96 Civic B20/GSR head overheating problem

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

I recently built a B20 with a Gsr head in a 96 hatch cx the engine runs great and has tons of power but i am overheating i have a new ITR water pump new B20 thermostat i have no heat threw my heater and my top radiator hose is HOT and my lower one is cool to touch i am almost positive its the heater hoses because the hose routing is so different from gsr to B20. I bought the car with a GSR and threw a rod i was hoping the hoses would hook right back up but but the are quite different. any one know how to run the cooling hoses from gsr head to the block and heater hoses?????

hatch is best · Ricer Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Tech posts: 18 My 2NRide:

what head gasket you used?

kes_vtec · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

when does it overheat...
if you leave it to idle will it still over heat?

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

I used a B20 head gasket with arp studs,

It will overheat at idle but it takes like an hour but driving it today after changing hoses around the heater started working i could drive it for like 15 minutes then it would heat up almost to red and then it would cool back down to normal at stop light then when i started to drive it would heat back up never hitting red only like 2/3 the way on the gauge

dragaholic · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:24 am Post subject:

Its sounding like a thermostat problem. Although its new its probably sticking. Ususally when the top hose is hot and lower one is cool that is a sign of a prob with the thermostat. Remove the thermo and see if it still overheats.

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

ok i will give that a shot today after work Thank you

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

I tried running it without thermostat and it still overheats?? i checked to see if anything was clogged and nothing. What is the possibility of it bein the Radiator cap??

B20VTEK · Ricer Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 16 My 2NRide:

DO NOT let it OVERHEAT!

How is the car tuned?

did you BLEED the system?
Remove radiator cap with system cool, jack up the front of vehicle, top up water all the way, and start the car, let it idle for about 10 mins and watch if the bubbles are coming out.

Did you put on the headgasket the proper side up???

Route the hoses PROPERLY.
DO NOT take out the thermostat!

LEFT / by the vtec soleniod, Hose goes to TOP of radiator
The Thermostat housing hose routes to the bottom radiator.
You can run the hose from nipple of water pipe/back of block, direct to the back of the head, bypassing the IACV.

Pics please

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

ok i have the radiator hoses hooked up right. Now on the one that runs from the block to the head does it go on the right nipple closest to the left or the one on the right? and the one that is over by the upper rad hose oulet does that go to the heater core where the valve is? And yes i put the headgasket on right side up

B20VTEK · Ricer Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 16 My 2NRide:

pics would help alot

or just look at one of your friends routing

does your fan work?

and what are you using to tune the car

348Travis · Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Tech posts: 0 My 2NRide:

None of my friends have a B20 and yes my fan works i am just running a stock GSR ecu not chipped or modded i do only have a small radiator vould that be a problem?

B20VTEK · Ricer Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Tech posts: 16 My 2NRide:

yes you may need to upgrade you radiator to a 2core or aluminum.

Xman · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:49 pm Post subject:

Bleed the system properly. jack up the front a little and continuosly squeeze the bottom radiator hose till all the air comes out. The hose supposed to get hot.

Oh yeah you may need a 2-core radiator!