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K20a normal operating temp

45K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  CAFROG 
#1 ·
I was wondering what the normal operating temp is for a k20a Jdm type R motor??

Who makes after market thermalstat ?
I have ktune thermalstat housing n comes with stock thermalstat, what cAn I upgrade to n still be Able to use the ktune housing ?

Thx
 
#5 ·
well in my swap....i am using a half size alum EG rad....
my car is turbo....i have AC condenser infront of it ... and the electric fan is infront of the ac condenser.....the rad is 2mm away from the intake manifold.

so there's no air going in or going out of the rad which makes it hard to breath.....

my normal temp is 203-208F ....cruising on the HWY at 6th gear 80miles...i would over heat at 225F all the time....so i am sure i will be needing some ducting to force air into the rad.

i have ktune thermalstat housing....but i just found out that kit comes with STOCK thermalstat.....

does anyone know what i can upgrade with? and still fits the ktune unit ??

 
#8 ·
Your thermostat is not the problem.

Stock housing:
During warm-up, hot coolant circulates from the head down through the bypass hose and terminates on the engine-side of the thermostat housing where it flows into the inlet of the water pump. Because the temperature sensing bulb of the thermostat is on the engine-side, the thermostat senses the hot coolant and opens, gating some of the coolant out toward the radiator.

K-tuned housing:
Hot coolant from the head comes down through the bypass hose and terminates on the radiator-side of the thermostat. Because the temperature sensing bulb is opposite the hot coolant, the thermostat stays closed.

Worse, because the bypass hose now terminates on the radiator side of the thermostat, there is zero coolant flow through the head during warm-up. The water pump is unable to help because the thermstat is closed - it's a Catch-22 that results in an overheated engine.

If you want to retain the K-Tuned housing, either you cannot run a thermostat, or if you do, you must drill holes round the edge of it so that hot coolant can reach the sensor bulb of the thermostat.
 
#9 ·
have you try hard wire the fan to run at all the time? mine is TINY half size 1 row alumium radiator , my temps is around 182-185 mostly. sometimes go high 180s when i park for few minutes.

but again mine is not boosted and my radiator gets alot air flow from front of my bumper. definity try stock housing/thermostat or no thermostat/ktuned housing see if it helps.
 
#10 ·
My experience tuning shows that max power is when I start my pull at 186f.
185-195 is what you want to see normally...

Drill a few 1/8" holes in your K-Tuned T-stat and see if that helps.
 
#11 ·
Sorry to jack thread op.
I was at K-tuned today to bleed coolant out. We got all the air out, but my temp gauge on the cluster is at 3/4 the way up to "H". They put a gun on the hoses, its reading 200. Fan kicks in and all, did anyone have this problem??

Everything is new. K-Tuned hoses, new t-stat, new fan switch, new temp sensor, and no kpro
 
#15 ·
You were there, at K-Tuned? If so, ask them how hot coolant coming down from the head in the bypass hose is supposed to get to the water pump when they moved it to the other side of the thermostat, where it can't heat the sensing element and therefore keeps the thermostat closed.

You're going to have to beat on them to understand that coolant flows into the eye of the water pump, not the other way round.
 
#27 ·
Not sure about a design flaw......in my opinion....its just physics. The location for the vacuum assist (I may be calling it the wrong part) isn't totally necessary so the K-tuned insert can go in its place with a OEM temp sensor. In my opinion, the physics lays in the fact that its on the block rather than on the hose. So the reading can be higher because its on metal connected to the block. I figure if you know your thermostat is opening and fan turns on.....then just know where the gauge should be.

I'm going to put back the HR hose insert to see if that changes anything. John at K Tuned check the temp on the hoses and it was reading all fine. I guess the last thing, is to put the insert back. Going to waste a few more jugs of Honda coolant.
Its ideal to have the temp sensor on the top of the coolant flow and the fan switch on the bottom half of the coolant flow so I figure its more optimal than putting both sensors on top or bottom (w/a basic 2-part sensor adapter) I got the adapter on the bottom with the fan switch (plugged other hole) and K-tuned adapter on the top.
 
#25 ·
I'm going to put back the HR hose insert to see if that changes anything. John at K Tuned check the temp on the hoses and it was reading all fine. I guess the last thing, is to put the insert back. Going to waste a few more jugs of Honda coolant.
 
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