Trans cooler/radiator bypass

[Crammit442]

I've been driving my '97 4wd since '99. Plastic top on original radiator finally started leaking at around 250k. Using Toyota Red, the inside of the radiator still looked brand new. I replaced it w/a used OE Denso w/100k on it. I rear ended someone last year and trashed that one. Just replaced it w/a new Denso. I don't do any heavy towing and I use Toyota Red coolant. Do I actually need to bypass the radiator to avoid the dreaded pink milkshake or would it be wasted time and money? What's the REAL risk? Thanks.
Charles

 

[mtbtim]

Dude, Dude, Dude, Dude. This topic has been discussed ad nauseam on this forum. Do a Google search for Pink Milkshake and/or Transmission Cooler Bypass and you're going to find many many threads on these subjects that will arm you with all the information you'll need to formulate your own decision on whether you should bypass or not. This subject is like the old Miller Lite commercials from the 80's, "Taste Great, Less Filling". Some people believe you should absolutely bypass because the world will come to an end if you don't. Others like me believe a new radiator and running an external transmission cooler in-series with the trans cooler in the bottom of the radiator is the way to go. Do the homework and make your own decision.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I've been driving my '97 4wd since '99. Plastic top on original radiator finally started leaking at around 250k. Using Toyota Red, the inside of the radiator still looked brand new. I replaced it w/a used OE Denso w/100k on it. I rear ended someone last year and trashed that one. Just replaced it w/a new Denso. I don't do any heavy towing and I use Toyota Red coolant. Do I actually need to bypass the radiator to avoid the dreaded pink milkshake or would it be wasted time and money? What's the REAL risk? Thanks.
Charles

The point of failure (which is very rare, by the way) is the metal barrier inside the radiator that separates the coolant from the automatic transmission fluid. This isn't a manufacturing defect, it's an unfortunate side-effect of an engine that lasts forever. If the coolant is not kept fresh during it's lifetime of 150k+ miles, the metal barrier starts to corrode until coolant finds its way into the transmission fluid since it's under pressure in the radiator.

The best way to prevent a pink milkshake is to replace the radiator with a new one. You just did it, congratulations your rig is pink-milkshake proof for at least 150,000 more miles.

 

[AntleredRuin]

The best way to prevent a pink milkshake is to replace the radiator with a new one. You just did it, congratulations your rig is pink-milkshake proof for at least 150,000 more miles.

But what if he removes his skid plate and goes on a bender and runs over several groundhogs, each one hitting his brand new radiator over and over and over again until a hole is finally torn in it, thus potentially causing a pink-milkshake?
Pink-milkshake proof, my ass.


Seriously though, OP, LMGTFY

 

[gamefreakgc]

But what if he removes his skid plate and goes on a bender and runs over several groundhogs, each one hitting his brand new radiator over and over and over again until a hole is finally torn in it, thus potentially causing a pink-milkshake?
Pink-milkshake proof, my ass.


Seriously though, OP, LMGTFY

My bad, I forgot about how groundhogs are very detrimental to the engine. They account for 46.5% of all radiator failures nationwide.