RiFF RaFF
New member
Yup. Honey Badger (aka my 93 4Runner) is in the shop getting some work done on her.
During my last off-road trip I noticed from time to time a burning smell that reminded me of burnt wires, or radiator fluid. I looked and looked but could not locate the offending culprit. Plus the weather being wet, cold, and raining didn't help.
When I got her home (never smelled the odor all the way) I again noticed the smell while running some Honey-Do errands, and this time saw some radiator leakage on the ground under her.
I broke out my bore scope (everyone should have one!), and added some dye to the radiator fluid. Ran her up to temperature, and started scoping out the hard to find places. AH HA! The leak was on the back side of the plenum against the firewall. CRAP! At first I thought maybe it was the heater core, but that wasn't it. Kept narrowing it down, and found the leak. It's a metal fitting on the back side of the engine that the heater hose connects to. It had rusted to the point where there was a pin hole leak, and had now gotten bigger.
Due to my f'd up left leg (another story if anyones wants to read it) I took her to my local mechanic.
Good news - it's an easy part to fix. Bad news - the intake plenum has to be taken off to do it. Swell.
So with all the hardware that has to be removed I gave them the go-ahead to:
1. Replace the offending rusted part.
2. Replace the water pump
3. Replace all the belts
4. Replace all the radiator/heater hoses
5. Replace the thermastat
6. Replace the plenum gaskets
7. Replace the timing belt, and inspect/replace the pulleys.
With all the above, AND an estimated 11 hours of labor they offered to take me to dinner and buy me a rose.
:frisky:
She should be good for another 100,000+ miles now, and should be good to go by next Wednesday.
Sorry for the long post, but if you have an older 4Runner and smell some burning radiator fluid - check the back of the engine where the heater hose connects. My mechanic (who is also a 2nd Gen 4Runner owner) says that is very common for that part to rust out.
If you ever take off the plenum for any reason inspect/replace that part at the same time. Sorry I don't have any pictures right now, but I'll see about getting some when I get her home. The part will be nice a shiny, and easier to photograph.
Don't ask how much the total is, but they did knock off the diagnostics....swell.
:lookout:
During my last off-road trip I noticed from time to time a burning smell that reminded me of burnt wires, or radiator fluid. I looked and looked but could not locate the offending culprit. Plus the weather being wet, cold, and raining didn't help.
When I got her home (never smelled the odor all the way) I again noticed the smell while running some Honey-Do errands, and this time saw some radiator leakage on the ground under her.
I broke out my bore scope (everyone should have one!), and added some dye to the radiator fluid. Ran her up to temperature, and started scoping out the hard to find places. AH HA! The leak was on the back side of the plenum against the firewall. CRAP! At first I thought maybe it was the heater core, but that wasn't it. Kept narrowing it down, and found the leak. It's a metal fitting on the back side of the engine that the heater hose connects to. It had rusted to the point where there was a pin hole leak, and had now gotten bigger.
Due to my f'd up left leg (another story if anyones wants to read it) I took her to my local mechanic.
Good news - it's an easy part to fix. Bad news - the intake plenum has to be taken off to do it. Swell.
So with all the hardware that has to be removed I gave them the go-ahead to:
1. Replace the offending rusted part.
2. Replace the water pump
3. Replace all the belts
4. Replace all the radiator/heater hoses
5. Replace the thermastat
6. Replace the plenum gaskets
7. Replace the timing belt, and inspect/replace the pulleys.
With all the above, AND an estimated 11 hours of labor they offered to take me to dinner and buy me a rose.
:frisky:
She should be good for another 100,000+ miles now, and should be good to go by next Wednesday.
Sorry for the long post, but if you have an older 4Runner and smell some burning radiator fluid - check the back of the engine where the heater hose connects. My mechanic (who is also a 2nd Gen 4Runner owner) says that is very common for that part to rust out.
If you ever take off the plenum for any reason inspect/replace that part at the same time. Sorry I don't have any pictures right now, but I'll see about getting some when I get her home. The part will be nice a shiny, and easier to photograph.
Don't ask how much the total is, but they did knock off the diagnostics....swell.
:lookout:
