Pink Milkshake: Highest Mileage with Original Rad

R

RC57

Member
I've search and read a little about pink milkshake. Sounds like the radiator and transmission commonly share fluids with the Gen3. Are most people going high mileage with the original factory radiator? Or is pink milkshake inevitable?

-RC
 
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from my reading anywhere between 100-120 miles + is pink milkshake territory.

A simple tranny cooler or a new OEM rad and you are set for another 100k miles.
 
Post a poll here about it . Leave it for 30 days or more . I would like to see the % of T4R's that have had this occur .
Lots a guys up here have 300,000 plus on the oem rad and still running .
 
It's probably inevitable within 15-20 years on the same radiator, but it does somewhat commonly happen as early as the 80Ks - mid 100Ks. The late 90s auto 4runners are really in the red zone or so it seems. The Koyo radiators are good and used a lot. I'm pretty sure that's what I have too (it's been abut 5 years since I replaced it) and it's like $130.
 
My Koyo just showed up today. Ever since I had my TB, Water Pump and T-stat replaced my truck seems to be running hotter and hotter. This is likely a result of idiot mechanic not using Toyota Red coolant and mixing with Green. They are not compatible and will crytalize blocking the radiator eventually. So now I am doing Radiator, T-stat and hoses. I might do the Fan clutch just to be safe. BTW I have 217k on original.
 
I just bought a 99 with 170k miles. The radiator seems to be original. All service appears to have been done at the dealer. Nothing funny looking in the rad or tranny fluid (yet).

I'm wondering what the odds are for me at this point to have? What are my chances of having incipient pink milkshake?

Does it help if the coolant has only been Toyo red and DI water? (Not that dealer service guarantees that.)
 
A guy on Yotatech posted that his failed and he had owned his runner since new and it had all regular maintenance done. I think time is the killer. Replace the radiator every 8-10 years or just bypass it all together and sleep peacefully from then on.
 
Yeah,I think it has more to do with age than miles but I wouldn't say it's inevitable but it does lean toward likely to happen.

I'm at the minimum going to replace my radiator soon as my truck is 12 years old and has 162k on the odo.
 
The Wife's '97 just hit 160K with what appears to be the original radiator. I just bypassed the tranny cooler a few weeks ago. We bought her truck used with about 111K miles on it.

My '99 had the pink milkshake at about 112K miles, just before I bought it.
The radiator & tranny were since replaced.
I have a tranny cooler ready to install & bypass the radiator, I just haven't done it yet.
 
I'm at 123k now, on the original radiator. I have a '97, so I think I'm in the red zone.

Can anyone recommend a particular tranny cooler? Is the TRD one worth it?
 
Pikeman said:
My Koyo just showed up today. Ever since I had my TB, Water Pump and T-stat replaced my truck seems to be running hotter and hotter. This is likely a result of idiot mechanic not using Toyota Red coolant and mixing with Green. They are not compatible and will crytalize blocking the radiator eventually. So now I am doing Radiator, T-stat and hoses. I might do the Fan clutch just to be safe. BTW I have 217k on original.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, where do I get the toyota red? I lost most of my coolant due to a leak, and I just refilled with some green I got at the parts store. I think it took about a gallon.

I guess I need to drain and fill with red?

EDIT:
Navermind, I'm on the phone with carquest right now and they have it
 
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I replaced my orig Toy rad at about 225,000miles only because it sprang a small leak on the top plastic 'cap'. I have always been religious about flushing (with rad cleaner) and repacing the coolant every 1-2 years. I attribute the lack of strawberry milshake due to this regular maintenance.:cheers:

'96 SR5 V6 258,000 miles
 
I think if you live in the rust belt or an area where they salt the roads a lot, you're at a lot higher risk. I don't think those of us in the West and Southwest have to worry about it as much. Flushing and maintaining the radiator is definitely good and will help, but the integrity of the metal tube that separates the 2 fluids really depends mostly on the environment I think.
 
113k with what I believe is the original radiator. I almost replaced it recently when the timing belt was done. Auto shop recommending sticking with my original unless I was having a problem. They seem to service a fair amount of 3rd gen 4runners so I took their advice and saved some money. I may do the tranny cooler soon just for the peace of mind.

They used green coolant since that was what was in there already. I'm guessing it's ok to go with the green so long as you are not mixing the two?
 
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lmtdgov said:
Auto shop recommending sticking with my original unless I was having a problem.
Click to expand...

But that's exactly how the strawberry fairy pays her visits - all of a sudden. One minute everything is fine and no problems, the next minute your tranny is screwed. I disagree with this shop's advice.

lmtdgov said:
They used green coolant since that was what was in there already. I'm guessing it's ok to go with the green so long as you are not mixing the two?
Click to expand...

Mixing is bad, but I personally don't feel there is anything wrong with running green. The Toyota red coolant didn't come out till '99 so mine came from the factory with green.
 
Not a lot of responses saying they've gotten over 200k with the original radiator. Sounds like the radiator should be changed occasionally just like the water pump and thermostat as a PM item.

I can get an oem radiator for $208, water pump for $98, thermostat $15. I've got 167k miles. I'll change these at the 180k mark. Hopefully the rad will hang in there that long.
 
My truck had 200,000 on it when I got it. As far as I know, it's the original radiator. I did put in a cooler about 4 months ago with 225,000.

I feel better about it.
 
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