75 replies to this topic

[ballade]

I ran the rad fan switch in conjunction with a under dash switch.
basically to turn the fan on I just crossed the two rad switch wires back to the inside of the car.

[ballade]

An OEM thermostat is important

[Condor]

OK. $25 for a HONDA thermostat. I'm dying to know if this higher thermostat keeps your car cooler theory
works anyway.

[Bubba]

One more thought - are you sure that the polarity of the fan is correct? If it was reversed then it would be blowing air forward and this might cancel out the airflow at highway speeds.

Wiring the radiator up straight to the battery would be a good "test" to see if anything in the fan control circuit is at fault.

[Condor]

i will double check the direction of the fan.
If I recall the connector only goes one way.

[Condor]

I am amazed at the difference in construction of the OEM thermostat.

It is 95F today I can drive holding steady at 1/2. I accept that as normal considering I have not fully bled
it yet. I did also hook up an over ride fan switch. It helps. I only ro 3/4 in the garage idling and reving for
an hour (trying to charge my AC).

I should have listened better and started with that, although the valves were smoking and did need attention, and
as old as it is I don't feel bad about the pile of new parts. It's the wasted time that is the aggrevation.

When I have some spare money I am going to get a couple spare thermostats, one for my daughters car and one
to have around in case they stop making them.

I can not over emphesize the difference between the OEM and the aftermarket, even the "good one" like beck arney.

Hopefully everything holds and I can go back to driving it and finish up my bodywork by the end of the year.

THANK YOU, Everyone!

[Old School REX]

I've had several bad thermostats from Stant and others right out of the box, but that's crazy that you were having such a major problem with them. Let us know if this really is all there was to it.

[ncdogcrx]

id try running w/o a thermostat that way you can see if the temp gauge is working right, w/o a themostat it shouldnt even move the temp gauge.

[Smokescreem]

Nice to hear good news.!

[Condor]

I will continue the experiments coming up.
Holds at half with AC running or without, as long as I am moving.
Creeps up slow not moving. If I turn the fan on manually it goes back down to half eventually.

Head is 190ish. Top of rad is 180ish. Bottom of rad is 180ish.

It seems like that is about right. I did not have time to measure when it was creeping up.
I do not know if it should be lower than that.

I drive it now.

I should not be creeping up like that. In all honesty I should not be at half in my opinion.

I have to think on it some. (please feel free to do also)

I got a replacement fan motor on closeout I will install that this weekend.
I am also going to make sure that the shroud around the fan seals well.

[Condor]

I do wonder what will happen when I get my bottom plastics and bellypan stuff installed again.

On an unrelated note AC started out in the 30s and then moved up to high 40s or even to 50F.

I know this sounds "cold" but it has to be in a solid upper 30s to low 40s to really be working right.
The last time I had the AC working, 1999 I think, I was able to hold a constant below 40F.

But most likely this is all I can do. Fixing the AC has been like 25 percent of my total car budget, and
on that one I did everything myself except evacuate it.

[Old School REX]

when my air conditioning is on the temperature creeps up quite a bit. I have an aftermarket dual core radiator and a flex a lite racing fan. my aftermarket temperature gauge puts the temperature right at 205 degrees or a bit more while I'm moving with the air conditioning on.

[Condor]

That is good to know. The perplexing part is that I run solid at 1/2 with the AC on
unless I am just sitting.

Ran 50 miles to work this morning it is warm but not hot. I figure 70s.
Ran at a solid 1/2 on the gauge until I got to the stop lights, then, it starts
to creep up.

Baring some revelation I think I will just drive it like this for a while.
See what shakes out.
I have a long way to go still and fairly limited time each week.
Fixing the cooling 16 times with limited progress has set me way way back.
I still hope to completely finish by the end of they year.

[ballade]

over the years my cars have either ran at half or just below half while moving. when stopped the temp will always rise above half until the fan kicks in. just below 3/4
is as high as it goes.
never had an issue.

[Condor]

I appreciate that info.
Maybe what I have is the new normal and is the best I can do.
Of course having had this thing my whole life it is the running perfect part
that sticks in my mind. It is also my second engine.
I never got this engine worked out 100 percent I think.

I will continue some experimenting but I can tell you it is on my mind to get the bodywork
straightened out and just be finished.

I started in Spring 2009.