Replacement radiator

[dirtrider9x]

I have a 2001 4runner sport. I am looking to replace the radiator as preventive maintenance to avoid the "strawberry milkshake" situation i have read about. Should i go with an oem replacement, or an aftermarket version with a separate trans cooler?

 

[kball]

OEM or aftermarket radiator will cost about the same. You just have to decide if you want to bypass or not.

 

[jreask]

OEM or aftermarket radiator will cost about the same. You just have to decide if you want to bypass or not.

OEM will cost close to $275. Aftermarket Koyo for around $100.

 

[kball]

Okay, $275 buying from the dealer yes. I was talking about OEM as Denso. Maybe that's not what was originally in our 4runners but I don't see how you can get more OEM than Denso. $101 01 2001 Toyota 4Runner Radiator - Cooling System - APDI, CSF, Denso, Spectra Premium - PartsGeek

 

[mforce]

Would you still recommend by pass even with a new radiator?

 

[tee-bone]

Would you still recommend by pass even with a new radiator?

It is a complicated, disputed question. I have seen persuasive arguments for doing it either way. I believe the argument breaks down to is the potential benefit for the trans fluid getting up to temp more quickly with the radiator/cooler in series, plus a bit of extra cooling capacity, worth the chance that you could develop a leak and have the milkshake (which is obviously catastrophic).

For me, with a brand new good quality Koyo radiator, the chance of developing a leak seemed minimal. Plus, I live in a place that is mountainous and gets hot, and I sometimes pull a trailer. So I hooked them up in series. I would not argue with someone who did the bypass though.

 

[Doc2012]

I bypassed mine almost two years ago and haven't had a single issue out of it.

It sits right in front of the radiator, just behind the grill.

Again, personal preference. Do you really want to take the chance of developing a pink milkshake, or just loose coolant?

For me, the answer was I would rather loose coolant. Obviously you'd be able to smell it and see the temp rising in time to shut the engine off.

With the pink milkshake, by the time you notice it, it's already too late.

 

[ICD]

I just got a new radiator and will be installing my trans cooler this weekend. This mod ranges $150-$250 depending your rad , now if the mod cost $500+ then we could talk about what's its worth but for what I spent on radiator and trans cooler($160) it was a no brainer.

 

[JEL]

I just installed a new radiator and kept the internal cooler only, as I too drive in the mountains quite regularly. I will probably add an external inline when the weather gets better.

I think going inline with a big external cooler and a new Koyo or Denso radiator would be best if you drive through the heat a lot and/or tow and drive through mountains. That's how it's set up on my parent's Tundra with the towing package, and I can say the fluid coming out after 30k change intervals looks and smells brand new every time, even after 120k miles of hard use on the truck, it appears the extra cooling works well in that situation. There are benefits to adding a brand new radiator as well, the main being better cooling as you'll get doing away with 10-12+ years of bugs and grime that impede some of the cooling abilities vs. a new radiator. It'll also give you a chance to clean out the condenser carefully when you have the rad out.

 

[mforce]

All great advice. I am going to be replacing mine just as soon as the weather breaks as well. Just to cold out right now to do it!