radiator questions

[intel0116]

ill make this short and simple, my radiator is cracked and leaking fluid like crazy i bought a autozone spectra raidator and will be installing it this weekend.

question 1, are autozone spectra radiators worthy of purchasing, will they last at least a year or two ?

question 2, has anyone permanently removed there thermostat , if so have you had any issues?

thanks

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

Autozone parts are hit or miss. Spectra radiator will last u more than 2 years. Doesn't it come with a warranty? Pretty sure u can run your car without a thermostat probably throw a cel. It'll keep the fluid from warming up so

Edit. Keep your thermostat...

Your accord has a fuel injected engine, the electronic control module adjusts the fuel mixture based on various engine parameters. One of these is the engine temperature. The ECU injects extra fuel, equivalent to a choke being on on carburetor, to make the engine warm up faster. On injected engines its called the fuel enrichment circuit. Without the thermostat this circuit will be on all the time. Result is excessive fuel consumption, loss of power because of less than optimal fuel mixture, overheated possibly ruined catalytic converted, extra wear and tear on engine as the extra fuel will wash off some of the oil lubricating the cylinders. Thermostat for that engine is relatively cheap, easy to install, I would not run without it.

 

[intel0116]

yeah it comes with a " lifetime warrenty" , thats good to know, if i get a year or 2 out of it ill be happy, its my DD atm, dont wana put miles on my 8thgen, im driveing 90miles round trip a day m-f but luckly atm im between jobs.......

i think i will leave it in then, dnt wana f anything up.

oh yeah and forgot to ask, is there a DIY thread on how to change the radiator ? ive never done it before, lol

 

[Bax]

I had a radiator from carquest that was good when mine on my old v6 cracked.


Also, my thermostat on my old car went out as well, but the dealership was closed due to it being xmas weekend (i got dat g00d lukk) so I had to get one from autozone. It held up for about 7 months until my car was totaled. It was sooo flimsy and weak looking as opposed to my old oem thermostat though. I was surprised it even lasted as long as it did.
Idk if your thermostat went out or not, or you were just asking that question just for reference, but I just thought I'd put my experience in here.

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

That's good to know. I won't ever run a different thermostat other than OEM or one for racing

 

[98ExAccordwv]

DIY for changing the radiator:

1. Jack the car up, place on jack stands.
2. Drain coolant
3. Disconnect the upper and lower radiator hoses.
4. If it's an auto, you'll have to disconnect the transmission cooler lines.
5. Remove bolts on top mounts.
6. Lift out old radiator (if it's auto watch out for transmission fluid to pour out).
7. Installation is the reverse of removal (if auto you'll need to add a bit of transmission fluid to the transmission).

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

DIY for changing the radiator:

1. Jack the car up, place on jack stands.
2. Drain coolant
3. Disconnect the upper and lower radiator hoses.
4. If it's an auto, you'll have to disconnect the transmission cooler lines.
5. Remove bolts on top mounts.
6. Lift out old radiator (if it's auto watch out for transmission fluid to pour out).
7. Installation is the reverse of removal (if auto you'll need to add a bit of transmission fluid to the transmission).

Repped

 

[intel0116]

I had a radiator from carquest that was good when mine on my old v6 cracked.


Also, my thermostat on my old car went out as well, but the dealership was closed due to it being xmas weekend (i got dat g00d lukk) so I had to get one from autozone. It held up for about 7 months until my car was totaled. It was sooo flimsy and weak looking as opposed to my old oem thermostat though. I was surprised it even lasted as long as it did.
Idk if your thermostat went out or not, or you were just asking that question just for reference, but I just thought I'd put my experience in here.

yeah good to know, thanks for the input !

 

[intel0116]

DIY for changing the radiator:

1. Jack the car up, place on jack stands.
2. Drain coolant
3. Disconnect the upper and lower radiator hoses.
4. If it's an auto, you'll have to disconnect the transmission cooler lines.
5. Remove bolts on top mounts.
6. Lift out old radiator (if it's auto watch out for transmission fluid to pour out).
7. Installation is the reverse of removal (if auto you'll need to add a bit of transmission fluid to the transmission).

yeah thanks a bunch i had no idea it would be that easy , rep

 

[Bax]

That's a pretty exact step by step of doing it, but the new one obviously won't come with the fans so you need to swap them off of the old radiator onto the new one. and be very careful not to damage those fins (?) on the radiator when doing so. Its like 2 or 3 bolts/screws on each one, though. simple.

That's good to know. I won't ever run a different thermostat other than OEM or one for racing

The rod in the center of the thermostat was seriously like comparing a toothpick and a sharpie. lol
That's one of those cases where oem is a lot better. Although, i haven't seen the Mugen thermostats, but they're supposed to be very good and open at a lower temp keeping the engine a little cooler. I think that's better for like turbo applications though, right? Someone else could clarify that for me, I can't remember exactly.