their radiator and the fluid was just seeping out, esp while driving and just kind of spraying away, so there were never any drips on the ground for quite a while until it finally let loose. what color is your oil? if it looks black, you've probably got a blown hg. check really carefully in your coolant and see if you can find traces of oil; in my case it's very faint, but it's there. also, your h22a is probably closed deck and the h22a4 is open, so the a4 hg will not likely seal well on the h22a.

 

Spend $30 and swap the thermostat. See if that cures it. If not, chances are you have a small leak that only shows itself while driving.

 

the oil will actually look milky and frothy if you have coolant mixing with the oil. black/brown oil is normal. are you producing white smoke out the tailpipe when driving? pressurize the coolant system, look for leaks. also do a leakdown.

 

tan to brown should be normal. my oil is jet black and i remember hearing from someone else who suspected a blown hg that their oil was super black. not sure why it happens, but it seems to be a trend.

 

x2. most of the time a car overheats in my experiences its just the thermostat gone bad

 

the oil is brown and i read if the hose gets hot by the radiator, then it is not the themostat.....for the possable leak in the radiator should i pressurise the radiator and see if its good and bolds pressure? and could it be the water pump i mean it is only between 30k miles and not 120,000. I will be doing a leak down test this weekend and i will keep all posted for future problems to others to look at this.

Another question is

If it is the HG should i replace
the water pump?,
get a different tensioner, (people say that the manual is better than the auto tentioner)
change the cam belt
get better head bolts or leave to stock
what kind of HG should i use?(stock or Hondata) this is not turbo'd

 

No, change your oil more frequently. Black is bad. I had to do about 4 oil changes /flushes to get the black oil from coming back. Its buildup in your motor that needs to be cleaned out or its just going to contaminate your oil everytime you change it. Or do a tear down/rebuild and clean it all properly too. That works.

 

Bump

 

Yes, you should pressurize the system to check for leaks. If you do not find any, replace the thermostat despite what you've heard. How many miles are on your water pump? How many miles are on your belts? I see no reason to change head studs. OEM head gasket is your best option.

 

does the radiator fan switch on when the engine reaches operating temp? If you have had to refill your overflow many times, then check for leaks around the core of the radiator, ie where the core meets the plastic ends.

 

if your lower radiator hose gets hot u can eliminate the thermostat from the equation

 

It's your piston return spring . lol

 

the fans do swich on when the engine over heats. I am going to pressurise the radiator today and to see why i have rust looking residue in my thrid spark plug space. I hope i dont need a new head. I am using 50/50 so i dont know why it would be rusty. well wish me luck and hope i can get to the bottom of this. thaky you all for your time and help. much appreciated!!!!!!

 

checked the radiator and could not find the leak. checked the head and there was no liquid in the area were it was rusty. I am stumped. where could i be loosing my fluid. My compression is 250 in each piston wich is a lil high but that means that the HG is okay and thats not the problem. so can you guys please think of any other solution.

 

How high did you go with the pressure tester?

 

flushed out the radiator today with this engine flush stuff. cleaned out all the grime. hope this helps my problem. Dad said that the compression held at 250 for about ten min. in each cylinder so thats good...

 

?

 

id be more inclined to have a radiator repair shop do a pressure test on the radiator and not that long ago a friend of mine said he pressure flushed the radiator which ended up being done with a garden hose and the over heating never stopped till the tanks where taken off the radiator and cleaned with wires to make all passages clear and clean inside the radiator just a question has the timing been changed ?