I have a coolant leak coming from what seems to be the head. I haven’t looked at it extensively. But its dripping from around the oil pan. Its definitely coolant, though. Not oil. Should i retire it and wait until i can do a whole drive train rebuild? Cause i dont want to remove the head just to replace the gasket. I’m one of those “might as well ___” guys.
Its from the water pump. Damn.
It's time to get a good old water pump and timing belt replacement. The water pump was a reason why it was overheating.
I know. Damn. Im pissed lol.
I kinda just wanna retire it until i can do a complete rebuild, but i need another car and im as good as broke.
Yea I know. And if you do a water pump replacement, that car would be good to go. Otherwise the more you drive it in that overheating condition and with that Stop Leak from which you ned to get a new radiator, you will end up having more issues. A rebuild will be more costly and timely than getting a water pump, timing belt etc and driving it until something else dramatic happens. Getting another car is also another potential issue too as the more time you spend driving it, the more you will find out what needs repairing. And if your timing belt snaps or whatever, keep in mind you may not always be lucky of not getting anything broken in the engine. I would say for now, get the water pump taken care of and then slowly as you have the funds rebuild it. I know we like taking shortcuts and using miracles in bottles because we don't want to spend $$$ on repairing it in the first place but it doesn't really help the problem.
I suppose you’re right. I just hate working on my car in the summer! Im in So Cal so its starting to get real hot REAL fast.Originally Posted by Honda#1
I thought stop leak was a good idea. I shouldve looked up reviews on that stuff. Now i know!
I think a CRX radiator might fit. They have similar hose outlets to our cars.
Yeah it suck working on the car in that heat. I don't know how the temperatures are like in the morning and what your lighting conditions are like but I'm thinking if you start on it early when it's a bit cooler then maybe you get more of it out of the way before it heats up. That scorching heat aint good for the car either. Its gonna overheat super quick. You should also try to get a new thermostat while you're at it. If you think the CRX radiator will fit, go for it!
I usually work on it as early as i can in the morning until like 3 or 4. Sometimes later but the lighting starts getting bad after 6. I’m gonna replace the pump, radiator, thermostat housing and thermostat, hoses, and i might get a full time fan. Or one that I can turn on with a switch when i need it. I also wanna do the timing belt and alternator while everything is off. After that, the car should be running perfect. Besides the warped brake rotors lol.
You got it! It will take time but you will have a more reliable car that you're already used to how it runs mechanically versus spending thousands on a newer car that might quit on you at the worst time and you will have to end up repairing that one as well.
How's the project coming along?
Since I didn’t have a job for sometime, I wasn’t able to get the radiator, thermostat housing and thermostat. I was only able to buy the water pump (which was the only thing that needed immediate repair), as well as the timing belt. I took off the pump and replaced the timing belt already. I’m just waiting on the water pump to get to the vendor so I can put it on.
I’ve also been cleaning up my engine bay a bit and seeing if theres anything else i can remove. The only things I can take out are the condenser and the remaining lines for the A/C. But i’m just gonna wait till I get the radiator and everything so I can do it all in one blow.
Do what you can for now but so far progress sounds good. Keep it up.
Thanks! Now that I have a job and hardly have responsibilities, I can focus on car parts! Regular maintenance here I come!
Congrats on the new job!
Dr_Snooz
"I like to take hammers, and just break stuff, just break stuff." - Beavis
1989 Honda Accord LX-i Coupe, 240k miles, MT swap, rear disc swap
Shop manual downloads available here: CLICK TO VIEW
Thank you thank you
Alright, so water pump and timing belt are done. I messed up the first time with the timing belt (off by approx 4 teeth), but I fixed it by moving the cam gear a little bit.
I took it out for a test drive and it was still over heating. There was aloooooot of air in the system. I bled most of it i think, but theres still some to come out.
Next up (hopefully): Radiator, thermostat, thermostat housing, and coolant flush.
Yes you got to bleed out the air real good out of the system. It can be a challenge and takes patience. Also maybe once the thermostat gets replaced and the radiator it should get even better.
Yea, we had the same problem with a 92 CB9 Accord. Air kept getting in somehow.
My hatch had kind of a ridiculous amount though. It was fascinating how much vapor/air was coming out. I suppose thats what happens when you expose the water pump to the atmosphere lol.
I can’t wait to start buying car parts again, man. Im gonna get my rotors turned and calipers redone, new pads, new drums and shoes. Full straight pipe, maybe get the struts rebuilt along with stiffer springs.
Maintenance mods all the way! Then I can get crazy with my engine bay...
Complete rebuild. Ported and polished head, aggressive cam, custom intake mani.
Might take a while though lol. I give it 2 years to be completely done. Then, I start the race car stage. S2k FULL (110%) drivetrain swap!!!!
Wow! I'm excited about that race car stage plan! In a way it's like a treasure hunt buying parts for our cars. And when the parts finally arrive it's like man I'm so excited to do my project even though some of the work can be a pain in the a$$ but still it makes you think outside of the box and build your car your own way especially when sourcing parts from other Honda models. I'm just excited to hear that! That sounds like a fierce 2gee hatch. Mine is plain OEM style but I'm not against seeing performance mods done to them as long as they are done right. Sounds like a fun future for your hatch.
Its ridiculous how hard we have to look for parts lol. I loooove seeing all makes and models that are modified with performance parts from the same make! Example: Ford Crown Vic with SVT wheels, or a Subaru Legacy with an STI wing (okay maybe not that, but you get it). Its the most tasteful mod you could do to a car in my opinion.
I’m super excited to see how low i can get the weight to during its current stage. I’m aiming for 1900, but I believe i can get it to 1800 after the seats and interior.
Exactly. I hate seeing half assed jobs. Either do it right yourself or get it done right by a professional/expert.
Oh i’m sure it’ll have plenty of fun. Its gonna have its insides torn out, but once shes back together, it’ll have a whole new personality.
Sometimes I envy Civics just because there's more parts for mods available than for Accords and I don't get either why we have to hunt hard for parts. Agree with you 100%.
Eh, i don’t really envy them. I’m happy with my 80’s car. Simple, affordable, reliable, and easier to work on. I could go on forever about the perks!
So ive been trying to bleed the system, and for the most part its all good. But now the fans won’t come on, and its still overheating. I ordered a new relay and i also checked that all the connections are in. What else could be an issue? Maybe the thermostat isnt opening up?
Maybe the thermostat isn't opening up or the fan switch is bad? Like is it overheating to the H or does it go 3/4 of the gauge? Was the fan working at all before? Seems like a fan switch issue because if you have put a new tstat then I would assume it should open up at the right temperature.
Here is what I found in the factory service manual for 1983 Accord:
The cooling fan motor is actuated by a thermosensor located in the right tank of radiator. Run the engine until the coolant temperature reaches 88-92°C (191-197°F). The fan motor should start running
>Image of temp gauge with pointer just at halfway at the boat just barely under TEMP letters and an up and down arrow with up to the P in TEMP and down arrow a bit from the boat image indicates that temperature range<
The fan motor should stop when the coolant temperature drops to 83-87°C (180-190°F).
If the fan motor does not start:
1. Disconnect the black and the blue wire leads from the cooling fan thermosensor and short the wire together
2. Turn the ignition switch on
3. The cooling fan motor should start running.
●If the motor runs, replace the cooling fan thermosensor and re-test.
●If the motor does not run, check for battery voltage from the blue lead wire (positive) to the black wire lead (negative) of the cooling fan and check cooling fan motor.
--If voltage is not available, check for blown or faulty fuse, loose terminals and connectors, and open circuit.
--If voltage is available, check for faulty fan motor.
Last edited by Honda#1; 06-10-2018 at 06:24 PM.
Yea i changed out the tstat afterward and its still doing the same thing. Also, the fan relay or switch might be bad. Also, the radiator might be leaking from somewhere cause theres quite a bit of steam/smoke coming out from the front. I’m just gonna wait until I save up a bit and buy a new radiator and a full time fan. And the correct temp is 180, not 270. 270 is overheating i think lol.
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