for "regular" driving, is there a difference between radiators? are cheap radiators nothing but a pos?

[wasssup]

I've driven the car ~200 miles since I filled the radiator up, looks like it really is leaking. I cleaned it but it's already pretty messy, and hard to tell what the source is. I noticed it was "sputtering" out from the top of the radiator, where the plastic piece meets the metal piece...

 

[Cattlegod]

hmm
are you sure you don't have to vacuum fill your system? you may have air pockets in your cooling system if it requires it (and thus really hotspots with the potential to blow your headgasket).

 

[wasssup]

er oops..i thought i was replying to a thread i created a while back...

I have no idea -- it's a '99 civic...

 

[OrganizedChaos]

some radiators are POS, some are OK but people buy the wrong applications to save money and then bitch about there overheating cars.

Radiators with plastic tanks are the devil as far as i'm concerned.

 

[yhelothar]

Sounds like your thermostat might be shot.
I had similar symptoms as you're describing now with my 92 corolla. It started with lots of leaks, then after I fixed the leaks, the water started sputtring out from the top. A sign of pressure buildup. Thermostats basically "clog" your cooling system to regulate the temperature so it doesn't get too low or too hot. It opens up when it gets too hot, and closes up when it gets too cool. So a broken thermostat can stay at closed mode, causing pressure to build up.