Let's Talk About Radiator Caps...

"Frosted" (frostedbuns) 07/11/2015 at 20:03 • Filed to: None

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I recently purchased a Nismo radiator cap for my Nissan Cube. I bought it just for show. I’m a ricer, whatever, get over it. It’s rated 1.3kg/cm vs the Cubes oem 0.9kg/cm pressure rating. The box claims it’ll improve the cooling abilities but it really won’t unless I were on a race track doing some high performance driving, which I’m not. I bought this to look good. My father isn’t too pleased though because years ago, my sister had bought a higher pressure radiator cap for a Scion tC and shortly after, the radiator broke. He can’t remember exactly how though. I’ve been doing some research on whether or not an aftermarket radiator cap could really do some engine/cooling system damage. The general consensus thus far has been no. Some people even claim that this particular Nismo cap has fixed leaky OEM caps on various Nissan trucks. So Oppo, anyone care to weigh in? Higher pressure radiator caps likely to cause issues or just a bunch of pure applesauce?

brianbrannon > Frosted 07/11/2015 at 20:18

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If you aren’t over pressuring the stock cap then you won’t be making any more pressure with the new cap

JGrabowMSt > Frosted 07/11/2015 at 20:54

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I would stick to the stock pressure. Ive seen people go to lower pressure caps, and all that does is let the car run warmer slightly but also makes the coolant cycle more frequently.

More pressure can certainly lead to a problem, but not necessarily be the cause of a broken radiator.

Nauraushaun > Frosted 07/11/2015 at 21:24

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Requesting more pics of the cube

Frosted > Nauraushaun 07/11/2015 at 21:55

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Most current ones I have. There’s gonna be a big change before fall though.

Frosted > JGrabowMSt 07/11/2015 at 21:58

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I stuck the Nismo one on for now. Could swap the stickers since it’s just for looks to avoid any potential problems, although unless I had a high mileaged/older car with original hoses I really can’t see how a higher pressure cap would cause serious damage. I guess because it’s designed to be a weak point and release pressure instead of a hose exploding?

JGrabowMSt > Frosted 07/11/2015 at 22:06

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Spot on, the cap is supposed to be the weakest point in the system.

Overall, it’s not something I would worry too much about. My Magnum has the original cap at 155k miles, my SL has the original at 107k, but I do need to replace the cap on the SL, among other things. The cooling system on the SL needs some work, but if you were to become concerned or have a problem, check for leaks or have the system pressure tested. Otherwise, keep on driving.

MM54 > Frosted 07/11/2015 at 22:58

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Have you ever had the old cap vent? That’s because the system pressure hit the pressure rating of the cap. With a higher rated cap, the pressure can get that much higher - but if it never ‘blew’ before, it isn’t even to that pressure and thus the new cap won’t make a difference unless you’re taking it to the extreme, past where the old one would have vented.

Hopefully that made sense.

Nauraushaun > Frosted 07/12/2015 at 00:00

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Ah, I much prefer the previous generation, but it’s a funky ride nonetheless. Is that white pearl?