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Swap_File
06-25-2006, 12:23 AM
This is a work in progress, I will probably be editing and adding to this alot.

None of this is tested yet, my car is still up on blocks while I finish the manual swap and wait for parts.

I am putting each segment in a different post because sometimes I end up hitting the "maximum number of images per post" limit.

Please post any questions or comments you may have.

Backstory:

While I was working on my manual transmission swap, I noticed that my old radiator was looking pretty tough:
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7991/radiator017large0sz.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=radiator017large0sz.jpg)

I went looking for a stock replacement radiator, but realized that…

1. Stock Civic half size radiators can be found cheaper.
2. High performance Civic half size radiators are readily available from many suppliers.
3. A Civic half size radiator would leave a lot of extra space for a turbo.

I guess its time to make a 92-95 civic half size radiator fit into my 3rd generation Honda Accord...

Part 1: Making it fit

Parts I Used:

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9782/ebaychris027large7iz.th.jpg (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris027large7iz.jpg)
Radiator $35 shipped (eBay)
Eventually I plan to get a better radiator, but this should work good for testing. I went for a copper core 1 inch core radiator. The cheap radiators on eBay are all 1 inch or 5/8 inch, if the auction says differently they are most likely measuring something other than the core thickness. All the cheap radiators have plastic tanks.

Radiator cap $7 (Checkers/partsamerica.com)

3 foot long piece of angle iron $6 (Menards)

2 1.5 inch PVC end caps with short segment of pipe and PVC glue $5 (Menards)
Make sure the PVC caps are not rounded. They must be of the flat type. Check your local hardware stores. Copper end caps can also work, but they are more expensive, harder to cut, do not fit as well, and will change colors from being in the elements.

Some bolts and nuts

Need Picture
12 inch 1550 CFM slim radiator fan $35 (E-Bay)

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/3179/radiator014large4ji.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=radiator014large4ji.jpg)
1 top radiator mount from a Nissan (unsure of year) (Junkyard)
These are used in sets of two as top radiator mounts for many Nissan vehicles.

Building the mounts:

My goal was to install this radiator without cutting up my car. This way if I really screwed something up, or found that it would be impossible for this idea to work I could go back to using my old radiator.

This is what the lower mount looked like when it was done:
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/649/ebaychris034large7ti.th.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris034large7ti.jpg)

To build it I first cut down the angle iron to the required length, and then mounted it hanging from the old stock mounts. I used large nuts as spacers, and used washers to make sure nothing could pull through.
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5922/ebaychris031large5gl.th.jpg (http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris031large5gl.jpg) http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1108/ebaychris032large6fi.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris032large6fi.jpg)
(I need to cut off the lowest bolts so they don’t hang so low)

Then I took the 1.5 inch PVC caps, and glued the 1.5 inch PVC pipe inside them. I let the glue dry, and then cut the pipe off flush with the cap. The stock lower Accord radiator mount rubber supports sit cradled inside this perfectly.

Next I drilled a hole slightly off center in the bottom of these caps. These holes in the should allow the PVC caps to bolt up to the angle iron so they just touch the frame in the front of the car.

Now I trimmed down the height of the PVC cap. I kept cutting down height of the cap until the rubber mount just touches the bolt. Then I bolted both mounts in place, and was done with the lower mounts.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6832/ebaychris028large8as.th.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris028large8as.jpg) http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8476/ebaychris030large3ua.th.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris030large3ua.jpg)

For the upper mount I just grabbed an upper radiator mount off a Nissan at the local junkyard. I drilled one hole in the crossthing (find name later) and bolted it on.
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8162/radiator012large1cn.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=radiator012large1cn.jpg)
(Mount with chalk on it)
To make sure the top mount wouldn’t hit the hood; I covered it in chalk, and carefully closed the hood on it a few times. It seemed to clear the hood just fine. Since my engine happened to be out of the car, I was also able to look at the radiator from inside the engine bay with the hood closed and make sure it all fit.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3091/ebaychris048large7pv.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris048large7pv.jpg)

Finally, I will be mounting the fan to the radiator with the included through core mounting kit.
(I have not yet done this, waiting for fan to arrive)

Swap_File
06-25-2006, 12:24 AM
Part 2 Electrical:

Civic radiators do not have a place to put the temperature sensor that the 3rd generation accord requires. Usually you have come up with a new spot to mount the old sensor, and this can be a problem.

From my understanding, I would have to cut the coolant line going to the bottom radiator port. Install a segment of pipe there, with a nut welded onto it for the stock sensor to thread into. Then hook the sensor up.

I really didn’t want to mess with welding up a pipe, so I figured I would try out an alternate solution using an adjustable fan controller.

Parts Needed:

Hayden Adjustable Fan Controller PN 3647 amps ($40 Checkers/partsamerica.com)

1 12v Relay ? amps (need check manual for what the fan fuse is rated)
Relay may not be needed, I guess the controller can do 30 amps, and the fan is under that.

Directions:
The sensor just pushes into the radiator, and then it just needs to be wired up like this:

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/2585/schematic8gn.th.gif (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=schematic8gn.gif)
(Idea borrowed from FordMuscle.com (http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2003/02/electricfan/index.php) )
(Probably need to update schematic.... Will fix it when I actually get it hooked up and know it works)

Hooking up the fan controller in this way ends up adding an extra relay that probably should not be needed, but it is the quickest and easiest way to get everything working. If you hook the controller up like this you do not have to cut any of the electrical harnesses, and the modification can easily be removed at a later date if needed.

Here are some other "inside the engine bay" pictures that you might like...

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2970/ebaychris049large9pe.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris049large9pe.jpg)http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7899/ebaychris050large5mq.th.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris050large5mq.jpg)http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5295/ebaychris051large8hk.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ebaychris051large8hk.jpg)

It's still kinda dirty in some of these pictures, I was not done degreasing when I took them.

Legend_master
06-25-2006, 12:26 AM
Good DIY, and that last picture is funny.

EDIT: second to last picture (you posted why I was)

mkymonkey
06-25-2006, 12:36 AM
nice diy! this would definatly come in handy when i actually get my lazy off of this chair, purchase turbo parts and start to do it! lol

hurry up and finish writing it up! :D:D:D:D

newaccorddriver
07-03-2006, 11:24 AM
nice job on the civic rad. i want to use it, but i still dont get what you mean by using those PVC caps


nice work, but that bracket you made for the underneath looks a little sketch, I'd be worried about hitting it on something and fudging it all up.
same here, but if your not lowered or anything it SHOULD hold up. i dont bottom out alot or stunt or anything, so i doubt ill have a problem

how far does the radiator hang down compared to the stock one? and what are the chances of the bolts and such scraping before it hits the frame or something

Bglad420
07-03-2006, 11:41 AM
nice work, but that bracket you made for the underneath looks a little sketch, I'd be worried about hitting it on something and fudging it all up.

Mines not lowered either, but the'r have been plenty of times where I have hit mine on things, like curbs, and such.

Mabey consider using flat bar, instead of the square tube, the radiator doesn't weigh anything anyways, and you would eliminate possiblities of smashing it up. just my 2 cents.

stat1K
07-06-2006, 09:11 PM
i only have one question about all of this.

do we really need the sensor? i mean you talk about welding a nut to a piece of pipe or electrical conduit like accordtheory said to make it work. do we really need it? and as far as the relay goes would the stock fan mount up? or is it too big... let me know your thoughts man. thanks.

A20A1
07-06-2006, 10:46 PM
Looks good. :)

I'd perfer to let the thermoswitch do the work for me, but I run the fan always on then not using a thermoswitch.

If the radiator is truely half the size of the stock accord one then I think it will work, our radiator fits 2 stock large fans. Its important that the shroud fits properly to get the maximum use of the fan.

stat1K
07-07-2006, 04:13 PM
so both fans in the accord are for the radiator... do they both run at the same time or what, cus i never see both of mine running at once?? so has anyone used the stock fans on the half sized radiator? i jrealy just want to see if the original fan will work on the new radiator because i have a fan that's about 1 month old. the fan you got was it like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/12-INCH-12-VOLT-ELECTRIC-RADIATOR-COOLING-FAN-PROCOMP_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ46096QQihZ017QQ itemZ270004914011QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

found this as well...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MISHIMOTO-ALUMINUM-RACING-RADIATOR-HONDA-CIVIC-92-95_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33602QQihZ009QQitemZ 190006246714QQrdZ1

stat1K
07-08-2006, 10:34 PM
ok so i think i might actually understand how this whole wiring thing works out... you don't need to cut into the harness because you just don't use the harness right? the new fan has open wires and the fan switch thing has wires out that you just wire up to an existing 12v ignition signal right? and ground it of course. am i on the right track i wanna order some stuff but i wanna be sure of what i'm doing first. let me know guys.

stat1K
07-10-2006, 11:51 AM
can someone explain that diagram alittle more.

Swap_File
07-10-2006, 10:28 PM
I am still not done with it all yet (I am working on pulling the head while the car is still up on blocks).

Right now I just left everything disconnected from the stock harness, and hooked the fan directly up to the battery with the hayden controller according to the instructions that came with it. Ignore the diagram, it isnt accurate. I will make sure to get it fixed eventually. :)

The stock fan could fit with some modifications, but mounting it could be tricky. The fan I got simply mounts through the radiator and does not use the mounting bolts on the tanks.

I got my fan from www.partzfinder.com (they sell through ebay too) , and my radiator was similar to this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150008966384 (but mine was copper)

crazykamper
07-10-2006, 10:38 PM
wait, so could u just get a half size rad, slap it on (with some minor mods...) and then just wire the fan to ground, positive and switch??? am i getting this all right? or is there some prob about doin that?

Swap_File
07-10-2006, 10:48 PM
This is pretty much what I did:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8268/schematic8gn7ik.th.gif (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=schematic8gn7ik.gif)

This way the fan can run while the car is off, if the radiator is still too hot.

It also does not use the stock harness at all.

stat1K
07-16-2006, 10:28 AM
ok so i can figure out the wiring my next question is do you have to modify any of the radiator hoses? or use new ones?

Swap_File
07-16-2006, 07:15 PM
The stock hoses work fine as is.

stat1K
07-16-2006, 07:25 PM
k i have a bid on a civic aluminum radiator as we speak just need to get those other parts. good faq swap keep up the good work!

stat1K
07-19-2006, 05:55 PM
last question before i do this. the second fan on the original radiator. the one buy the driver side... is taht for the radiator or the a/c and should i leave it in the car or just ditch it?

stat1K
07-24-2006, 10:40 AM
anyone?

A20A1
07-24-2006, 12:11 PM
The smaller fan is the A/C fan. it is on the drivers side... if you have the US spec car.

stat1K
07-24-2006, 12:53 PM
so that means i jus leave that one there? i guess i'll have to build a little bracket for it too huh?

Swap_File
07-24-2006, 10:12 PM
If you are keeping your AC, you can mount the AC fan directly on the AC radiator. According to the schematics in my 1989 service manual it looks like it should still turn on while the AC is on.

If you are removing your AC, just disconnect the fan and tie the plug back. It will give you alot more room up in front.

My new radiator setup has been working great. I will hopefully get some more pictures up, and finish the How-To soon.

stat1K
07-25-2006, 10:20 AM
yeah i will be keeping my ac as i live in arizona i know it gives a lot more room but i definitely need it. but then again i could disconnect it as it's not even working right now :\

stat1K
08-01-2006, 01:23 AM
i think i'm gonna rename myself threadkiller :(

newaccorddriver
08-01-2006, 03:10 PM
hey swap_file, can you clearify how you mounted the radiator to the angle bar? i kinda get what the pictures saying, but im still kinda clueless. i have a 2 inch thick radiator coming, so itll probably be a bit more different to install, but even then it shouldnt be much different

bobafett
08-01-2006, 03:30 PM
the stock lower radiator mounts are just rubber bushings in 'holes' and the posts on the radiator fits into the bushings.

for his setup he has built pvc pipe 'holes' and put the rubber bushings inside the pipe, and the civic radiator posts will fit right into the bushings which are sitting in the pvc holes.

the reason for needing that is because the spacing between the posts is way off obviously since the radiators are completely different widths.

your install shouldnt be any different than his, except possibly installing your pvc tube solution slightly closer to the firewall side of the engine bay, to allow clearance, but i'm sure that part depends on how exactly you rig up your radiator project. :D

newaccorddriver
08-01-2006, 05:50 PM
the stock lower radiator mounts are just rubber bushings in 'holes' and the posts on the radiator fits into the bushings.

for his setup he has built pvc pipe 'holes' and put the rubber bushings inside the pipe, and the civic radiator posts will fit right into the bushings which are sitting in the pvc holes.

the reason for needing that is because the spacing between the posts is way off obviously since the radiators are completely different widths.

your install shouldnt be any different than his, except possibly installing your pvc tube solution slightly closer to the firewall side of the engine bay, to allow clearance, but i'm sure that part depends on how exactly you rig up your radiator project. :D

i think im starting to get it. so i just bolt my PVC caps to the angle and show the rubber bushing in there?

bobafett
08-01-2006, 05:57 PM
u got it!

from the pics, it looks like the rad is too tall, so you need to fit it this way, but I may be wrong, it might have just been easier to do it this way... either way i see nothing wrong with this installation.

stat1K
08-01-2006, 08:16 PM
anyone know about the ac "radiator" staying and if it just attaches to the original shroud... cus his setup is minus the ac parts... anyone?

A20A1
08-01-2006, 11:20 PM
the stock radiator had all the mounts for the A/C fan... there are plenty of ways to mount fans, just get creative.

I thought the A/C condensor slid into side brackets or bolted to the frame... or used the A/C pipes as a means of keeping it in place.

Seriously though its not like removing the stock radiator is going to stop you from holding up the A/C

bobafett
08-02-2006, 07:33 AM
yeah AC stuff stays in place without a problem if I recall. I remember having a heck of a time removing it all! rofl

Busted_Blue
08-02-2006, 07:51 AM
The smaller fan is the A/C fan. it is on the drivers side... if you have the US spec car.
hey great job on the civic radiator...but which one did you buy? 99-00 Civic SI and the 94-97 del sol have a dual core radiator that is twice the thickness of the 92-00 civic dx, lx, ex, etc radiator.


Autozone has Del Sol DOHC radiators for $100 with lifetime warranty so that is a good deal. :)

newaccorddriver
08-02-2006, 02:49 PM
hey great job on the civic radiator...but which one did you buy? 99-00 Civic SI and the 94-97 del sol have a dual core radiator that is twice the thickness of the 92-00 civic dx, lx, ex, etc radiator.
Autozone has Del Sol DOHC radiators for $100 with lifetime warranty so that is a good deal. :)


ive got an all aluminum dual core half size civic radiator coming in for $200CAD(my friend hooked me up with one) and it comes with a lifetime warrenty. i think it was a mistake for me to buy it though as i should have bought the cheapest half size and actually made the mounts BEFORE i bought it. oh well, live and learn i guess, just hope ive worked out all the bugs i might run into

stat1K
08-11-2006, 10:50 AM
just got my radiator like two minutes ago and i'm looking at it and this thing is tiny!!! wow i didn't realize exactly how small is was but i was looking at it and i had a few questions... mine has these two little nozzle things on the bottom next to the mounting positions that didn't seem to be on your radiator swap any idea what these are?

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4053/dsc0337fb8.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0337fb8.jpg)
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2938/dsc0338jm2.th.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0338jm2.jpg)

bobafett
08-11-2006, 12:07 PM
those are for the automatic tranny oil to be cooled. also useful for turbo cars. :)

newaccorddriver
08-11-2006, 02:13 PM
those are for the automatic tranny oil to be cooled. also useful for turbo cars. :)


how are they useful to turbo cars?!?!(pardon my expression, but im going turbo)

bobafett
08-11-2006, 03:24 PM
you would run an oil feed line from SOMEWHERE, onto your turbo's oil inlet port. and then from the turbo's oil drain port you would put the oil line into that port on the radiator. the bottom of the radiator acts as an oil cooler, so it will keep the oil cooler after having been run through the turbo. the then cooler oil goes out the other side and back into your oil pan through the bung that you would have had to make.

:) in auto cars they need the transmission oil to be cooled to keep the tranny fluid in check (i assume)..

newaccorddriver
08-12-2006, 03:56 AM
you would run an oil feed line from SOMEWHERE, onto your turbo's oil inlet port. and then from the turbo's oil drain port you would put the oil line into that port on the radiator. the bottom of the radiator acts as an oil cooler, so it will keep the oil cooler after having been run through the turbo. the then cooler oil goes out the other side and back into your oil pan through the bung that you would have had to make.
:) in auto cars they need the transmission oil to be cooled to keep the tranny fluid in check (i assume)..


i thought the turbos drain line had to be constantly pointed downwards as gravity is the only thing helping the oil back into the pan?

bobafett
08-12-2006, 11:31 AM
good point... i should look at the height of the oil pan vs radiator. :) my civic race radiator that i am planning on getting probably wont have those, so i hadn't thought too much about it. :)

stat1K
08-13-2006, 12:04 AM
so i got my fan today and i'm not sure how i'm gonna mount it to the rad since the holes are off by a couple inches but i guess i can figure out a way anyone had any experience or knw any tips?? let me know guys!

bobafett
08-13-2006, 07:57 AM
you could either take some aluminum/steel/galvy/etc flat bar, mount it to the existing fan mounting points, and then bend it or angle it etc until you can mount it to the fan as well. not sure how far off they are, or if your mount points are on the top of the rad or the front face. :)

stat1K
08-13-2006, 08:57 AM
they're on the front face and they are off diagonally by about 2-3 inches i was just thinking of using flat bar and bolting one bolt into the rad and one bolt with a self locking nut in the fan mount. oh and those auto tranny coolers how do you close those off... with a bolt or something? or just leave em they way they are?

szvosec
08-13-2006, 09:36 AM
I was wondering is the proformance the same or better than that of the full sized accord radiator?

newaccorddriver
08-14-2006, 08:32 PM
im guessing itll be more efficient and wont turn on the stock fan as long as it normally would. other then that, theres no real performance out of it. im doing it cause im going turbo soon and ill be needing to upgrade my cooling system anyways

stat1K
08-19-2006, 08:50 PM
i had a question about the top rad mount... i looked online at some radiator mounts and they are about half and half. some have the rubber grommet inside and some don't... i'm doing this tomorrow and still haven't decided how to mount it to the frame on top. anyone got any ideas?

stat1K
08-21-2006, 08:48 AM
so i'm running the new civic radiator got everything in ok and all...

it did fine all the way back to my apt from my parents (35 miles).

but when i got off the freeway it started to heat up.
the fan was running and the hoses are tight no leaks. could it be that i don't have enough coolant in the system? or too much coolant possibly because when we put it in it was dilluded more like 70/30 not 50/50 anyone wanna answer me for once??

newaccorddriver
08-21-2006, 02:45 PM
so i'm running the new civic radiator got everything in ok and all...
it did fine all the way back to my apt from my parents (35 miles).
but when i got off the freeway it started to heat up.
the fan was running and the hoses are tight no leaks. could it be that i don't have enough coolant in the system? or too much coolant possibly because when we put it in it was dilluded more like 70/30 not 50/50 anyone wanna answer me for once??


i hate to say it, but it might be for the fact that you got a single core half size rad. its HALF the size of the stock rad. ive got myself a civic aluminum rad with a 2 inch core, so i shouldnt have that problem. its completely your rad, not so much a leak or anything

Swap_File
08-21-2006, 03:17 PM
I have my little civic radiator on, and the needle on the gague does not go above half way point EVER. It even worked great during the 100 degree heatwave we had a few weeks ago.

Make sure the fan is adjusted to turn on at a low enough temp, and make sure that you have no air bubbles in the cooling system.

I will get some new pictures posted soon, I just have been busy working on my new truck.

stat1K
08-21-2006, 04:13 PM
fan is running constantly and i'm pretty positive no air bubbles... but how can i be certain that there aren't any? in the manual it says squeeze upper hose to force air out how does that do anything?

A20A1
08-21-2006, 04:26 PM
is your fan turning the right way?

stat1K
08-21-2006, 04:48 PM
blowing towards block?

Swap_File
08-21-2006, 05:06 PM
blowing towards block?

Yeah, that is the correct way to put the fan in.

Here is another test you can do:

Let the car idle for a few minutes, and let it get up to normal operating temperature. Once the thermostat opens, the top hose should be very hot to the touch. If it isn't, then you might have air bubbles.

There should be a bolt you can open on the thermostat housing to let out air. Opening that can help.

To get out all my bubbles I ended up squeezing the top hose alot, with the air bleeding bolt open, while adding as much coolant as I could.

stat1K
08-21-2006, 05:31 PM
i did that before and htere are no bubbles the problem is the fan controllers ground it is not making a good connection when i jiggle the wire the controller stops the fan... so when i turned the fan would turn off and on randomly. hopefully this will fix it!

newaccorddriver
08-21-2006, 05:51 PM
out of curiosity, how did you guys hook up the switch on the bottom of the stock rad? im planning on shoving it into a 1 inch pipe and putting it between the block and the rad between the pipes

stat1K
08-21-2006, 08:45 PM
i didn't use a switch i used a fan controller... number 3647 and a new fan. i also made all the brackets by hand and made mounts from metal for the top i'll take pictures for you guys. but i think i got everything worked out. we'll know tomorrow some random rain came tonight cooled it down so can't do an accurate test in the cooler weather. has to be 115 :thumbdn:

stat1K
08-22-2006, 04:12 PM
k so i got it working just fine now... the control module wasn't grounder properly.

when i tugged on the wire for the ground i could feel the relay clicking. so i fixed that and now the fan runs. it was running a little too hot so i turned the switch down and now it's good i need to take pics still so maybe in a couple days. only thing is i took the kick panel off so the iron could fit and now you can see it and it looks totally ghetto rigged. lol i'm thinking of painting it with high temp paint and getting a lip so you cant see, or so if i get to close to a curb the lip will hit and not my radiator support.

stat1K
08-23-2006, 04:45 PM
alright so i thought everything was ok but now i'm having some trouble. it's a new problem and i don't really know what it could be so i'm hoping those of you 3g veterans might know why it's doing this. the engine idles perfectly... i let it sit in front of my apt for about an hour running. temp did not move. however today when i drove to school after excessive braking the temperature gauge went up to almost 3/4!!!! and i was like wtf maybe the fan stopped blowing so i stopped popped the hood and it was blowing fine. so i turned it off and took a look at everything... the radiator cap didn't seem too hot considering the 3/4 line but hte valve cover singed my hand on a 2 sec touch. extremely hot! so i get in and turn the ignition forward but do not start it. the temp guage now reads almost 90% so i decided to start it to see what it did. when i started it the guage dropped back down to half and did not move... so i drove to work but everytime i brake the guage goes up. same thing happened just now coming home from work. could it be a faulty thermo reading and if so what parts would i need to change?? if anyone can help me out with this i would be much appreciative.

also if the guage was that high wouldnt the some of the coolant go into the overflow tank? i didn't notice the overflow being any higher than it was when i previously checked... so yeah let me know thanks in advance guys.

newaccorddriver
08-23-2006, 05:05 PM
maybe it is the temperature gauge. it should be located on the thermostat housing itself, one of those sensors are it. it might also be because the thermostat is sticking shut from time to time, or it might be because the rad cap isnt rated at the same PSI as your old one. i thikn its the temperature gauge though

i wouldnt put too much thought into that gauge considering their not really that accurate at all. theres a reason why im putting in an aftermarket gauge in my car, its so i would know if something was truly overheating above normal.

stat1K
08-23-2006, 05:22 PM
yeah that's what it seems like. i'm gonna go check out a water temp guage and maybe an aftermarket gauge to see if it's really overheating thanks for your input though!

stat1K
08-24-2006, 09:08 PM
ok so i got a water temperature guage. however it's an analog/mechanical guage and has a sensor that's supposed to plug in... will this even work on the car i thought they were pretty much universal?? anyone have one / know if i can install it? let me know guys thanks! or should i use an electric -- because is the guage seperate from the sensor... my thought was if the sensor is giving a false reading then i would need a new one?

newaccorddriver
08-24-2006, 09:49 PM
for the most part, they are universal and just need to be plugged in to the water source. ive got an eletric one, but analog/mechanical ones should work just as well. once you have it installed, check its temperature from time to time and when it shows the engines overheating on the dash. compare the temperature on the gauge to the dash and compare it to the service manual. if the dash gauge is broken, then replace it.

stat1K
08-25-2006, 08:07 AM
yeah but do you have any idea where i would plug it into a water source?

newaccorddriver
08-25-2006, 02:26 PM
id use a 1 inch pipe and drill a hole for the sensor, then put RTV or something resistant to coolant to seal it off, then cut the rad hose apart and clamp it between the hose

A20A1
08-25-2006, 06:48 PM
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=EMP%2DE558ABK&view=16383&N=700+401094+0

Here is an electric pump... just need to stick in a dud-pump and seal the shaft hole. would this be added after the water pipe? and which way does our coolant flow?

stat1K
08-25-2006, 07:32 PM
i don't think you guys know what i'm talking about at all. i'm talking about a guage... not the original sensor... i don't know whatever.

A20A1
08-25-2006, 10:16 PM
I bought a universal one from wal-mart. it worked no problem but it uses it's own sensor. I had to make an adapter because the sensor was so long.

there were problems because the adapter created an air pocket... so I had to make a "T" fitting to allow cooalnt to flow past the sensor and back to the thermostat in a loop.



I wouldn't try to hook up another gauge to use our stock sensor.

stat1K
08-26-2006, 09:41 AM
right that's what i'm saying... i have a universal with a new sensor. so how exactly did you attach it because i have it and it's pretty long too. you probably have one very similar to mine. i just need to know how to approach this like a rough idea of how to make an adapter and wear this said adapter would be placed? are we talking about like a piece of pipe on the lower hose similar to the one for using the original fan sensor and such? or one near the thermostat. i'm just kinda confused because the instructions for this gauge say not to use a T other wise i would just splice into one of the hoses and get a T-fitting and some hose clamps. or is this install manual full of shit? i'm just kinda confused in general.

A20A1
08-26-2006, 01:10 PM
the fan sensor port on the stock accord radiator is perfect for the walmart gauge sensor, but then you wont have a fan thermo switch in the base of the radiator any more.
Does the civic radiator even have a sensor port?

Anyways to avoid that I made my adapter T and I used the thermostat housing instead.


I had tried to install the gauge at the rear of the intake manifold and on the thermostat housing directly with no "T" but then the air bubbles would keep the gauge from working or it would work sporaticly.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/Wendy_girl/gauge_lolipop.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/Wendy_girl/adapter_t.gif

newaccorddriver
08-26-2006, 03:33 PM
the civic rad has no extra ports on it instead. the way i was thinking about mounting is is by drilling a hole in a pipe and connecting it into a section of the rad hose i cut up. the pipe would have the sensor pointing down so any air bubbles that i do have would rise back up and would be bled out easily the first time around.

EDIT. are you just using that hot water hose and teeing it off somewhere? cause i dont really get that picture too much

stat1K
08-26-2006, 07:40 PM
that picture helps a little. and newaccordriver that's what i was thinking about doing with the pipe. a20a1 the civic does not have a thermoswitch port. and i am also not using the existing thermoswitch. i have a new one that i wired up.

but my question is can i use the existing sending hole to put the new sensor in. the new sensor on the guage looks a bit too large for it. in which case i was told that i could get an adapter from a parts store. but on the one you made did you use the existing hole or the coolant lines from the intake?

A20A1
08-27-2006, 01:31 AM
I made an adapter for the stock gauge sensor and it had air bubbles so I used the bleed hole instead... the bleed hole and LXI temp sensor ports are close if I remember correctly but the LX has its temperature gauge on the intake manifold so I ended up routing the loop to there.

stat1K
08-27-2006, 09:46 AM
yeah the sending point and the bleed hole are real close. here is my exact question since it seems to keep getting lost in the posts.

can i use the existing sending points HOLE to put the new sensor in? or do i HAVE TO make an adapter... and if i make an adapter with a loop like you did a20a1 on the lxi where would i make this loop? cooling systems are kind of a new thing for me... especially with honda cooling systems.

update on the car though. right now the gauge seems to be operating properly. i played with it's cable a bit and it seems to be doing better. the reading is normally right below half but if i have to brake a lot it goes up? only thing i could think in this situation is either bubbles, thermostat, and or when i brake for some reason the gauge is off? so i'm still looking to attach the new gauge to see exactly how hot it is and compare it to the stock one.

edit-- caps are for emphasis not to be a dick.

A20A1
08-27-2006, 11:45 AM
The loop on the LXI would go from the bleed hole to the stock temp sensor port... so basicly right next to each other.

Not sure if you can find a short hose to loop from one to the other.

stat1K
08-30-2006, 05:13 PM
ok so if i do this pipe idea with the welding which hose should i attacth the pipe to?

A20A1
08-30-2006, 10:01 PM
if you stick the sensor in a pipe and then just have the sensor protrude into the flow of the coolant you wont need to have any looping of hoses to let out air pockets. The only problem I had was when I tried to adapt the sensor to an existing port... It pulled the sensor away from the coolant flow and made air pockets that cause the sensor not to pick up anything.

I had a thought just now.

The sensor I had was smooth... I figure if you can insert a brass fitting into the thermostat... screw it in basicly and then drill the brass so that the center is smooth and the sensor can just slide in, then solder the sensor to the brass fitting and it should hold no problem and work well too. Though I don't know if soldering the sensor will hurt it or not.

stat1K
08-31-2006, 06:26 AM
the sensor i have came with a brass fitting adapter but it is too big for the original port... the sensor and the fitting both. so my idea was the same one that new accord driver had and that is to attach the brass fitting adapter to a piece of pipe (weld it in) then attach the sensor into that. however, my only question is which hose (radiator hose) should i splice this pipe into... the upper or the lower? or does it matter?

i realize that brass does not weld well so i will be replacing the brass with a steel one... but i'm just wondering which hose is the intake? i imagine it is the upper.

newaccorddriver
08-31-2006, 04:36 PM
the sensor i have came with a brass fitting adapter but it is too big for the original port... the sensor and the fitting both. so my idea was the same one that new accord driver had and that is to attach the brass fitting adapter to a piece of pipe (weld it in) then attach the sensor into that. however, my only question is which hose (radiator hose) should i splice this pipe into... the upper or the lower? or does it matter?

i realize that brass does not weld well so i will be replacing the brass with a steel one... but i'm just wondering which hose is the intake? i imagine it is the upper.


i dont think it would matter that much cause either way, the coolant isnt really moving until the engine warms up and the thermostats open. so if i had to venture a guess, id say upper cause its near the thermostat

A20A1
09-01-2006, 01:19 AM
hrm... well there are other hoses that go to the heater core and I think that one of them is on the block side of the thermostat housing. So that would be closest to the way the stock one is set up.

stat1K
09-01-2006, 09:25 PM
so do you guys think it really matters? cause everyone says the stock gauge is really inaccurate so i don't know if i really want to do it like that.

A20A1
09-01-2006, 10:07 PM
Well that has to do with the sensor and the gauge. The location is good.

stat1K
09-02-2006, 07:29 PM
but all of the coolant lines should be the same temperature shouldnt they?

A20A1
09-02-2006, 08:55 PM
yeah but if the thermostat/pump fails it's probably better to get the temp closer to the block/head then trusting what might get cooled by being close to the radiator.

up to you though.

stat1K
09-03-2006, 08:39 AM
ok so one last question. do i really need the thermostat... because i've talked to people that just make theirs stuck open or take it out entirely in arizona. i mean it rained all yesterday and it's 90 already at 940 am. it sounds like a bad idea to me but i dunno... or could i take it out for summer and put it in for winter or would that just be dumb?