I don't know yet. I saw some on ebay that come with the fans attached for $300.
Any suggestions?

 

Can you take a pic of where the temp gauge sits? I don't think throwing money at it will fix the problem...Many people run half-sized radiators...i've even seen them on boosted applications...when was your water pump replaced? how many miles since? and when you replaced the rad, and topped up the coolant, did you bleed the system?

 

Yes I know they run on half size radiators but the thickness on those is like 1.5 in, mine is only 5/8.

The temp gauge sits in the same place all the time ( where the wavy line is in the middle) but it sits there between 175 and 220. I have this app on my Android phone that I can connect the phone to the OBD2 port and it reads all the info from the ECU. The gauge is good because when my fan died, it did go higher and that's how I know that at around 220 the needle starts going up.

The water pump was replaced 15000miles ago along with the timing belt and tensioners. I know it works because with the previous radiator it never did this.

Yes I let the car run with the cap off till no bubbles got out anymore. Is there another way to bleed the system?


Now I was reading that this could happen also when the head gasket is gone. I highly doubt it but how do I check if the gasket is good or not?

 

unless the heat is running away on you, i wouldn't really worry about it.

How bad was your old radiator...can it be repaired at all?

 

I don't think it can be, the top plastic part is coming apart from the aluminium core.

 

oh, yeah, that's bad...

 

I am thinking to get this radiator:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EVO-7...#ht_4138wt_948

What you guys think?

 

Since nobody gave their opinion about that radiator I went ahead and bought it. I received it after a week and a half and finally today I had a chance to install it.

Here are some pics:

Side by side with the one from AutoZone


Side view


The fans


Installed


I had an issue where the fan on the passenger side didn't fit so I had to do some modifications




I had to relocate the fan module


After all was installed I ran the car with the cap off to get all the bubbles out. Then I took it for a 10 mile test drive. All was good till I turn on the AC. When I turn on the AC the temperature was rising by 10 degrees. When I installed it the lower hose felt very soft so I will replace both of them with silicone ones.
Do you guys think the hose maybe is collapsing and is causing the temperature to rise under load?

 

when you cycle the coolant system, run your heat and AC on and off for a while and keep the rad cap off and keep topping it up till it over flows.

 

I don't understand, what do you mean heat and AC on and off? I already ran the car with the cap off and the heat on to have the entire system circulate.

 

I think he means turn your heat on let it run for a bit shut your heat of and switch over to your AC and let that run for a bit. Do that a couple times.

 

you gotta run it till the thermostat opens, and just keep turning the heat on and off just to be sure the heater core etc is full, turning AC on just makes the second fan turn on

but if you already did that, it's all good. How much coolant is in the overflow?

 

Looks good bro

Did that fan controller not fit in that other spot we talked about?

 

About 3/4.

Tomorrow I'm ordering silicone hoses and I hope that will fix the problem.

 

Yes it did fit but the main plug doesn't reach all the way there, it's very short.