Honda V6 AISIN TKH-002 Timing Belt Kit – My review
- Thread starter GemStater
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I live in southern AZ, too. To be clear, are you saying none of the major aftermarket rads have the same heat capacity as the original rad? I keep hearing horror stories about the original rad having SMOD issues. The consensus up until your input has been the aftermarket rads are an improvement, mostly because they dealt with the SMOD issue. I would appreciate further clarification and any suggestions on what the best alternative would be. My current rad isn't leaking, at least it wasn't. But I'm doing an engine swap at 180k miles and it was highly suggested to replace the rad as part of the project.
I am not a mechanic, but I am sourcing most of the parts myself to save money. So far I've largely gone with OEM parts. But the rad was going to be aftermarket. Currently, I've been bouncing around between Spectra, OSC, or CSF. But the comments are all over the place, or there are just not enough of them to form an opinion.
I've avoided Denso because of the same SMOD issue being reported. I've heard some good things about Koyorad but not enough of a sample size to decide, especially since it's more expensive. The CSF looks appealing due to their build specs and emphasis on packaging, but it's difficult to find solid input or reviews. The Duralast Radiator B2830 is a late entry into the field, but it's also limited info.
So far this is by far the most confusing and difficult part to settle on. Opinions are all over the board. Does anybody have any build spec comparisons to settle the issue?
Lastly, it sounds like I should at least look into having my current rad serviced/cleaned and just reuse it.
Thoughts?
Just buy another dealer radiator if you are concerned about it. Yours has already lasted 180K. Do you really expect a $100 aftermarket Chinese radiator to last the same amount of time? Aftermarket radiators were intended to be sold to high mileage cars that owners plan to drive for a few more years...and the price reflects this.
The video link in this thread matches the noise that I’ve heard from Aisin timing belt kits:
www.driveaccord.net
Diagnose this: "bubbly" noise
www.driveaccord.net
OK guys I'm lost; what is SMOD.
Smoky
Smoky
Strawberry Milkshake of Death. It is the result of trans fluid mixing with coolant due to failure of the radiator's heat exchanger.
My claim is that, _of the aftermarket radiators I’ve seen for the Ridgeline_, none have as much heat rejection capacity for either the coolant or the ATF exchanger as the radiator Honda installed on the assembly line.
Here is a thread with pictures of some of the aftermarket radiators vs the Honda-installed one. You’ll see that the Honda main core has more or more dense rows or fins. You’ll also see the greater heat rejection capacity of the OTW exchanger for the ATF.
You are correct that Honda’s radiator appears more susceptible to SMOD-causing failure than some (all?) of the others. That kind of failure would halt forward progress of the vehicle very shortly if it happened to you (or me). OTOH, I do not share the opinion of many that the failure will wreck either the tranny or engine. A good flush and refill of the affected systems will generally restore normal operation, IMO, assuming the driver stops and shuts off the engine when the failure happens.
I do not claim an aftermarket radiator will not be adequate here, but I thought it worth pointing out the clear differences between Honda and aftermarket. I sometimes tow in the summer, at freeway speed, and through the mountains. For me, I don’t want to give up cooling capacity.
It might be that using aftermarket and filling with (hypothetically) 80% distilled water, 20% coolant or inhibitor would be a good way to regain some heat carrying capacity with an aftermarket rad. Or, it might be that you don’t need the extra (most don’t). IDK what the exact comparison would be. I haven’t tried to make the estimates or go through the calcs.
Thanks for the clarification. That is good info. I have to admit I'm kind of swimming in info right now. Just when I thought I have a good grip on which direction to go, I whiff on another curveball. You mention a thread (with pics) in your comments, but I don't see one attached. Would you please try to attach it again. I would really like to see what you're talking about. Thanks
I normally would. I'm seeking out OEM on most, if not all parts for this project. Part of the point of this thread is, it seemed like there was a consensus on OEM radiators being inherently flawed and aftermarket radiators were superior since they dealt with the SMOD issue. So it's not like going OEM solves all my problems, at least it's still not very clear. At some point I will have to make a decision, I just wish there was more consensus on the best option to take.
Sorry for any confusion. The word “Here” (the first word of the first sentence of the second paragraph) is the link. Click or tap it and you’ll go to the Ridgeline Owner’s Club thread.
***EDIT: I’ve also put it below this line.
Radiator comparison: Denso/Spectra/OSC
www.ridgelineownersclub.com
That thread compares the original Honda radiator (made by Denso, but it is not the aftermarket Denso) to the Spectra and the OSC, as far as I recall.
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