H4RD ON

When I parked the car it ran fine...not one problem. I changed alot and now I can't figure out why i'm having overheating issues.

Current set-up


Things that i've changed:
- new head (that was pulled from a running car) I did a valve job, and slight port/polish, AP2 retainers, Welded in the EGR ports above the exhaust manifold. Re-surfaced.
- ARP headstuds
- OEM headgasket
- Custom intake manifold w/ Hondata gasket *blocks off the water going to the throttle body. Deleted the coolant bleeder peice.
- Ebay radiator w/ slim fans *got it checked out by radiator shop, holds 60+psi, no leaks, fans run entire time the car runs (have always ran it that way)
- changed the radiator hoses to 16AN stainless steel hoses *didn't modify anything besides welding on the fittings. All other hoses are stock.
- Oil filter relocation kit *elimanates oil cooler with a hose connecting the 2 water fittings

So go to start car for the first time, everything is fine but quickly heats up. Remove the thermostat and it doesn't overheat anymore but it also doesn't get up to normal operating temperature. I drive it around and actually hit stop and go traffic for probably 15-20 minutes never once got up to 2 bars on my gauge (I have AEM w/ modifry ECT fix and also have AEM serial gauge so i can monitor the water temps) Install a new thermostat from NAPA and it does the same thing- heats up real quick. I take the thermostat out and check it on the oven and it opens up so I know it's good. Put it back in the car. Fill it up with coolant and it heats up. I'm leaving the radiator cap off with a funnel in it watching the bubbles, waiting for the thermostat to open so i can pour more coolant in. The top hose gets HOT yet the bottom never changes temp. I have the heat all the way up but it never blows out warm air. The heater hoses near the battery never get warm either.

What do you guys think I should do?? My friend is bringing a radiator coolant tester/filler tool which i'm hoping is gonna solve my problem. Really hopeing its not a headgasket. I think I installed it correctly but i guess anything can happen With the heater hoses not getting warm that means there's no circulation-water pump? but if water pump was bad wouldn't it get warm when driving around without thermostat

EDIT: just remembered that when I removed my electronic exhaust cut out block off plate that it leaked a un-normal amount of water. Which at the time I thought would be normal condensation in the exhaust but now I'm starting to think I have internal leak and that's why it was leaking. Draining oil and checking it out is my next step.

UPDATE AGAIN - Did a leak down test, nothing really jumped out at me about bad head gasket...Just used a Airlift coolant filler to fill it all up. Vacuumed it down to 25/26lbs the needle stayed still so that showed that there were no leaks, filled it up with coolant all the way. Used the right funnel connected to the radiator filled it up and started the car. DID THE EXACT SAME THING AS BEFORE. The heater lines never get hot, never blows out warm air, thermostat never opens, starts overheating and i turn it off at about 220+

Im looking over all my coolant hoses and I just don't see anything wrong. The hose that normally goes from the head to the throttle body then back near the thermostat housing is blocked off- but lots of people do that when they use the Hondata intake gasket cause it eliminates it. The oil cooler is no longer there and its just a hose connecting the to pipes which worked fine last year, i did shorten it some but not enough to kink it....all the other hoses under the intake manifold seem to be in the correct place.

Does anyone know the exact flow of water? Starting from radiator step by step all the way back to the radiator?

99SH

Did you properly bleed air out of the system?

DFWs2k

if you end up selling, PM me, i'm looking for an S

2003AP1

Sounds like air to me, unless on the rare occasion you got a bad thermostat but I doubt it.

There is a good procedure on here. Main thing is to make sure the nose (radiator) is at the higest point.

05thumper

Just try bleeding again. Make sure heater temp control is set to hot. It really sounds like a thermostat issue but you've been through the testing for that. Did it ever work properly after the radiator hose conversion and welding on the fittings?

Leviisbigred

im gona go with air too.. same thing happened to me

H4RD ON

I tested the thermostat so I KNOW it's good. Another thing I just remembered - I have an electronic cutout for the exhaust but just have it blocked off for right now but when I took the block off plate off (after car has been started) it dripped water for a while and when it happened I even told my friend that was with me but we kinda came to the conclusion that it was just normal cause now it has a place to lay instead of going all the way out to the exhaust mufflers. After remembering that, I think I have an internal leak somewhere. I'm thinking drain the oil and see if there's water in it.

H4RD ON

Well it's only been started a few times and driven once since the hose conversion but no it hasn't worked properly but i highly doubt it's the hoses or weld on fittings. I didn't have to hack up anything when doing that...I mean if it comes down to it I could throw the stock hoses on cause they clamp right on to the 16an weld ons.

s2klariat

Bleed the system again. It can sometimes take 2 or 3 heat cycles to get ALL the air out. If the top hose is hot and the bottom cold then there is definitely air in the system which would also explain the heat not working correctly.

H4RD ON

Yes I agree that there is air in the lines...I still think that there is an internal leak though. And with the thermostat out of the car there is no pressure and the leak isn't bad. Waiting on my friend with the tester/filler.