08S2kBBCR

Purchased CR #61. It was tracked. It’s caged. Engine bone stock. Getting to the point. I haven’t even registered the car yet, took it for it’s first short spin around town since I got back home with it after purchasing out of state. Anyway I know it needs work. I’m hoping this isn’t head gasket. Previous owner had fluids changed…but of course not all of them, I personally think his mechanic may have been a hack. But…I was a professional auto tech for a decade and worked in the stealerships, so my standards are different.

This is awful close to the main bleeder valve and I’ve got a feeling the cooling system may not have been bled properly with a spill free funnel, elevated front end and heater controls on full blast.

I’m hoping that’s the case…or from the bleeder area or the “purge hose” part number 36175-PCX-J000 by the throttle body which has cheap aftermarket hose clamps on it. That hose is also discontinued from what I saw on majestic Honda. Thoughts/prayers?

Freeze plug? Area near bleeder under coolant hose by throttle body under intake manifold runner number 1. Has junk aftermarket hose clamps on it as well.

08S2kBBCR

Sorry to double post and quality of pic. I’ll try to get better pics later and sorry if I posted in the wrong section. Mod feel free to move thread if need be. Thanks!

B serious

Wash the engine bay thoroughly first. Residual coolant stinks for a long time. And coolant could have dripped and then pooled on that plug. That plug is right below the bleeder valve. So....someone probably made a mess at some point.

Afterward...drive around...look for leaks.

If you're losing coolant and no leaks externally,

Try a leakdown test with the radiator cap off. See if the coolant level rises.

Then try a radiator pressure test.

I just did a head gasket and ran into a million "out of stock" or "discontinued" hoses and other parts. I almost posted a BAT auction for my water pump. Fun fact....this car shares a few heater hoses with Cadillac's and Buick's. So...GM original parts to the rescue, in some cases.

Anything I couldn't find a direct replacement for, I used a hodgepodge of homemade hoses and OEM/aftermarket AP1 hoses, which, funny enough, had more availability than my AP2.2 (same thing you're working with).

I think someone also likely had/has a catch can or intake setup on this car. So they removed the breather pipe system and installed rubber hoses. You can buy a huge pack of constant tension spring clamps on Amazon for $12. Or peice them together from Honda if you can push back your retirement a few years.

08S2kBBCR

I drove it roughly 900 miles home without any issues but I did notice a coolant smell and saw more coolant there that has since dissipated and burned off. This was fresh after driving today. The car definitely had a catch can and other mods I wish someone wasn’t too cheap to take off the car…

B serious

Probably more lazy than cheap.

It also looks like the breather pipe is discontinued. And from what I can see in your photo, some BRILLIANT PERSON cut the breather pipe up to use the hose nipples as part of the catch can setup.

Would it have been more proper to go buy hose barbs? Yes. But does that require forthright thinking? Yes. So the decision was made to go get the cutoff wheel and start chopping instead.

So basically, the person was stuck with the routing they chose due to chopping up parts that are now unavailable.

Its an old used car that was used as a race car though. You're gonna find a million things that were done hastily and lazily. But hey...its your chance to do things properly.

I've found it useful to learn eBay sellers and part dismantlers that specialise in S2000's and other interesting cars. Good place to buy discontinued stuff.

I just went through the same thing on one of my S2000's - finding things that could be done better (Class 8.8 hardware on the roll bar. Metric bolts in the seat belt attachments which were obviously totally stripped, sillyassed hose clamps, etc etc etc). And now that I'm on the other side of having everything sorted out....it feels really satisfying.

08S2kBBCR

No…cheap. I talked to the owner, before the owner that I bought the car from. Owner before the guy I bought the car from said, “He had me remove as many of the modifications as possible to get the cost lower.” They replaced hose clamps with “cheap” screw clamps. The coolant leak is external, there’s a clearly visible small puddle of fresh coolant laying there under the intake manifold on runner number 1. Once I get more testing done I’ll post up more info. Other things to deal with at the moment. Here are pictures from this morning.



Coolant leak suspected cause, cheap clamps. Possibly cooling system not bled fully or properly. Hack work.

Suspected hose above auto tensioner for serpentine belt. Airflow while driving, coolant will blow backwards. Also where the bleeder screw for the cooling system is.

Coolant crust under intake manifold runner number 1.

Coolant crust under intake manifold runner number 1.

Cheap clamps, hack work.

Anyone see other major issues?

B serious

Man that fuel feed line looks like it was done in a rush, in the dark, by an actual chimpanzee.

Also...if you're not planning to track it...then...you don't want a catch can anyway.

What are your intended plans for the car? I'd want to take anything aftermarket off of it, personally. If those radiator brackets are stupid plate metal "light weight" kind...I'd ditch them and get factory ones.

Ditch the metal oil cap because it doesn't seem like it would be pleasant to grab on to and open if the engine is hot.

Re-route the hoses via the factory breather pipe, unless you need to run a catch can.

etc.

08S2kBBCR

Repair what needs repaired. Since it’s already a caged CR that’s had some butchery done to it. Build it, track it, build it, boost it. Street/track car. No drag, grip, time attack style build. Keep it forever.

BrewDay09

That hose in pictures 1 and 2 looks to be oversized and the PO cranked down on the worm gear to try to get it to seal. I think you can remedy that leak with a properly sized hose and new hose clamp (assuming you can find one).

B serious

Right on.

All the smaller heater hoses are 5/16 (8mm) ID from the factory. A little tricky to find. I found it by the foot at NAPA.

I see a lot of ppl just giving up and using 5/16 fuel hose instead of EPDM heater hose because 5/16 fuel hose is everywhere.

Never give up, I say.