Radiator blow out (1 Viewer)

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Natcruiser said : "Yes, I'm pretty sure it is the front main seal on the crank.---the dealer said it takes an hour and a half off labor to do that seal"

This is another reason you don't want to use the dealer, as mentioned above
they often aren't familiar with the 80 series.

The major oil leak on the front of the engine is usually not from the front crank seal, all the regulars on the forum know it's from the oil pump cover gasket, then distributor O-ring, valve cover possibly adding some, then the front crank seal and last maybe the timing chain cover (rarely), almost in that order regarding frequency and volume of drippage, IME.

Point is, you don't want someone to just replace the front crank seal and not replace the oil pump cover gasket at the same time as the crank pulley has to come off to fix both.

Story time: I recall once going to look at a FZJ80 for sale locally, the seller when asked if it leaked any oil responded no. So when I got there and looked at the engine it was obviously leaking oil. The seller then said, "well those aren't leaks, thems are only seeps and besides, I got the front crank seal replaced recently ---"

He had taken his 80 to a dealer to repair the leak and they only replaced
the front crank seal. The oil pump cover, almost invisible being completely covered in grime remained untouched, but still leaking.


FWIW
 
If the top of the radiator had started to yellow, then it was old age.

My radiator exploded and ripped the top tank end to end because the radiator cap was too gunked up to open fast enough and mine was preceded by a belt breakage and sudden water pump stoppage.

I have put another 100K on my truck since that day without a HG leak, so, depending on your maintenance history, it's not 100% a HG thing.

Does this look yellow enough?

Radiator.jpg
 
Great photo of what a well-seasoned radiator top tank looks like just before it blows. Is that the original radiator, as far as you know?
 
Great photo of what a well-seasoned radiator top tank looks like just before it blows. Is that the original radiator, as far as you know?

Not sure. I just picked up the truck last February but it definitely looks like it has aged.
 
Replacing a radiator is pretty easy - banana 🍌 Job, and a good time to learn if your gonna own a 80. These trucks need some love often and if paying someone else to do the work is your go to it will be a expensive ownership. This forum is all about supporting each other and learning about your own rig along the journey. Fsm is a free download and has all the info you need. I have a tyc radiator in 2 of my rigs and they have been trouble free. Also have a koyorad which I believe to be OEM I got on Amazon for a couple hundred. Also if the radiator is out it’s also very easy to replace all the front seals/gaskets water pump belts. Just my two sense! And I would not let the dealer touch your truck they are way over priced and mark up parts a couple hundred percent. Good luck

84E5B757-B70B-4FFC-8791-89524825F7A7.jpeg
 
Replacing a radiator is pretty easy - banana 🍌 Job, and a good time to learn if your gonna own a 80. These trucks need some love often and if paying someone else to do the work is your go to it will be a expensive ownership. This forum is all about supporting each other and learning about your own rig along the journey. Fsm is a free download and has all the info you need. I have a tyc radiator in 2 of my rigs and they have been trouble free. Also have a koyorad which I believe to be OEM I got on Amazon for a couple hundred. Also if the radiator is out it’s also very easy to replace all the front seals/gaskets water pump belts. Just my two sense! And I would not let the dealer touch your truck they are way over priced and mark up parts a couple hundred percent. Good luck

View attachment 2982316

My brother, who owns a 100 series and lives in Wisconsin, is daring me to fix it myself. I am somewhat handy but it was my job to help dad on the cars when I was younger so I may need some encouragement to go for it. This may be all I need.

Now I need to convince my wife.... Which is another story.

Nate
 
Before I bought a land cruiser all I ever did was oil changes and simple stuff, now I’m in the middle of a full engine rebuild and have lots of confidence in wrenching thanks to this sites great members. YOU can do it. Just be aware the front crank pulley is a bear to get of. Radiator easy!! Front crank seal can be challenging. Convincing wife easy! Show her a quote from the dealer and then the actual parts cost. Assuming you have some tools already it will saving you thousand of dollars over your ownership. It could backfire and she makes you sell It and buy a Toyota Camry. R
Tread lightly.
 
Great photo of what a well-seasoned radiator top tank looks like just before it blows. Is that the original radiator, as far as you know?

I think it is. Looked through the repair records and didn't see anything on it. Maybe someone can spot the manufacture date or code?
 
Now I need to convince my wife.... Which is another story.

Nate

Nate,

Before our imagination runs away, please explain this sentence. :rofl:
 
  • Haha
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Nate,

Before our imagination runs away, please explain this sentence. :rofl:
He needs to convince his wife that he's not a complete moron and that he CAN fix this and save money.


Yeah, good luck with that.


My wife still thinks I can't fix anything and thinks I'm a moron, but possibly for other reasons.

She keeps telling me to take my vehicles to a shop to have them worked on or to pay someone else to do repairs on the house.
She doesn't comprehend how much that will cost an how shoddy the work will be, but it will be done in record time versus my schedule (x2+30)
 
He needs to convince his wife that he's not a complete moron and that he CAN fix this and save money.


Yeah, good luck with that.


My wife still thinks I can't fix anything and thinks I'm a moron, but possibly for other reasons.

She keeps telling me to take my vehicles to a shop to have them worked on or to pay someone else to do repairs on the house.
She doesn't comprehend how much that will cost an how shoddy the work will be, but it will be done in record time versus my schedule (x2+30)

Haha. Sounds about right.

She said to me, "Doesn't it usually take you like 3 days to work on something like that?" and "Just pay someone to do it," in which I reminded of our limited resources. Good thing my dad is out of town and will let me tie up his garage as the radiator just arrived and the mandatory 3 day AAA towing wait is now over.

Nate
 
Haha. Sounds about right.

She said to me, "Doesn't it usually take you like 3 days to work on something like that?" and "Just pay someone to do it," in which I reminded of our limited resources. Good thing my dad is out of town and will let me tie up his garage as the radiator just arrived and the mandatory 3 day AAA towing wait is now over.

Nate
I feel ya. When i first got my 80s 6 plus years ago, we would be going to random trips and the rig would break down over the course of 2-3 yrs. The lady would freak out and pissed off at how much time was spending in fixing it and waiting for tow trucks, etc. Now i look back and it is all part of getting the 30 plus year old car back and be even more bullet proofed. Its all part of the journey and knowledge learned.
 
one lesson learned on replacing the radiator, is pay attention to the "clocking" of that 90* transmission cooling fitting. i didn't, and the hose rubbed on the frame and left me stranded with no transmission fluid. AAA got it back to my driveway
 
Just threaten to withhold sex and the complaining will stop immediately. 👍

That won't be too hard as I will be gone every night and the weekend till its completed :)
one lesson learned on replacing the radiator, is pay attention to the "clocking" of that 90* transmission cooling fitting. i didn't, and the hose rubbed on the frame and left me stranded with no transmission fluid. AAA got it back to my driveway


What is clocking BTW?
 
That won't be too hard as I will be gone every night and the weekend till its completed :)



What is clocking BTW?

The two nipples in question sit in the bottom of the radiator and you'll be slipping the ATF hose onto them. These nipples can be rotated (clocked) so that the hoses are out of harm's way.

When you disconnect these two ATF hoses before removing the old radiator, use a catch pan to catch the little bit of ATF that'll come out of these two hoses.
 
What is clocking BTW?
if you loosen the nut on the drivers side fitting, you can spin it around like hands on a clock. i trusted that as delivered by TYC, the fitting would be in the correct position. it wasn't, and caused the rubber hose to press against the metal frame of the truck. after replacing all the trans lines "while i was in there" fixing the busted one (NLA as well), a simple loosening and re-tightening got that hose positioned juuust right.

also, go to Home Depot and get some of that sticky weather stripping to better seal the radiator to the core support frame. aids in cooling.
 

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