So far so good. Did the bleed the correct way and changed the cap to a skunk2. Anyone else come across this thread with a rad. Change the cap and do the bleeding correctly listed on page 2 I think.

 

Its funny when people post stuff that should have nothing to do with the radiator in these threads.

If your cap is LEAKING then its obviously the cap. If its the radiator leaking, its obviously the radiator.

IF your temp spikes real quick, its NOT the radiator OR the cap,unless oyur radiator is puking coolant.

The radiator cap only raises the temp at which coolant boils (by pressurizing), it will NOT cause your temp to rise faster.

Don't blame shit on a crappy bleed.

I'm reading the problems you guys are blaming on the mishi and 80% of them are NOT radiator related.

 

So how would you diagnose the op's issue, which is the same issue I had? For me, the car was bled during installation at a reputable shop, once by a recommended shop and once by an s2kier, but the rising temp came back within days. I then read an article about the extremely poor quality of Mishimoto and Koyo caps, so I put on a Spoon cap then bled the system against with the same s2kier. The car has functioned normally for the past 6+ months since then.

Given the scenario, it's hard to say all three bleeds were screwed up, but not the fourth. Do you find it impossible for a cap to stay on, but not pressurize enough and would let air into the system? For me, the coolant may or may not have spewed out when the temp started rising rapidly. I've always brought it into the shop soon after, as I wouldn't have known what to do about the situation at the time.

 

i say its a bad thermostat. your aftermarket radiator is probably keeping your car cool in normal operating conditions but when you rev the car hard (engine temp rises) and needs to be cooled, the thermostat is remaining closed.

 

That's what the second shop I bled my car at said. He installed another OEM thermostat in, but the heating persisted. It wasn't until I replaced the cap that the heat subsided.

 

A|X, would the temp rise after a while, or instantly? If it rose after extended driving, its totally possible that the cap was bad. I was commenting about people who claimed the temp would spike instantly with a bad cap. A bad cap only prevents boiling at temps above boiling, which should be well into the 200F. If you're hitting 200F within a few minutes of turning on the car, something else is wrong.

 

It would rise slowly at first. The car would be at normal operating temps on short city drives, but once I got on the freeway, the temp started to spike rapidly. I suppose it was the cap then.

 

^That could definitely be the cap. Basically, you want to see what happens first: Does it overheat and THEN the cap starts releasing, or does it release and THEN the car overheats.

 

How can you tell which happens first? Run back and forth between the dash and radiator?

 

Its not going to be INSTANT, the cap will definitely be easier to see, so I'd stare at the cap until it gives, then peek over to the dash. Also, you can take the temp of the radiator...if the radiator temp is low (little higher than boiling pt of water) then its most likely the cap.