New radiator needed?

octanejunkie said:
:iagree:
I think there are some definite signs that you want to replace a radiator, regardless of the vehicle, and while you're at it, throw a timing belt and water pump and tensioner and belts and hoses and thermostat and radiator cap and lower ball joints on there too and save yourself from reading 132 more posts about what to fix or replace on a new to you used 4runner with an unknown service history

Insurance ain't cheap when you don't have the right kind, ya gotta cover yo self LOL
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Weak dude. Didn't even dictate which o'clock to instal thermostat. How misleading.
 
Didn't expect so many replies hahaha, I have a folder with about 60 pages of vehicle history and maintenance. The water pump and timing belts were done at 130k. The only thing I did not find and did ask before purchasing the vehicle was if the radiator had been replaced. The owner(original owners son) said he was not sure, and since he didn't have any paperwork that said he had, I'm assuming it's the original. I will change it within the month. Thank you for everyone's input!

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If you don't know how old your radiator is than the there is only one correct answer, replace it.

It's the best $100 insurance you can buy for these trucks. Just replace the radiator and call it a day.

I wish my brother (former owner of my rig) had this mentality. Instead, he didn't replace it, radiator failed and got a pink milkshake. 12k miles later (once I owned it), the tranny shit the bed.

I am not one of these "replace everything even if it isn't broke" kind of guys. In this particular case for these trucks (auto tranny), it will be the best piece of mind you can buy for $100 bucks.

If there is any doubt on age or condition of LBJs or the radiator, just replace them and move on....
 
thegipper said:
If you don't know how old your radiator is than the there is only one correct answer, replace it.

It's the best $100 insurance you can buy for these trucks. Just replace the radiator and call it a day.

I wish my brother (former owner of my rig) had this mentality. Instead, he didn't replace it, radiator failed and got a pink milkshake. 12k miles later (once I owned it), the tranny shit the bed.

I am not one of these "replace everything even if it isn't broke" kind of guys. In this particular case for these trucks (auto tranny), it will be the best piece of mind you can buy for $100 bucks.

If there is any doubt on age or condition of LBJs or the radiator, just replace them and move on....
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LBJ? Not sure what thst is but I will be changing it to the Denso unit recommended to me. Is there anything better than Denso, or is that the overall go to for 3rd gens?

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diaz7412 said:
LBJ? Not sure what thst is but I will be changing it to the Denso unit recommended to me. Is there anything better than Denso, or is that the overall go to for 3rd gens?

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LBJ - Lower Ball Joints
OEM is the way to go here. Toyota PN 43330-39585 (LH) 43340-39465 (RH)
I got mine off eBay, but shop around, $200 is average for the pair

Get the LBJ attaching bolts while you're at it, you need 8 (4 on each side)
PN 90080-10066

Denso radiator
There are 2 Denso radiators, one made in Taiwan for around $100 on Amazon, and the OEM Japanese version that you can get from Toyota dealers for around $120 (new lower price!)
I got a Taiwan Denso off Amazon, and despite the horror stories, mine was OK

Get a new OEM Radiator Cap while you're at it for $14
PN 16401-20353

I also did the upper and lower hoses, and I was glad I did. I chose to go with Genuine Toyota hoses from Amazon
Upper Hose PN 16571-62070
Lower Hose PN 16572-62090
 
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cblock406 said:
With all due respect, if he doesn't know when the radiator was replaced, he probably doesn't know when much else if any maintenance has been done. Would I only replace only the radiator willy nilly just for the hell of it, absolutely not.

What I would do is take the time to assess what other things the vehicle needs as far as preventative maintenance and get the vehicle up to snuff. I didn't say he absolutely should not replace it, but I would make it part of a larger plan to do when I'm tearing into other parts of the truck.
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You're making assumptions that have nothing to do with the original question. He asked if he should replace the radiator as preventive maintenance since he didn't know if it was the original. The prudent answer is, absolutely. There is no reasonable way to assess the condition of the current radiator. So it should be replaced ASAP. The consequences of a transmission cooler failure dictate that this should be a high-priority item on the maintenance schedule.
 
tvpierce said:
You're making assumptions that have nothing to do with the original question. He asked if he should replace the radiator as preventive maintenance since he didn't know if it was the original. The prudent answer is, absolutely. There is no reasonable way to assess the condition of the current radiator. So it should be replaced ASAP. The consequences of a transmission cooler failure dictate that this should be a high-priority item on the maintenance schedule.
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He already explained it has had a recent tb/wp replacement and no verification the radiator was replaced, so yeah, I think everyone is in agreement, replace the radiator.
 
Best to check with your voltmeter to determine if you have any electricity in the coolant system reservoir, if so then you need to flush it out before your engine become reaches to corrosion
 
Also I suggest you to keep eye on hoses, upper and lower, right now I am having trouble with my suv related to radiator. I suspect I might need new thermostat.
 
tvpierce said:
With all due respect, I can't disagree more strongly with the three replies saying not to replace the radiator as preventive maintenance.

The transmission cooler in the radiator on these vehicles is notorious for failing, which can be catastrophic to the tranny.

My rule of thumb is to replace the radiator after 10 years. If you don't know if the PO replaced it, you're overdue. It's $110 for a Denso unit delivered to your door. It's money well spent, IMHO.
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+1
Mine is a 5 speed, and I replaced the radiator in the first few weeks I owned it. It was 16 years old at the time. these radiators are cheap and pretty easy to replace.
Added after reading the whole thread:
These radiators aren't worth treating to an elaborate flushing scheme unless you know it's a recently new part. It takes about $120 and 3 hours to replace the radiator going really slow like I do. Swap in new hoses at the same time.
 
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