[Glavas]

Well it's not reallt overheating. Mine generally sits just above the C. Driving around lately it's crept up to about 1/4, sometimes a tiny little bit more when not moving. I've got a 1.6L carby vit engine.

With an old car like this I really don't trust the gauge so tonight I'm gonna install a aftermarket temp gauge.

Next on the line up of eliminating the problem will be a new radiator. How hard is the vit radiator to fit into the engine?

Next will be a thermo fan.

Main question besides the radiator, what is an acceptable running temp? Both my last cars ( S13 and an FC RX-7) ran at 85ish. Same deal for the old zook?

[Ben_Sierra]

Fitting a vit radiator is easy. Finding one was the hard bit for my vit.

As for that temperature, I wouldn't be worried about it...

[Glavas]

Ben_Sierra wrote:

Fitting a vit radiator is easy. Finding one was the hard bit for my vit.

As for that temperature, I wouldn't be worried about it...

Generally, to a customer, I would recommend the same thing.

However, when I was out at the beach I did manage to get the temp up to halfway, so for peace of mind I'd rather deal with it now

I'd probably buy a brand new one. Got a connection at a zook dealership. 1.6L carby model radiator needed? or can 1.6L and 2.0L EFI ones be used too?

[Ben_Sierra]

When I was shopping for one, the radiator was very specific. Even the manual and auto models had different radiators, and I had to phone all round the country to find one (then have a heart attack at the prices) so I bought a second hand one from a wreckers and took a chance...

[Ben_Sierra]

Oh and if its from a Zook dealership, make sure your sitting down when you get the price. I was quoted $800 for a genuine radiator. And it had to come ex-Japan.

[Glavas]

Ben_Sierra wrote:

Oh and if its from a Zook dealership, make sure your sitting down when you get the price. I was quoted $800 for a genuine radiator. And it had to come ex-Japan.

I can have one MADE for less than that :O

I imagine a manual for any 1.6 or 2L would do fine. Auto obviously not as the trans cooler is built into the radiator?

[lordfury007]

As a cheaper option, have you tried giving the radiator and cooling system a good backflush with some good corrosion converter (purpose made for backflushing) and leaving it in there for 12-24 hours - cost about $30 and a bit of elbow grease, plus another $30 or so for some new coolant. Can get this professionally done at a radiator shop for around $150 i think - haven't done it in a few years. ( i dont think they bother putting a corrosion converter through it though)

also check the thermo fan is working if you already have one - my sierra runs fine without the thermo fan as long as the car is moving, it starts heating up when at a standstill. i waited 3 weeks before i bothered investigating to find the fault was a 50 cent fuse.

the other thing it could be is if you're thermostat is broken in a half-open position, not letting enough coolant through the engine.

[Scrawny]

Leave the radiator. All you need is a thermostat. Make sure you refill with coolant too

[89_tintop]

Glavas wrote:

Ben_Sierra wrote:

Oh and if its from a Zook dealership, make sure your sitting down when you get the price. I was quoted $800 for a genuine radiator. And it had to come ex-Japan.

I can have one MADE for less than that :O

I imagine a manual for any 1.6 or 2L would do fine. Auto obviously not as the trans cooler is built into the radiator?

that doesnt really matter mate. some aftermarket ones i have seen come with auto cooler hoses and they sell em for both applications.

[Glavas]

ScrawnC wrote:

Leave the radiator. All you need is a thermostat. Make sure you refill with coolant too

I'll be replacing the thermostat with the radiator

I plan on bolting on a supercharger in the (hopefully) near future so I figured I might aswell get this sorted out now.

[Ben_Sierra]

Any radiator of more or less the same size will do the job, but take note of which side hoses are on and mounts and things like that. Its not always as simple as just bolting in another one...