Don't know which radiator?

O

ozzyleven

New member
Sadly, my radiator in my 94, 3.0, auto has met its end. Pretty sure it was the original. I bought a $150 Murray tonight, single core aluminum so I could install it tomorrow but after reading online I'm having doubts. The reviews on the plastic tank rads are pretty mixed. So,
1. What kind of radiators are you guys running?
2. If anyone is running a single core aluminum, is it cooling well? I'm worried it may not be enough for the 3.0.
3. What kind of life can I expect from one of these cheaper rads? I know it won't last 20 years but I was at least hoping for five. It has a lifetime warranty too.
I usually refrain from cheap parts, but I guess changing a rad is pretty easy and just requires some extra work to do it. Just sucks, none of the local stores carry anything with more rows/all metal. Id like to just use this and get the rig back on the road, but if it's gonna be a pos it may convince me to order something. Let me know your experiences and opinions!
 
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Installed one of the plastic/aluminum jobs on my 22re second gen a month or so ago. Seems to be cooling fine.

Going all metal would have cost 4 times the price of this rad, so even of only lasts five years, it would be twenty years before I'm on the losing end.
 
I got full aluminum radiator, and I have never had a problem. 4 years strong. First, I bought a plastic top and it lasted 6 months. It's worth the extra money for quality in my opinion.
 
It's been my experience to stick with the factory set-up. The cheap china made units don't last at all, as well as not fitting properly. Too bad this was not posted a few months ago. I just changed our rad out, but all the old one needed was a top tank fix. After putting the new factory unit in, the truck does run slightly cooler.
The 3.0 needs all the help it can get, you might consider sticking with something that works(reliably over the long term).
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The brass/copper units from Toyota are pretty hearty. The best price I could find was $585 to the door. The worst price was over $1200 at a dealer in BC, and that did not include labor!
regards
 
So I decided to return the Murray one. Oreillys gave me a bunch of crap and when I asked if the thing over heats my truck are you covering it? They knocked that off quick. Called Napa and they are shipping a brass/copper one, all metal. Total cost after student discount was 185. They said county of origin is Mexico, but at least that's not China. And the price on that OE rad is terrifying. I definitely don't have that much to spend.
 
Well another snag in my plan, Napa called and said rad is ordered, but the clerk made a mistake and it's 2-row instead of 3 like he told me. It's the right dimensions. Do I need 3 rows? I guess they can't cancel the order they have to wait till it shows up and then issue me a refund and I'll probably get stuck with 20 worth of freight.
 
Stock should be 2 row max.
U should be ok, but the bigger one couldt hurt.

U could always have one custom built.
 
Okay the one I pulled today has a old Toyota sticker on one of the sides and is triple core, so I wasn't sure what would have been stock. I guess it's entirely possible it was re-cored at some point in time. It's weird the Napa core dimensions measure the same as what I have, so I would have thought it would be 3 row.
On a related note, any good aftermarket fan clutches to recommend? I think mine is either stamped Denso or Aisin, would have to look again. Was hoping some aftermarket company was selling a good one, rebranded.
 
So the rad showed up and was actually 3 core. So good news there. As a comparison, this ones core is 1/4 inch thinner than the one radiatorbarn sells, don't know how huge of a difference that makes. Also, it fits in the vehicle right but the placement of the fan shroud holes are a little off. I can get three bolts in. Would it be alright to maybe wire the fourth point up to secure it?
 
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