have a question on my radiator that just went out

[smithkt08]

Just got my 96 4runner limited which is in great shape. followed what the forum suggested and had the water pump and timing belt replaced on tuesday. go to lunch today and it starts smoking. the hose on top of the radiator had came off due to the nipple being broke. looks like the mechanic over tightened the clamp and broke the plastic on the inside. checked hte tranny fluid and its still brown. what are the odds that i will need to clean out the tranny while im replacing the radiator? i guess the question is what would cause the strawberry milkshake to happen? would it happen if the hose just came off?

thanks guys.

 

[4-Ripcord]

You're fine. All you need to worry about is getting that dumbass mechanic to pay for it.

 

[RunninInGA]

no milkshake from the top rad hose coming off. milkshake is internal failure.

 

[cj80cruiser]

Also, you might want to consider replacing some tranny fluid if it's brown. It should be more of a redish color.

 

[T4R_Finally]

It sounds like you should replace your tranny fluid but I don't think anything bad happened because a hose came loose. It's when the internals corrode and allow the fluids to mix that you'd have a potentially serious problem.

 

[smithkt08]

thanks guys. i bought a new radiator and put it in tonight. ya i shoulda serviced the tranny tonight. was surprised how easy the install was of the new radiator. the nipple on the old one was so brittle that the plastic was falling off. however on the bottom one it was solid.

 

[T4R_Finally]

smith, good for you. I'm going to be replacing my radiator this weekend. I'm curious how messy, if at all, was the tranny fluid during the swap? Did a significant amount either leak out or get lost in the old radiator? If so, how much did you have to put back in?

 

[RunninInGA]

smith, good for you. I'm going to be replacing my radiator this weekend. I'm curious how messy, if at all, was the tranny fluid during the swap? Did a significant amount either leak out or get lost in the old radiator? If so, how much did you have to put back in?

I installed new radiator AND tranny cooler last weekend. Coupled with the small amount of tranny fluid I lost (about a cup max I guess) plus the empty space created by the new radiator and tranny cooler and lines, I had to add about a half quart. I used a couple bolts to plug the stock lines to reduce the loss while I removed and installed the radiator and cooler, which I would suggest doing.

 

[smithkt08]

the swap wasnt that messy didnt hardly lose any tranny fluid just plugged the hoses after i took them off. think the whole process was an hour maybe and hour and a half.

 

[Drcoffee]

DIY transmission flush, so easy to do

I'm still fairly new here as I'm going to buy my very first 4Runner this weekend if all checks out with the 1996 T4R.

One of the first things I plan to do is replace the radiator and flush the transmission fluid. Here is how I did my IS300 last winter.

I hope this helps everyone who hates paying the stealership for this service.

DIY Transmission Flush

The video demostrates the procedure on a Honda but my write-up is specific for my Lexus IS300. And once I get the truck, I will start a new thread for the 4Runner with pictures and step by step.