"The Mothership" - 1998 Civic - Maintenance Log

[Brak]

honestly. I'd just pick up a cheapo radiator from rock auto, or whatever is convenient locally.
I've been running "whatever is the cheapest, in stock" for 30+ years, and have never had an issue.

i'm on my third spectra radiator in my civic, but that's only because of thieves,
The first one was literally stolen, and the second one got damaged when they hit something.

 

[nd4sped]

Advance Auto Special in the Honda CRV

 

[ctag]

I am betting It's a hole in the fins, need a coolant pressure test kit so you can apply pressure to the system and identify where the leak is. Off to Orielly's you go to rent a tool!

This is EXACTLY how the issue in Idaho progressed into a complete failure.

Thanks man. The pressure tester had totally slipped my mind. Picked one up and you called the leak too:

2025 Mishimoto Radiator failure

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To test I took the upper hose and cut it in half, then plugged one end with a 3/4 PVC cap. Testing with the unit filled with water didn't work, I couldn't see the leak at all. So I drained it and pressurized with air, then sprayed the radiator down with soapy water. Immediately found the two pinholes that are bubbling.




And Mishimoto's "Lifetime Warranty" includes a $55 fee to claim it, I'm so over them.

 

[nd4sped]

Damn that alone makes me not want to buy Mishimoto anymore, thats pretty ghey.

 

[ctag]

For $50 I'm back up and running with ol' reliable.

 

[Brak]

Mishimoto has always seemed a bit dubious to me.
bummer that it caused you so many headaches.

I miss the days of Copper core radiators.
all you needed was a small torch and some flux, and you could repair them yourself...

My '72 Chevelle had what i believed to be the original radiator in it.
By 2000 that thing was probably 90% solder, but it worked great.
could handle those grades in the Mohave without boiling over.

Hope the cheepo treats you better.

 

[ctag]

Pretty good so far.

Only thing I've noticed is that every time I check the radiator it's about ~1 cup low, and if I fill it then next time it's a cup low and the overflow is one cup higher. So the radiator is properly purging into the reservoir, but then sucking air back in?

 

[Brak]

as long as it's not running hot, and you have proper heat, I'd say it's where it needs to be.

The system will equalize, which would explain why whatever you add, ends up in the reservoir.

 

[nd4sped]

could handle those grades in the Mohave without boiling over.

Where are you at now? I live out here in the Mojave

 

[nd4sped]

Pretty good so far.

Only thing I've noticed is that every time I check the radiator it's about ~1 cup low, and if I fill it then next time it's a cup low and the overflow is one cup higher. So the radiator is properly purging into the reservoir, but then sucking air back in?

Check that the bleeder tube is not dry rotted. Saw this issue on a customer car years ago. Another shop claimed it was a leaking radiator, swapped it and "consumption/leak" persisted. Brought to our shop and found it was simply the overflow tube had dry rotted on the bottom side under the clamp and it was dripping when the heat got above operating temperature.

 

[Brak]

Where are you at now? I live out here in the Mojave

I grew up in So Cal
Currently in Wisconsin, right next to lake superior.

Someday, i'll be relocating to south eastern Utah.
Love the high desert. want 100 acres in the middle of nowhere where i can do whatever i want, and just be left alone.

 

[Brak]

Check that the bleeder tube is not dry rotted. Saw this issue on a customer car years ago. Another shop claimed it was a leaking radiator, swapped it and "consumption/leak" persisted. Brought to our shop and found it was simply the overflow tube had dry rotted on the bottom side under the clamp and it was dripping when the heat got above operating temperature.

Is the reservoir level dropping? or staying constant?
I assumed it was constant, which is why i suspect the radiator is being over filled.

Should only be filled to the top row, when looking into the rad. anything extra will be expelled.