okay I finished putting my build together and took the car for a ride…
I drove just long enough for the car to warm up but when I got home to park, the lower rad hose popped off the rad…This has happen to me the last two times I’ve taken it for a ride. Im running a half rad with a built
b18a1… I know the outlets on the rad are a bit smaller than the rad hose but I hear that it’s okay to run still… Any input appreciated.
Also will be posting pics in my build thread soon…
Hmm strange I had an issue with pressure building in my top rad hose, It was on really tight so it just made the hose swollen and built enough pressure in the rad to bust it eventually.
possibly your lower hose is experiencing the same ?
I would really look into before taking anymore drives…it costed me my motor. However, It doesn’t mean you are having the same issue as me though, My rad was from a civic as well ( full rad )
make sure its around just the round portion of the radiator because there is a tab that you could accidentally put it around that will cause it to leak. If its around the perfectly circular part. Tighten your hose clamp.
and I can just use the stock hoses right? Even though they are bigger than the outlets on the rad… hose diameter i think is 36mm and civic hose is 32 i think…
Doube clamp it.
okay I will be trying that today… wish me luck
ok so the hoses are double clamped and are holding now but my car overheats after driving 5 - 10 mins… coolant is flowing nicely out of the bleeder screw and is topped up… Any suggestions as to where I should look?
Thermostat stuck shut maybe? Fan working correctly?
You didn’t blow a head gasket did you? Pull the rad cap off when the pressure isn’t very high. Start the car up and hold revs around 1000+ to maintain a smooth idle. What does the coolant do in the rad with the cap off? if it’s bubbling, that’s a sign of head gasket
ill try that… I did a compression test earlier today and is was 170 across the board… Is it still possible to be a headgasket?
I dont think the thermostat is stuck because the lower rad hose does get really hot… Also fan does come on…
anybody know if I should replace the headgasket or does my compression test prove that it is not a headgasket?
okay I just ran the car with the rad cap off as Tchleung had suggested and it is bubbling when I hold the rev above 1000 rpm… Is the headgasket the only thing that can cause this… I thought maybe there was just a lot of air in the system but I ran it for about 30 mins and it would still bubble every so often… Any ideas or should I order my headgasket? Also is it okay for me to use an oem headgasket even though im bored .5mm over?
thanks in advanced
i guess I’ll just suck it up and buy another headgasket… I can’t see it being anything else at this point… thanks for everyones help… Ill let everyone know how it goes…
yea my issue was the head gasket as well 
[QUOTE=TeggeT;1742758]Also is it okay for me to use an oem headgasket even though im bored .5mm over?
thanks in advanced[/QUOTE]
yes. i currently am also using a stock bore headgasket with a .5mm overbore. the stock headgasket if you measure it actually measures close to 81.5mm anyways. also it does not effect anything if it’s smaller then the bore (piston never touches it)
as far as ur problem goes. i can’t stress it enough…arp headstuds is a MUST on any F/I engine
yea, actually I am already using arp headstuds… Have a headgasket coming in today from the local dealership… Looks like i’ll need another set of arp head studs though…(correct me if im wrong but they can’t be reused right)
well got the headgasket installed today and I go to fire her up and she idles high and fluctuates between 1300 and 2000 rpm… I pulled the intake charge pipe off and covered the top hole before throttle plate and that seemed to cure it… What does that mean I’ll need to replace? IACV?
does anyone know how to distinquish headgasket leak and boiling coolant? I noticed that the only time the rad bubbles is after the thermostat opens… Also I cant seem to make out the smell of exhaust from the bubbles either. Also dont seem to be losing any oil. didnt notice oil in the antifreeze… Is it possible that it is bubbling cause i have been running it with the rad cap off. How can I tell if it still bubbles when I put the rad cap back on?