31534 Safety Release Radiator Cap

If you've ever tried to keep an old bike on the road, you know that finding parts can be a hit-and-miss proposition. In extreme cases, a single missing part can turn a bike into scrap. Most other times, you either have to pay a lot of money for a new one, fight over whatever used parts are still out there, or find an equivalent. My old but dearly beloved Honda is now 30+ years old and finding parts can be a challenge. I recently went through the entire cooling system and found that Honda prices for OEM radiator caps are quite high ($40+). Fortunately, there are a couple of online resources for us die-hards that keep old bikes on the road. The CBR Forum has a scattering of part cross-references and substitutions, and luckily one of them was for the radiator cap. Instead of paying $40-whatever for a direct fit cap, I paid less than 1/5 that price for a Gates cap. I've used Gates caps for years so I'm pretty confident that the quality will be fine, and I like the lever pressure release feature. For those playing along at home, I think I searched for a radiator cap for a 2002 Subaru Outback (the suggested application for a compatible cap for my bike). I had it in my hand in two days. The pressure rating was the same as the Honda OEM cap (16 PSI) and it fit perfectly. I had the bike idling in my garage for at least an hour while I tuned and balanced the carbs. Since then I've gone out for several rides. The cap works fine and holds pressure. Will this cap last 30+ years like the OEM Honda one did? No idea, and I couldn't care less. For less than $8 I can have a replacement in my hand in 2 days. Even better, I don't have to pay the extortionist price for an OEM cap.

WORKS AS INTENDED WITH NO INTERFERENCE IN MY NEW AMAZON SUPPLIED RADIATOR. It is my intention to never remove a cap without replacing it with a new one as the cost of failure due to any foreign material getting under the upper seal pad is higher than the cost of the replacement cap. Cars after the late sixties all have recovery systems and the coolant check should be made in the recovery tank and not the radiator. PH and carbon monoxide test tools are cheap compared to damage when there is a system leak. Normally no air can enter the system and engine combustion products should never be present as well in the recovery tank. Removing the radiator cap when there is no system failure and except for periodic replacement is a very bad idea. In life there are many things that you might used every day but never more than once. Think about that one. That little crappy little hose that goes from the radiator to the recovery tank may not seem important but failure will kill you car. Amazon sells spools of Gates replacement hose for less than the cost of a gallon of coolant. Change it out every couple years. That little cap that lives on some water pumps that is so small you usually don't even know it is there can look like a volcano when it fails. Cheap to change out and extremely expensive after it blows. Those little hoses on your window washer system also are not the thing you want to fail state inspection or if you suddenly find they are bad after you hit a swarm of bees or locusts or a blast or mud. Been there and done all that and found the washer did not work. Gates replacement hoses are as good as any and better than most. Best of all you can get them Amazon Prime. Price a gallon of coolant and also note the cost of system purge and clean out if air is allowed to enter your mix. When you see rusty or discolored coolant in your recovery tank you need to also be aware you might be a candidate for replacement of your water pump because you let things go without taking due care. I buy full strength coolant and then transfer half to a empty identical jug and refill with clear water that has been filtered and allowed to stand for a month or so to eliminate the anti fungus gas injected into it by the water department. PH testing of your water is a great idea. Talk to the pharmacist with the gray hair about PH testing stuff. You will be amazed sometimes what comes in rain water or even your county pipes. Fluoride in your tap water is not good for anything under the hood of your car. With the recovery system as long as the system is working properly there is no need to ever remove the cap. Each year when the coolant and hoses are replaced, the cap is also replaced as the cost of cap failure far exceeds the cost of a new cap. I always want to have replacement cap hoses and clamps as failures cost far exceed the cost of several changes outs if they happen out on the road. New Gates components are good insurance. Waiting for a failure before replacement of any hose belt or clamp is not economical. Engine damage happens quickly and when you look at a more than a thousand dollars as opposed to new fluids hoses belts caps coolant once a year replacement the obvious solution is pick an annual day to get it done. Going out at night with clean windows and a once around under the hood is always a good idea. Tires stems and valve cores may seem like foreign objects but again these things are time bombs and appearance is not what you should be looking at. Cheap on Amazon but expensive if they fail on the road. Tires are dated at time of manufacture. Blowing a valve stem at freeway speed is an experience you will never forget. Especially if it happens in the inside lane. BEEN THERE DONE THAT. Once was enough. Never do work under the hood immediately before long trips. Get a couple thousand miles break in time to insure the work is done correctly and well tested. Radiators like batteries should be changed every couple years or 25,000 miles. Amazon vendors are where almost all replacement radiators originate regardless of where you buy them. Brass copper or Aluminum plastic waiting for a failure is always more expensive than periodic replacement JUST LIKE TURKEY DAY DON'T CLEAN THE OVEN THE DAY BEFORE. TEST THE OVEN ON SOMETING CHEAP BEFORE THE BIG DAY. BAKE SOME COOKIES. IN THE SERVICE BUSINESS THERE ARE MANY CALLS FOR HELP ON TURKEY THURSDAY AND MANY OF THEM ARE PILOT ERROR.

I have a 2017 Subaru Forester 2.0 XT Premium and bought this to replace a 6 year old OEM radiator cap that maybe lost some PSI overtime. The OEM one had 108 kPA which is about 15.66 PSI and this replacement which is a perfect fit has 110kPA which is 15.95 PSI so about the same for the recommended 16 PSI for most Subarus even though they go on the safe side for most measurements. The increased PSI was definitely needed for a Direct Inject Turbo (DIT) boxer engine which is the same engine used for WRX's with a 2.0 Liter. The added PSI increased throttle response by a lot and I can literally feel the improved performance. I also bought it due to the added saftey lever feature which is nice to have and doesn't bother me the slightest when leaving it under the hood. I wanted it since my SUV is technically a performance, daily driver, tuner car, etc. being able to check the coolant after driving long enough for the engine to have optimal temperatures like around 200-205 °F for you to just pop the hood, pull and press the lever until all the pressure is gone, twist and pull the cap, and then check on the coolant for any signs of damage like particles or changes in coolant color is a time saver. I could even use the lever to bleed the coolant (not burp) if there turns out it somehow made air bubbles. I say this is a worth while investment instead of buying OEM stuff that many people prefer due to having a peace of mind they're using "certified" products or recommendations. I take good care of my cars, I clean and check my engine regularly for any signs of leaks or fluids that need to be refilled. So far I had no problems with this radiator cap. The only temperature difference I saw was about 1 °F which is not a lot and at peak normal driving temps I'm getting about 205 °F which is optimal. The size of the cap didn't concern me as it has plenty of room in the bay. But in racing or Sports # driving mode I'm getting about 210 °F standby and 217 °F accelerating/gear shifting which is good for high performance response.

Great radiator cap, great fitment, but was shipped in flimsy plastic envelope no protective package. Arrived separated from it's box which was destroyed. A combination of p. poor packaging and Miss handling by the US mail service.

Fit good

Safer and better than the OEM. Gone thru 2 OEM radiator caps. They both failed from a torn inner rubber seal.

I have an old 2010 Ford Ranger that just keeps on going and going and going like the Energizer bunny. Recently my old radiator cap seal finally wore out. This replacement cap is a perfect fit and I'm very satisfied.

Works better than the cheap ones that come with a replacement radiator!