Radiator went out/ do i need a new head gasket

[bamolina11]

My radiator went out and the 4runner was starting to overheat it went into the red on the dashboard gauge a couple times. the mechanic said that i may need a new head gasket and if i do that the 4runners done for. is there any truth to this?

 

[zcruiser]

My radiator went out and the 4runner was starting to overheat it went into the red on the dashboard gauge a couple times. the mechanic said that i may need a new head gasket and if i do that the 4runners done for. is there any truth to this?

What do you mean by your "radiator went out"? Did the radiator spring a leak or just a hose?

As for the head gasket, check your oil and see if it still looks like oil or if it has coolant mixed in with it (milky).

Done for? Doubt it. You can always put in a new head gasket (and plane the heads).

How is it running right now?

 

[brian2sun]

"Done for" is going a little too far. Even if your HGs are toast, you can get them replaced and the heads resurfaced for $1500-2000 at a shop. Or you could buy a used engine for <$1000 and pay a shop ~$600-1000 to install it.

That said, definitely check your oil and coolant for milkshake like zcruiser said. And keep an eye on your coolant level over the next few months. If the HGs are blown or the heads cracked, it's not going to hurt it anymore to drive it now and see if that's the case. If not, you got lucky. I'd say it's more likely that some warpage occurred, but it's not a sure thing.

 

[zcruiser]

Head gaskets on FZJ80's were known to go after 100K or more (known design flaw). One technique to check for leaking hg was to look into the radiator overflow tank while the engine is running. If you saw bubbles coming OUT of the tube in the overflow tank, it was an indication that air was being pushed out by the piston past the hg, and into the cooling system.

 

[bamolina11]

What do you mean by your "radiator went out"? Did the radiator spring a leak or just a hose?

As for the head gasket, check your oil and see if it still looks like oil or if it has coolant mixed in with it (milky).

Done for? Doubt it. You can always put in a new head gasket (and plane the heads).

How is it running right now?

the radiator wasnt leaking or anything, the fluid looked fine it just wasnt cooling the engine anymore so there replacing it along with the hoses, but i will check the oil tomorrow when i pick it up thanks for the help and thanks for all the replys. but it still runs awsome other then the fact that its overheating

 

[Baja Runner]

So they didnt suspect the water pump went out, or the thermostat froze up? Its weird to me that they would automatically do the radiator....

Double check your ATF fluid just in case. The most common "issues" are the heat exchanger plate inside the radiator fails, and the ATF and coolant mixes.