I car was overheating on the drive home the other day. The temp needle was all the way in the RED-ZONE. When i pop the hood steam was coming out from the radiator. It was also dripping. The radiator has about 167k on it.

*did i do any damage to the motor if the temp got super hot(red-zone)?
*who has an extra one?
*how long/difficult is it to swap one out?
**should i fork over more money for the "Fluiydne" since my stock radiator was blown or just get one from NAPA?

 

possibly, depends on how long you drove the car while it was hot
not too bad. it's pretty easy actually
how long are you going to keep the car? what are your motor plans. if you re going to run turbo or super high compression then it's probably worth getting a fluidyne now. if you're not keeping the car or are only going to do some basic bolt-ons then forget it. It is worth looking for a radiator that has all-metal construction. One of the worst things about Hondas is the plastic topped radiators. common location of failure.

 

common guys help me out. the needle was all the way to the top!

 

How long did you drive with the temps that high? You could have possibly warped the block/head if there is no coolant running through it. I wouldn't suggest driving the car until you get that fixed. Where is it leaking from? After it's TOTALLY COOLED DOWN, open up the cap and fill it with more coolant/water. ALWAYS KEEP IT FULL. A temporary fix would be to JB Weld the leak, and hope that it holds til you can get a new radiator.

But, you should definitely get a new radiator ASAP. Either a used one, or aftermarket. Do you plan on any other mods in the future? If not, an OEM radiator is fine.

 

well... i have some indoglow guages so i can't see the needles! (yaeah yeah i know it ricy) I'd have to say about maybe like 3 miles with the needle at the top. I didn;t notice it until the heat got like really hot. It was about 20F yesterday night(minnesota winters)

As soon as i poped the hood steam can out at an angle(from thr passenger end)
-OPEN the cap(even though i know it was hot!) there is still plently of coolant in there.
-the leak seems to be like a crack near the bottom.

*****i called Napa they want $126.09 for a new one. comes with lifetime warenttee so i'll get that.

 

how will i know if the block/ head was damage or warped?

 

First make sure it's your radiator. If your t-stat is stuck it will overheat and cause leaks. It will leak out the weakest point, which may be a loose hose clamp, a hose, also the drain for the radiator. You can get the system pressure tested.

 

YUP! all done.
it ened up to be just the thermostat. I got one at Napa for like $4.50 works ok.
****however***
i did notice that the temp needle sits a little bit higher than before. what is causing it? should i switch to a HONDA t-stat? how much more are they?
----right now the temp is just barely touching the 1/2 way mark, is that ok????

 

It might just be a hotter ( opens at a higher temp) thermostat. Glad to see it was just the t-stat

 

You opened the cap on a boiling radiator? You got ballz.

 

no I'm just stupid that time!

well how do i now if the head or block is warped?

 

do a compresion test and see if you have any coolant or oil leaks as well as check the oil to see sign of colant and vice-versa, good luck

 

I'd suggest a Honda thermostat, it's all of 11.00 and it should keep the temp right in the middle like it should be. When you put indiglo gages in do they still have the "idiot" lights? You know the temp light? Just wondering.