I just had my radiator recored, new thermostat, and new hoses put on a month ago. I was driving today, it's about 80-90 outside, and the temp gauge almost went up to the only mark other than hot or cold. Normally when I drive it never goes over half, and mostly stays at 1/3. This is the only time that is has gone up that high, I was driving in slow stop and go traffic, and when I started moving again the temp went back down to 1/2. I'm just wondering if that is too hot for it to get and if I should worry about it at all.

 

Well, being that it's below 'H' I wouldn't worry about it too much. You may want to check out your fan clutch and see if it's working as it should. Normally, the car stays around 1/3 up the gauge, but when you're in traffic, it may go up - especially when the air is on because the radiator is using the warm air coming off the condensor.

 

I'd never let the engine get past the halfway mark. On both of my 1st-gens that equated to 210 degrees F, which is on the ragged edge for coolant temps.

 

If it ever gets to 3/4 then start shitting your pants... My 80 did that once and wasnt long before it was leaking oil through every dowell

 

Ditto what they said. Anything over half means start saving up for rebuild. I bet that motor makes less power now too.......

Check fan clutch.

Spray water thru radiator fins and clean it all out.

BradP

 

****...Engine has 127,000 on it. I was thinking that something like that was going to hapen eventually. I wanted to save up to import a 12a Turbo and tranny, rebuild it, intercool it and put on a lsd, but I'll need this to be running while I rebuild and save for the 12aT. I just did some little races with my friend tonight, went up to about 2/3, then after back down to 1/3. It was fun we found a empty curvy road and did 4 runs on it. I think my fan clutch might be bad, I want to put in an electric fan anyway, so I dont think it will be a real problem, it still works but it seems very worn. My friends accord overheated on the way home though, hes still on the side of the highway, his dad came there and is helpin him and my other friend that was with him out. My car isnt losing any power at all, still pulls very strong all the way to a little past the redline

 

Well I've had mine to 3/4 mark a couple times (forgot to turn fan on while car was sitting ) but it turned out okay. The trick is, if you've screwed up that far, do NOT shut the engine off. Turn the fan on, crank the heat full blast, and cool the engine down to normal levels before you shut it off, so it cools down evenly.

When I built the street port engine it would run hot, even just cruising at 60mph in 5th with the fan on. Then one day the fever broke and it acted normal. Very strange...

 

Hmm, my engine did the exact same thing after it was rebuilt and ported. Used to get up towards the halfway mark even on the highway but know it rarely goes past 1/3 third. Strange indeed.

 

Did you re-use the old thermostate like I did?

When I broke the engine down I simply remove the water pump/housing/upper water outlet as an assembly, and put it back on as an assembly, not even bothering to re-seal the water pump or change the thermostat I was theorizing that some Hylomar broke free (I certainly used enough of it, it gooed all over the place when I cinched the t-bolts down...) and clogged the tiny upper passages in the rotor housings, or possibly fouled the thermostat somehow.

Whatever the cause, it sorted itself out so I stopped worrying