thermostat question


elv1

elv1

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Joined
Dec 23, 2007
Messages
205
hi folks got a question i curently have a koyo steel radiator on my ek9 which is very thick. my question is when the car is heated up and am over the 6k revs using vtec the temp drops very low that vtec will not engage when i slow down around town it heats up again back to normal is there a problem or will a thermostat with a lower opening temp be the answer:confused:
 
it sounds a bit odd to me bein honest. i have a stock rad n my fan never kicks though but cause ireland is a cold country the heat goes down when i'm drivin plus i've the air con taken out so more air somes in onto the engine but the vtec always works. a lower termostat wouldn't make a difference cause all that would do is release the coolant at a lower temp or start the fan at a lower temp. was it workin ok before hand???
 
pass mate got the car with the radiator in it the car temp goes to just about half way and when u start to use vtec the temp goes back down to cold dont know why it is doing it thought someone would know or have had the same problem
 
the problem is that you need another thermostat. it has stayed open, that's why the temp drops when you step on it & the temp goes up when you are in traffic. it's nothing to worry about mate. Since i live in a very hot country, i upgraded mine to a mugen fan switch & radiator cap which keeps my temp at 80c instead of stock 93c. i also used oem honda radiator fluid which is the best!!! :win:
 
yea, you can get a mugen or spoon thermostat for not very much money. did you get warranty fro the garage you bought your car from?
 
not sure on the warranty mate but if a did would not be using it as a bought in from a garage down south from me its over a 4 hours drive could not be bothered to travel down will order a new thermostat see how a get on cheers for the help guys
 
elv1 said:
not sure on the warranty mate but if a did would not be using it as a bought in from a garage down south from me its over a 4 hours drive could not be bothered to travel down will order a new thermostat see how a get on cheers for the help guys
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whats mods do you have that make you reqire a oversized rad?
 
none really mate like the facelift front end on the car the radiator was on it too when a bought it not really needed the now but will come in handy after a get ma wedding out the way it will be time to tune the 9:)
 
elv1 said:
none really mate like the facelift front end on the car the radiator was on it too when a bought it not really needed the now but will come in handy after a get ma wedding out the way it will be time to tune the 9:)
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sounds like the rad is simply over efficient for the factory engine, nothing else.

I have a high output engine, but for my cooling system I have factory thermostat, factory fan switch temp sensor, factor coolant temp sender, high CFM pusher fan and Fluidyne rad. Thats adequate for a turbo system. THe only time people use those higher temp. thermostats and fan swithces is when theyre making alot more power and trying to use the factory radiator but having overheating issues, this is an inpure solution.

If I was you id put a factory rad back on to correct the problem and re-gain some performance. OR use somthing to block airflow to the aftermarket radiator partly.

if you want a cheap solution untill your modified then take you bumper off, take a thick plastic A4 sleeve/wallet or other type of soft but fairly stiff material that wont damage your radiators fins and chop a strip of it to cover up 4" from the top or the radiator, and duct tape or electrical-tape the material to the side-straps. Then see how the car performs. Generally the koyo and fluidynes improve cooling efficiency by 25-30% so restricting airflow to it will let the coolant reach the factory operating temperature at speed. !

Otherwise you can buy a second hand EK9 aluminium OEM radiator. Which do work alot better than the B16a's regular coated mild-steel counterpart radiator.:nice:
 
EK9turbo said:
Otherwise you can buy a second hand EK9 aluminium OEM radiator. Which do work alot better than the B16a's regular coated mild-steel counterpart radiator.:nice:
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getting out of topic. . . EK B16A & B16B radiators differ? :pics:
 
vtecroadhog said:
getting out of topic. . . EK B16A & B16B radiators differ? :pics:
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high quality aluminium core on B16b rad. Next time your at the dealership ask him to get you the part number and price of the Ek's then give the parts guy your EK9s chassis number and see the price hike and different part number.
 
yup for a standard engine the standard rad is very efficient! had my EK9 for 6 months now and the fan has only ever come on once! that was because i was stuck in heavy traffic :shocked:

noticed that you are also from Scotland! our climate should keep your engine cold enough too :lol:
 
fan only kicks in when temps are getting high so car can still be running way off due to high temp even if fan hasnt kicked in

the ek9 rad is fine for road use but any kind of hard drive/track use its very poor, its actually thinner than ek4 rad which is something that i have never understood honda doing

if you dont beleive me measure water temps at couple different points after hard drive and youll see true results with your own eyes

the rad you have now on your ek9 will be perfect (i assume its same length as oem but thicker core)

start by replacing your thermostat, if coolant is fairly new just reuse it, make sure to bleed system fully as slight air lock can cause temp needle to go stupid
 
fan only kicks in when temps are getting high so car can still be running way off due to high temp even if fan hasnt kicked in
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I have to disagree..

1. The fan switches on when the engine gets to the designated operating temperature.. which is NOT the maximum safe operating temperature.. but is set by the fan switch. Which was researched and developed by the factory when the engine was designed.


the ek9 rad is fine for road use but any kind of hard drive/track use its very poor, its actually thinner than ek4 rad which is something that i have never understood honda doing
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2. Its a more efficient radiator because of the material the cores made from. Its designed for the stock setup and you can hammer the stock setup at redline in 5th for a WHOLE HOUR STRAIGHT! ..between 140-150 on the clock WITHOUT it overheating!! Believe me it did not overheat.. just used 3/4 of a tank of petrol for 120miles.

Have you ever seen one overheat on BMI reviews?, head-to-heads or testing?
NO, it doesnt happen on the factory setups unless theres a fault or somthing worn out. They always comment when cars struggle or overheat etc.

if you dont beleive me measure water temps at couple different points after hard drive and youll see true results with your own eyes

the rad you have now on your ek9 will be perfect (i assume its same length as oem but thicker core)
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3. If its a standard engine and your using that oversized radiator youll be over-cooling it. The factory rad it perfect for a factory car

start by replacing your thermostat, if coolant is fairly new just reuse it, make sure to bleed system fully as slight air lock can cause temp needle to go stupid
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4. This (the above) is bad advice, the most sensible and systematic approach would be to TEST the thermostat before replacing it. You could endup spending the money and still have a problem. Its best to identify the problem before you try and find a solution.

Heres how to test the factory thermostat...
7cbd17b561.jpg


I would reccomend you try limiting the airflow by covering up a couple of inches of the radiator as I previously mentioned, if it doesnt sort the problem, the remove and test the thermostat. If it does stop the problem then you know I was correct and you radiator is too efficient for your setup takign too much thermal energy out of the water. If it reduces the problem then cover a little more up and see if its any better.

A Sytematic approach is best.
 
i had a koyo rad on my ek4 sir and now have an apexi gt spec one on the 9 but none of these problems,they are meant to keep the car cooler than standard,it sounds as if it is something to do with your thermostat staying open,anyway thats just my thoughts.:nice:
 
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