My radiator is too young to die! (V6 radiator leak pics)

RunnerAK

RunnerAK

New member
Below are some pics of a leak from the lower driver's side corner of the radiator on our '07 V6. It must be a slow weep because the truck had been sitting in the garage for about a week and nothing had dripped to the ground yet, I only noticed it because I was in the wheel well installing new calipers, and sure enough a white rag wiped across it came back "Toyota pink". The coolant level is above the minimum but I'll be keeping a close eye on it. There was no sign of a leak last time I was under there changing the oil (~3k miles ago).

Anyone else have troubles with the radiator on a V6? The truck only has 85k miles on it. Are there any good options for repairing these plastic units, or is the best route to just put in a new one?


From the DS wheel well:


From the front:
 
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Mine is weeping as well. Not as severely as yours, but it was recommended I replace it to the tune of approx $500 + labor. Not a cheap part apparently... I just turned 70k on my '04
 
I bought a radiator off eBay with lifetime warranty for around $50 bucks. When it arrived, I immediately noticed it was higher quality than OEM and had 3 cores instead of 2. The drain petcock was also higher quality and more leak proof. Don't pay the inflated auto parts store or dealer prices for a radiator. Some parts it's best to shop online.
 
WXman said:
I bought a radiator off eBay with lifetime warranty for around $50 bucks. When it arrived, I immediately noticed it was higher quality than OEM and had 3 cores instead of 2. The drain petcock was also higher quality and more leak proof. Don't pay the inflated auto parts store or dealer prices for a radiator. Some parts it's best to shop online.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link? Or brand? Definitely interested in this!
 
Whitebeauty said:
If u wait a bit I will sell u mine for cheap. Im having a custom one done. Txt me @ 305-423-9215 if interested
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but I think the shipping from FL to AK would be killer.



WXman said:
I bought a radiator off eBay with lifetime warranty for around $50 bucks. When it arrived, I immediately noticed it was higher quality than OEM and had 3 cores instead of 2. The drain petcock was also higher quality and more leak proof. Don't pay the inflated auto parts store or dealer prices for a radiator. Some parts it's best to shop online.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely interested in the brand as well! Did it bolt right in without issues?
 
KingPrat said:
Do you have a link? Or brand? Definitely interested in this!
Click to expand...

The seller was Aeon Imports. Unfortunately, a very quick browse for 4th gen 4Runner didn't turn up much. Might have to dig a little deeper and see if they are still selling these.

Yes it bolted right in. It's been 3-4 years and the radiator still works like brand new with no problems or leaks. The auto parts store wanted $200 or more...I paid $60 shipped from eBay. Couldn't have been happier.
 
KingPrat said:
Prices are a bit higher, but here's the seller [MENTION=92501]WXman[/MENTION] was referring to

Brand New Radiator 1 Quality Service PLS Check Our Ratings 4 7 V8 | eBay

They also have a "Premium" radiator for another $25. No idea what the difference in quality is.

Brand New Premium Radiator for 03 09 Lexus GX470 Toyota 4Runner 4 7 V8 at MT | eBay
Click to expand...



Awesome so they do still sell them. I'll definitely be going this route again when the time comes. Even at the slightly higher price it's still a substantial savings. If you do a little reading on how to replace yourself it's even a bigger savings. Most people here can probably do the radiator job if they take their time and do a little research ahead of time.
 
So since I'll be putting in a new radiator, is there anything else I should look at replacing while I have it torn apart (water pump/belt/belt tensioners, etc.)? I know most people on here replace their V8 water pumps when they do the timing belt at ~90k, how long do the pumps seem to last on these V6s?

Or should I just leave it all alone for now (everything seems to be working fine) and just do the radiator?
 
Getting back to the original post, I'm curious if during the life of this particular radiator something other than genuine Toyota long-life coolant was used. Things have changed quite a bit in the last decade or so in coolant technology and the exacting requirements of certain vehicles, including Toyotas.
 
4RunnerFan said:
Getting back to the original post, I'm curious if during the life of this particular radiator something other than genuine Toyota long-life coolant was used. Things have changed quite a bit in the last decade or so in coolant technology and the exacting requirements of certain vehicles, including Toyotas.
Click to expand...

We bought it used with 76k miles on it and Toyota pink SLLC in the radiator, a previous owner could have used something else at some point during its life though. The leak appears to be coming from the seam where the aluminum radiator section is joined to the driver's side plastic end tank.

I plan on filling the new radiator with Zerex Asian since it is locally available at a reasonable price and seems to be equal to the OE Toyota fluid in formulation/performance.
 
RunnerAK said:
We bought it used with 76k miles on it and Toyota pink SLLC in the radiator, a previous owner could have used something else at some point during its life though. The leak appears to be coming from the seam where the aluminum radiator section is joined to the driver's side plastic end tank.

I plan on filling the new radiator with Zerex Asian since it is locally available at a reasonable price and seems to be equal to the OE Toyota fluid in formulation/performance.
Click to expand...

Zerex is Valvoline's stuff right? I can actually attest that based on the documentation and discussion I had with their reps its safe to use in place of the Toyota stuff (we're switching to Valvoline as our chemical supplier for a lot of the fuel injector cleaners, parts wash, equipment, ect at our dealership.)
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Zerex is Valvoline's stuff right? I can actually attest that based on the documentation and discussion I had with their reps its safe to use in place of the Toyota stuff (we're switching to Valvoline as our chemical supplier for a lot of the fuel injector cleaners, parts wash, equipment, ect at our dealership.)
Click to expand...

Yep, it is Valvoline and I actually chose to use it after reading several posts by you and a few others saying it was a safe alternative in some coolant discussion threads, so thanks!

Any opinions on whether I should do any preventive maintenance while I'm in there and replace the water pump/serpentine belt/tensioners, or should I just let them keep doing their thing until they start acting up. Everything seems to be running fine now, but I don't want to have to tear it apart again in the near future if any of these things commonly go out around this mileage on the V6s (85k).
 
Thanks for the reply, thats what I was hoping to hear. I read through your thread and my leak sounds very similar to yours, it appears to be coming from the uncrimped area of the end tank, but I wonder if I'll discover what you did once I get the shrouds off.
 
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