Weird Cooling system Prob after S14 SR swap. Overheating with Koyo

[DUBCITY]

So im finishing up my kouki s14 sr swap, but im having major difficulties with the cooling system.

I have a koyo all aluminum radiator, and for now im only running the clutch fan and no shroud. Coolant is new and all air bubble have been removed from the system from the bleeder and parking on a slight incline.

When i start the car up it warms up just like normal. If i pull the rad cap i see the water rushing by so i know its circluating (pump and thermostat are good). My problem is that if i let it idle for about 5 min after reaching operating tempurature, the temp starts to rise and the Koyo rad gets so hot it will burn your hand. If i pull the cap when its this hot, it doesnt do anything erratic, all i see the the coolant rushing by like it should, but the temp is still above 1/2 way.

Then if i take the car out on the road and drive around, the temp drops back to where it should be, but the weirdest thing of all is that when i give it full throttle, i see my temp gauge shoot up really fast and then back down all in a matter of about 2 seconds. Ive never seen any car ever do this, anyone else have a crazy temp problem like this?

And then if i bring the car back in and let it idle it will heat back up just like before.

Any help would be great since im sitting here with my thumb up my ass wondering what my next move should be.

[Slidin240Wayz]

Is this the stock gauge? If so, you'll need a new sensor.

If it's an aftermarket piece, how are your radiator cap and thermo, agewise?

Carlos

[DrtyRat]

do u have a fmic?(I have the hybrid fmic) could be a prob w/it blocking air and the fan not pulling enough through...I had some serious overheating prob when i put my s14 sr into my s13 and at the time I was running 2 univ. electric fans w/a c&r alum. radiator water wetter and it was still overheating like crazy(it would settle down a little on the open road but when I stopped/got in traffic it could see the needle on my autometer water temp. gauge go right up). Then I got some altima fans and no more prob.

[DUBCITY]

stock gauge, ive already replaced the sensor with the one off my old KA, does the same exact thing.

Replaced thermo but still does the same thing. Rad cap is fine.

[reccakun08]

run with your heat on

[Ritz S14]

Clutchfan is pretty much useless without a shrowd.

[Dousan_PG]

^^^ yeah
you NEED the fan shroud. it is the KEY to cooling
no shroud? might as well not even run w/ the clutch fan.

[DUBCITY]

thanks guys, Ill pick one up asap. Will an s13 SR shroud work , or does it have to be s14 specific?

[Dousan_PG]

s13 sr one works. i use that on my s14 radiator. koyo and my fluidyne

[keepitmovin]

Don't forget to pick up a real temp guage. We all know how accurate the stock units are.

[Fat Felix]

My problem is that if i let it idle for about 5 min after reaching operating tempurature, the temp starts to rise and the Koyo rad gets so hot it will burn your hand.


the stock air intake burns my hand after driving the car around for a while.. with that said.. your hand or any other part of your body is not a good gauge on how hot the car is.

[sblack13]

well if your s14 sr is in a s13, you need a s13 temp sensor. Sounds like a bad cts sensor or connection to it. I would check into that.

[DUBCITY]

the stock air intake burns my hand after driving the car around for a while.. with that said.. your hand or any other part of your body is not a good gauge on how hot the car is.

yes i know, but ive never felt any radiator get that hot to the touch, but then again ive never ran a full aluminum radiator, so i was just seeing if others with the koyo are seeing the top of their radiators get that hot.

sblack13, its S14 to S14 so the sensor shouldnt matter, but i did change it with the one from my old ka and the gauge read the same.

UPDATE: I found a very small hole in the radiator. I bought it used off of a fellow zilvian, he had electric fans mounted to it with those things that go in the fins, he must have punctured one of the tubes. I noticed it because i saw a vapor trail from the radiator to fan, put my finger on where it was coming from and it was wet. Would this be the main cause of my problem? the hole is very very small and im not losing a great amount of coolant, but probably some pressure.

[DrtyRat]

the hole is very very small and im not losing a great amount of coolant, but probably some pressure.
haha...check out my thread
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=115453
same issue as u but its not the radiator its one of the hardlines that come of the connector for the upper rad. hose...its shooting a very fine stream of water and I'm having the same prob as u w/the temp shooting all over the place and I wouldn't think it could make me lose that much water/coolant but it did...btw if anyone know what the line goes to plz lmk (sorry to thread jack)

[DUBCITY]

no worries on the threadjacking. good to know that its what is contributing to my problem.

[DUBCITY]

Got my Nismo thermostat and SR radiator shroud which helped a lot, but i still see the temp gauge climb ever so slightly at random times, then back down. Im guessing it might be air bubbles. I ordered a water temp gauge and will probably hook the heater back up (i had bypassed it). I thought i got all the air out, but i guess you never really know. let you guys know how that works. any other suggestions?

[slideways2004]

Got my Nismo thermostat and SR radiator shroud which helped a lot, but i still see the temp gauge climb ever so slightly at random times, then back down. Im guessing it might be air bubbles. I ordered a water temp gauge and will probably hook the heater back up (i had bypassed it). I thought i got all the air out, but i guess you never really know. let you guys know how that works. any other suggestions?

ok after those 2 things, get these.

bleed more coolant. If it's not taking you at least 30 min. to bleed, your not doing it right. Sometimes if it's really bad, it can become a 2 person job b/c someone has to hold the throttle and do the heater controls from hot to cold

also get a real temperature gauge. the stock one was prolly never that accurate to begin with and then add 10+ years to that and you get the idea.

p.s. question- when you guys get an aftermarket gauge, where and how do you put the sensor? is there a cheaper way of putting it in the rad. hose?

[Dousan_PG]

bleeding takes me...well shit i check it later
greddy breather tank
bleeding the system its kids play. just let it do the work

get an aftermarket gauge already.
stock is a joke.

[DUBCITY]

ok after those 2 things, get these.

bleed more coolant. If it's not taking you at least 30 min. to bleed, your not doing it right. Sometimes if it's really bad, it can become a 2 person job b/c someone has to hold the throttle and do the heater controls from hot to cold

also get a real temperature gauge. the stock one was prolly never that accurate to begin with and then add 10+ years to that and you get the idea.

p.s. question- when you guys get an aftermarket gauge, where and how do you put the sensor? is there a cheaper way of putting it in the rad. hose?

damn 30 min? well i definatly didnt spend that much time. i basically jacked the front up, played with the bleeder screw, and massaged the pipes while fluctuating the throttle by hand (i dont have my heater hooked up right now). anything else i should be doing?

aaron, thanks for all the help. gauge is in the mail, and ill definatly be looking at the breather tank.

[kensreliableb18b]

you have to run it a bit and watch the air come out before you cap it