Quote:
Originally Posted by raincoyote
My mechanic (a Tacoma driver himself) said he didn't think the radiator was in bad shape BUT it is relatively cheap parts-wise so I may just do it. He's booked out for a couple weeks but when it goes in we're going to get a gameplan for the next 12 months or so.
You and
@ 96RedRunner
both mentioned the LBJs... my mechanic put it up on the rack and gave it the whole PPI treatment before I bought it. He rated them as a 1 out of 10 (1 being low, 10 high) on the wear scale. Is there something he would miss from this method?
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Both the LBJ's and the radiator are cheap insurance even if they check out fine by your mechanic. These are the two known "fatal" flaws in these trucks.
There are dozens and dozens of example of LBJ's failing on these truck with zero signs they had any issues. The rule of thumb is to replace every 100k miles to be on the safe side and again,
OEM part only.
The radiators can also fail (internally) and cause coolant and transmission fluid to mix. Search pink milk shake on here and you'll have hours of reading material to support your decision to replace the radiator. There is also a bypass option but by the looks of your radiator, I would just replace it. If you get a pink milk shake, you will most likely need to replace the transmission.
Both of these items are relatively cheap for the piece of mind you'll have. Here is a link to the
3rd gen buyers guide which goes into more details about the LBJ's and radiator, I suggest you take a look at it.
Good luck and enjoy your new rig!