Ok this ones tricky. 1998 Civic EX overheating problem.
11-12-2012
#1
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Ok this ones tricky. 1998 Civic EX overheating problem. 1998 Honda Civic EX SOHC V-Tec, Automatic(I believe the tranny is modified but I'm not sure with what, shift kit or valve body, but I'm pretty sure its modded. 
O.k, i bought this car 3 months ago, did the timing belt, head gasket, water pump, changed the thermostat to a racing thermostat, opens at 150F and fully by 170F and have a 20 psi radiator cap however has a stock radiator...shitty radiator I know. Before I changed the head gasket, timing belt and water pump, on occasion the car spit out the coolant through the reservoir, only after i turned off the car and parked, its been doing it more and more often even after I changed that, pretty sure mechanic just needed cash but the head gasket was pretty much done anyways, got the head machine shopped and all that so hey it was worth it. Now however I need to put coolant every time I run the car, and after about 15 to 20 minutes it has spit most of the coolant out and it begins to raise the temp, it even spits it when I'm in park
,I have never let the car overheat but the coolant has gotten so low I have to add about half a gallon or more to top it off,
now I believe the radiator is blocked,and i noticed the mouth where the radiator cap goes is worn, time for a better one. But i want to know what you think. Thinking on a two row all aluminum radiator, measuring 16.5" x 14.25" x 2" so i assume the core is at least 1.50" thick so please help, even the mechanic doesn't know and whatever like I trust the SOB...
O.k, i bought this car 3 months ago, did the timing belt, head gasket, water pump, changed the thermostat to a racing thermostat, opens at 150F and fully by 170F and have a 20 psi radiator cap however has a stock radiator...shitty radiator I know. Before I changed the head gasket, timing belt and water pump, on occasion the car spit out the coolant through the reservoir, only after i turned off the car and parked, its been doing it more and more often even after I changed that, pretty sure mechanic just needed cash but the head gasket was pretty much done anyways, got the head machine shopped and all that so hey it was worth it. Now however I need to put coolant every time I run the car, and after about 15 to 20 minutes it has spit most of the coolant out and it begins to raise the temp, it even spits it when I'm in park
,I have never let the car overheat but the coolant has gotten so low I have to add about half a gallon or more to top it off, now I believe the radiator is blocked,and i noticed the mouth where the radiator cap goes is worn, time for a better one. But i want to know what you think. Thinking on a two row all aluminum radiator, measuring 16.5" x 14.25" x 2" so i assume the core is at least 1.50" thick so please help, even the mechanic doesn't know and whatever like I trust the SOB...
11-12-2012
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Re: Ok this ones tricky. 1998 Civic EX overheating problem.
Do a cylinder leakdown test, you will likely find a cylinder is putting combustion pressure into the cooling system. New head gasket? how was the block cleaned? it doesn't take much of a slip with a rol-loc to go beyond max deflection on the top of the cylinder tubes.
11-12-2012
#3
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Re: Ok this ones tricky. 1998 Civic EX overheating problem.
New Honda OEM head gasket, and the head was taken to a machine shop.
11-12-2012
#4
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Re: Ok this ones tricky. 1998 Civic EX overheating problem.
Is the sealing surface (some have a lip) down in the neck of the radiator eroded so the cap can't seal and hold pressure? Sure sounds like it isn't able to hold pressure for SOME reason.
Or a wrong cap? Deep rad neck and shallow cap-- mismatch.
If it overheated and shot steam out of the radiator, the radiator is probably trashed.
Or a wrong cap? Deep rad neck and shallow cap-- mismatch.
If it overheated and shot steam out of the radiator, the radiator is probably trashed.
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