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FrankenCRX part deux – Frankenradiator

November 16th, 2004 Leave a comment Go to comments

So I fixed my radiator. Normally not an entry worthy of bothering the busy internet with. Although after my last entry about fixing my starter, you may be able to guess that there’s more to it than simply dropping in a new radiator. That is, if the entry title wasn’t obvious enough. I’ve graciously put most everything behind the cut.

Here’s the deal. I was getting random heat spikes. managable, but existant. It would weep a drop or two from time to time, but not even enough to leave a mark on the ground in a parking lot. It’s getting cold enough that this tiny engine could probably run air cooled, but all the same I’d rather not have a leaky radiator. So I goes to the pick-apart yard to get my starter as mentioned an entry or two back. I also thought I should find a radiator while I’m at it. So I go looking around and all the cars similar to mine except one have either no radiator or a broken radiator. Sure the one that has a good radiator has the wrong radiator…. but whatever. it’ll fit. My radiator is a “full width” one that spans the whole frontal area like most cars. Some civics have a “half width” one that spans (big surprise) half the open bumper area. This is a half-width, but I kind of wanted one of those for a few reasons anyways (another story, another day). So I snag all the clips and hoses since there’s no such thing as too many spare parts.

So I get to James’ place to work on this thing. I’ve been meaning to change the valve cover gasket for some time, so I went at that in the time it took the engine to cool. It’s remarkibly easy to add oil to the engine with the valve cover off:

So after the engine cooled, I got at the radiator install. I removed the old radiator with little offort. Bits and pieces of the radiator fell off with the slightest touch. all the fins had rotted into some scaly mix of salt and patina. Unsexy… not the kind of thing you want anywhere on the car. I knew this thing was on the way out last year at around this time. Anyways. I put it aside, and it promptly disintegrated into the ether, dissipating into a whif of evil cackling souls. I pick up the new one and place it in the car. hmm…. didn’t think to check the height… the damn thing was about 2 or 3 inches too tall, and the hood wouldn;t close. Sean and James were standing there, chuckling, and muttering varios flavors of “pwn3d”. I simply said “don’t worry… it’ll fit”. I toyed breifly with the idea of mounting it sideways since it was narrower than it was tall, but dismissed it as being the stupidest way I could possibly do this. Only a fool would mount it sideways. So I went at the bottom of the radiator with a hacksaw and tried to trim off anything that was interfereing with the crossmemeber. I managed to trim it down so the hood would close to the first latch, but it wouldn;t close fully. damn.

So I mounted it sideways. There were two logistical problems. First, the top hose was too short to reach the head with the radiator on its side. Second, how the fuck do you fill the radiator if the cap is on the side? The solution to both the problems was “spare parts”. I used the long bottom hose off the old radiator as the top hose on the new one. This way, it was long enough to snake around and hook up where it has to. As a consequence, both hoses were long enough to permit me to actually partially remove the radiator without disconnecting it. In the end, it cleared the hood and exhaust when lying flat, and will rest upright on the front bumper when pulled for filling. It holds water and the new fan works perfectly. It’s sitting on its side in the pics, but you can see how easily it can be rotated upright.

That random white line is just some temporary silicone tubing that’s playing surge-line duty. I hope to replace the structural zip-ties with something more proper like coat hangers. Perhaps I’ll do that the same day I attack the starter with the hose clamps.

Yes, this is my daily driver. Yes, I race this car.

total cost of replacing starter and radiator: $22.00 after tax, not including doritos and mountain dew.

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  1. Anonymous
    November 16th, 2004 at 20:00 | #1

    well this clears one thing up for me..

    I know what to get you for Xmas!!!
    A mechanics repair kit!!!

    DUCK TAPE!!

    -Sephro

  2. November 16th, 2004 at 20:01 | #2

    FACTS:
    1. Iggdawg is a mammal.
    2. Iggdawg can fix his car ALL the time.
    3. The purpose of Iggdawg is to be cool.

    • November 16th, 2004 at 22:40 | #3

      t3h CRX has real ultimate power. It breaks ALL THE TIME and doesn’t even care!!

  3. Anonymous
    November 16th, 2004 at 22:31 | #4

    so what of the old “Fiddlie Bits”. Have they been saved for future Fraken-esk situations?

    -Mr. The Plague

    • November 16th, 2004 at 22:38 | #5

      I saved the starter guts “just in case”. I figured spare parts never hurt. I think only the solenoid was shot, so the motor itself can still be utilized for evildoing. the whole backplate is still good… lots of meat on the brushes. I threw away the old radiator. It made me happy. I was going to keep the fan, but it was nastified beyond even what I like to keep around for spare parts. besides, I can always make another one fit if this one fails =P.

  4. November 16th, 2004 at 23:26 | #6

    holy shit- makes me wish I could make it up to see/help in this:)

    speed safely

    • November 17th, 2004 at 05:36 | #7

      I’m helping Andrew toss in his tranny this weekend methinks. you should stop by. We need someone to “turn the big wrench” as you say =D. It’s always a good time. We’ve been going to James’ place, but we’re thinking about asking Chris so we don;t overstay our welcome with James’ parents.

  5. November 16th, 2004 at 23:26 | #8

    Not meant to be snide, just highly amused.

    *chuckles*

    Y’know, I get the biggest kick out how the guys on LJ and on I-Club kiss your butt and worship the ground your “cool” self walks on.

    Hehehe… I wonder if you are so loved in real life or if it is all just a part of your internet identity that you’ve built up and that people buy into by following the rest of the crowd =^_~=

    Just a random thought (pardon my blunt honesty).

    🙂

    • November 17th, 2004 at 05:33 | #9

      Re: Not meant to be snide, just highly amused.

      Quite honestly, I take the “IggDawg is cool” thing just like I take any other catch phrase… just something said as a matter of course. I don’t feel any particular deference from people (online OR off) and I don’t think they mean any. but that all is part of the reason I only ever post here anymore and not in OT. people that follow my LJ are people that I actually know or that have some interest in my goings on, as I have in theirs. that way, if someone says “IggDawg is cool”, I can just kind of smirk and think “wiseass =P” or something like that =D.

      I only ramble because I sometimes wonder this myself, and I guess I’m brain-dumping =D. I tend not to have a hard time meshing with any nabisco-dwellers I meet in “real life”. From what I gather, I’m generally regarded as a pretty cool guy to hang around (although i could be wrong… I was wrong once before… back in ’82…).

      And thanks, I appreciate the bluntness =D.

      • November 19th, 2004 at 08:14 | #10

        Re: Not meant to be snide, just highly amused.

        And thanks, I appreciate the bluntness =D

        Anytime (in other words, you’re in for it now) =^_~=

  6. November 17th, 2004 at 03:14 | #11

    You want some more zip ties for x-mas?

    • November 17th, 2004 at 05:36 | #12

      😮 !!1 Betweem your zip-ties and Seth’s duct tape, I’d be ALL SET@!!!

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