The official Honda Thread

Folks, for anyone that has been thinking of doing the @Kraut_n_Rice  harness now is your opportunity! Brandon fully kicked down labor and parts for a full set to the Glamis Veterans Auction! Check it out at https://glamisvetsauction.asimobile.net/#/view/19149 ...BONUS - you get to write the cost of this upgrade on your taxes! All winning bids are tax deductible :cheers:

Happy Veterans Day and :thanks:  to @Kraut_n_Rice 

Complete modified 1st Gen Honda J series ECU/wire harness by Kraut_n_Rice. 
 
Can be made to work on J30a(COP only), J32A1/2, J35A1/3/4.
 
Kit will include a fully modified ECU/harness to work on the engine type you choose, and the intake configuration necessary for your project.
 
Please contact @Kraut_n_Rice for any additional information.
 
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Manxaru said:
Since my new to me Honda J35 doesn't have a thermostat, I've been googling around and trying to find out if I need to add one. Most of the online articles mention things we don't car about (warm up time, heater core, etc) but I keep seeing articles and comments saying some engines might actually run hotter without a t-stat. 

The main reason given for runner hotter is that the coolant is moving too fast through the radiator, and doesn't have as much time to shed heat as slower flowing coolant. The second (less frequent) reason mentioned, is that on some engines (without a t-stat), the coolant could increase the flow rate through the bypass and decrease the flow rate through the radiator. I have know idea if this is true for Honda manifolds. Anyone? Kraut? 

Here are some diagrams (which btw, look kind of weak to me) from an article advising not to remove the thermostat. 

So like I said, for our application we don't care about most of the effects, but if removing the t-start can make the engine run hotter seems like I should add one back in. 

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So like stated above I do run one. I also do Glamis summer runs and have never over heated. Car will get to about 206 or a little above and kick fans on, but they only run a short time as temp drops. 

 
Manxaru said:
Here are some diagrams (which btw, look kind of weak to me) from an article advising not to remove the thermostat. 

So like I said, for our application we don't care about most of the effects, but if removing the t-start can make the engine run hotter seems like I should add one back in. 
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Those drawing don't reflect what you have going on....and they aren't real accurate.

There are a ton of Honda powered cars running both ways in the sand.  In your situation, I would worry more about it after a generous amount of seat time.  If you feel you want to try a Tstat to see a difference, install the one I linked a few pages back.

 
Kraut_n_Rice said:
Those drawing don't reflect what you have going on....and they aren't real accurate.

There are a ton of Honda powered cars running both ways in the sand.  In your situation, I would worry more about it after a generous amount of seat time.  If you feel you want to try a Tstat to see a difference, install the one I linked a few pages back.
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Ok thx....only reason I'm worrying about it now is the trans has to be dropped and looks like I'm going to be rerouting the coolant lines. So I will have easy access to the replacing the coolant manifold now vs having to pull the engine again later if needed...fabricator has not seen this type of manifold before, so I'm not sure there is an internal bypass that has been closed off etc. (which would be a reason to switch back to a more stock coolant manifold)..thx 

 
Manxaru said:
Ok thx....only reason I'm worrying about it now is the trans has to be dropped and looks like I'm going to be rerouting the coolant lines. So I will have easy access to the replacing the coolant manifold now vs having to pull the engine again later if needed...fabricator has not seen this type of manifold before, so I'm not sure there is an internal bypass that has been closed off etc. (which would be a reason to switch back to a more stock coolant manifold)..thx 
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There is no bypass unless the person who fab'd it put one in there, which would make your cooling system suck.  Hot coolant would just be going from the outlet of the water pump to the inlet without ever hitting the radiator.

 
Don't let those drawings confuse you.  They really have no correlation to how your engine coolant flows.

The part circled in green didn't exist in your engine when it was still in the van.

image.png

 
I dont run thermostat and this is with a custom water outlet I had built for my application. I rarely see 210-215 and even if it does the fans are already on and cooling down. I usually stay around 190-200 during runs and 185 at idle. I also run two bottles of water wetter and deionized water with no coolant.

 
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Kraut_n_Rice said:
Don't let those drawings confuse you.  They really have no correlation to how your engine coolant flows.

The part circled in green didn't exist in your engine when it was still in the van.

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OK thx.....like I said when I posted, the diagrams seem a little sketchy

 
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I tend to disagree....the top pic is correct.  The flapper on the back of the Stat is a valve.  When the Stat is closed, the flapper is up, and it sucks coolant from the ?...somewheres, radiator by-pass  and it is not pumped to the radiator.  Stat gets hot, flapper go in, closes passage, WP then pulls from dif-spot, and pushes to the radiator.

Doubt me....pull your Stat, there is a hole there.

 
Stinky said:
I tend to disagree....the top pic is correct.  The flapper on the back of the Stat is a valve.  When the Stat is closed, the flapper is up, and it sucks coolant from the ?...somewheres, radiator by-pass  and it is not pumped to the radiator.  Stat gets hot, flapper go in, closes passage, WP then pulls from dif-spot, and pushes to the radiator.

Doubt me....pull your Stat, there is a hole there.
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The hole is to purge air, and in an OE tstat it has a "plunger"..if you will.  This plunger blocks the orifice when liquid is flowing.  This is what looks like a nail head in the pic.  Coolant is flowing toward the tstat here, pushing the plunger against the tstat face.

In the OE application, coolant could flow through a line that heats the T-body,  But, it has a separate thermo valve inline to stop flow when it's up to temp.  Otherwise, if the the heater valve is closed coolant doesn't actually move.

The pic is probably sideways, but the notch in the gasket is UP.  If you zoom in on it enough you will see that the tstat has 'UP' stamped in it.  You will also see that the factory tstat opens at 167*F.....

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hes talking about under the thermostat in that pic. if you dont run a t-stat, you need to block the waterpump bypass hole. 

under that t-stat is a secondary spring and cover that operates like stinky is describing. its strictly there to reduce cooling system pressure when the t-stat is closed by allowing coolant to circulate through the block. 

 

 
Awesome thread.i blew up my j35a4 last weekend so I went to the wrecking yard to get a new motor and picked up a j35a3 the guy there said that hes a honda guy and they are the same motor so I bought and put it in switched everything over from the only motor except the fuel injectors.i put everything back the way it was and now it has a bouncing idle trying to get her running good for Thanksgiving any input would be greatly appreciated thank you I have small video of it running 



View attachment 20211112_201603.mp4



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16vsammy said:
Awesome thread.i blew up my j35a4 last weekend so I went to the wrecking yard to get a new motor and picked up a j35a3 the guy there said that hes a honda guy and they are the same motor so I bought and put it in switched everything over from the only motor except the fuel injectors.i put everything back the way it was and now it has a bouncing idle trying to get her running good for Thanksgiving any input would be greatly appreciated thank you I have small video of it running 


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Sounds like the IAC valve needs cleaning. Had this a couple of times on used motors. Another option would be just put your old throttle body on. 

 
richard h said:
Sounds like the IAC valve needs cleaning. Had this a couple of times on used motors. Another option would be just put your old throttle body on. 
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I can't find the IAC I think its eliminated right I did use old throttle body and plenum 

 
I would check for a vacuum leak across the top plate of the plenum. Often times one of the bolts is not tightened down all the way or it is slightly off center. You are supposed to do a cross tightening pattern for it as well.

 
I checked for vacuum leaks I even put a little gasket maker to really seal it up the plenum.my throttle body has the iac completely removed like it was eliminated welded a plate where it was that how it was when I bought the car it ran fine before

 
Not sure which runner?I'm pretty sure I put it back the way it was I used almost everything from the old motor on it 

 
16vsammy said:
Not sure which runner?I'm pretty sure I put it back the way it was I used almost everything from the old motor on it 
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I got it wrong! Went back and looked closer and its not turned. One other option is to try manifold top and TB that came on motor. Simple and quick swap to check.

 
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