antifreeze

i have a 1987 honda accord i installed a transmission with no problems
xcept the tranny didnt have the drive gear. anyway when i changed the
tranny ,i put green antifreeze in the radiator ,it ran fine for apx. 2
weeks then the radiator cracked near the top. was that caused by the
green antifreeze or just a coincidence , thank in advance for advise
scotd

 

Radiators on Hondas c. 1990 are known to be wimpy. Cracking
at the top is a common report. If this is the original
radiator, you did well.

Buy a new aftermarket one and be done with it. Conventional
wisdom here is that this is one of the few parts for Hondas
where OEM is not worth it.

You really should use OEM honda coolant only as your
radiator coolant. The non-OEM causes water pump failure.
(But it should not cause a radiator failure like you
describe.) In the alternative, try the orange Havoline
anti-freeze available at Wal Mart and similar. It's what I
have used in my 91 Civic since 2002.

Google the archives for details on the radiators and
anti-freeze. Or stay tuned.

 

that's /way/ too definite a statement. /some/ non-oem coolants can
cause failure, but not all. a high quality non-silicate coolant will do
just fine - especially when we insist on changing water pumps along with
timing belts, even when it may not be necessary.

 

coincidence. radiators crack. simply buy a new one and you're done.

regarding plastic tank radiators, apart from the fact that they age and
crack, they're actually a good idea. they're lighter and less leak
prone than brazed rads, and they have corrosion advantages for aluminum
engines like honda.

 

thanx for all the advise .ill try using the orangeantifreeze.ive never
bought honda antifreeze,no sense in starting now ,thanx agian