Is my radiator about to explode? (1 Viewer)

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Mar 15, 2021
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Richmond, VA
I went to wash my car and found this piece hanging down behind the trans cooler. Didn’t seem to be attached to anything. I have not found any leaking coolant. When I was done washing it- I did wash the engine because I changed my oil on Wednesday- there was a loud smack or bang when the engine turned over. I turned it off and found a little piece of foam under the front of the car. Everything else seemed to be in place- belts, fan, hoses, etc. Started it again and idle was rough. It steadied out pretty quickly, so I think that was just some water in the intake. Maybe the bang was a backfire or something, but it sounded more mechanical than gas.

My question is this: is this part integral to the construction of the radiator and would it falling off cause any leaking?


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What year/model Land Cruiser are you working on?

Why would water get into the intake, was the air intake hose off when you washed the engine? Did you wash the top of the engine (which engine)??

Looks like a section of the cooling fins came off the radiator or AC condensor? The foam could have been the factory foam from around the radiator if any was still there. Did the piece show up after the bang or before?

Do you still have three fan belts (FZJ80)?

You should check the fins/metal tubes of your radiator to see if anything struck it. Will be difficult to see from the front as the AC condenser is mounted in front of the radiator, but check that also to see if anything went through that.

You can disconnect the fan cowling (two bolts up top, rear facing), lift the cowling up a bit and push the top toward the engine then look down with a strong flashlight to inspect the fins/tubes.
 
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Doesn't look like a piece of a radiator to me. Honestly, I'd be more concerned with the "loud smack or bang" when cranking. Was it possibly something caught in your fan that struck the radiator when cranking?
 
94 1FZ-FE

Foam piece was found after the smack/bang start. Thinking it was struck loose by the fan. May have been held in place by the row of cooling fins that I found.

All belts (3) still in place.

I washed all around with a pressure style washer and have experienced a similar rough idle after engine wash before. Not sure where water is getting in (hose was on, so guessing you’re right and it wasn’t the intake) but as before, rpm settled out and engine ran fine after about 2-3 min of driving.
 
Now that I think about it, those fins look like the last row (bottom) of an aftermarket Denso (made in Taiwan) AC condensor core I bought a few years ago and returned.
 
Now that I think about it, those fins look like the last row (bottom) of an aftermarket Denso (made in Taiwan) AC condensor core I bought a few years ago and returned.
I replaced what I believe was the evaporator core (that’s the one behind the glove compartment right?) with a Denso unit last year. If this were the condenser, it would be OEM. Should I be looking out for a refrigerant leak?
 
You should be looking for the radiator, trans cooler, or condenser that's missing a piece of corrugated metal. Until you figure out which it came from, you have no idea what you're dealing with.

Also, if it were me, I'd loosen the belts and verify that the fan is mounted securely.
 
Confession time- this is going to make me look like a real dork if I haven’t done that already. I think I found the source of the damage. I remembered that when I closed the hood after the oil change, it didn’t close all the way. My 4 year old who was “helping daddy” was crying about something so I did what any frustrated dad would do: slam it harder. I knew I took the following picture today- so I examined it for evidence and found this errant oil cap. (Green stuff is engine wash, not coolant!) Must have broken off part of the radiator or ac condenser when I slammed it. That would explain why the piece of cooking fin is dented. Can’t believe I didn’t see it before.

I guess that narrows the search for damage to the top of the radiator. I was looking at the bottom where I found the piece.

I also imagine the noise on start was that oil container cap flying around the fan shroud and taking a piece of foam with it.

Man this is all sorts of embarrassing! Moral of the story always ensure you are ATAF (all tools accounted for) before you close the hood- even when there are screaming toddlers!

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Dumbass. I've definitely never:

* Dropped an 8mm 1/4 deep well socket behind the engine while trying to change the distributor on my old Grand Cherokee, only to discover it *years* later resting in the u-channel of the front lower control arm.
* Closed the hood of my old Celica on a wrench, causing a nice little 'pimple' in the hood sheet metal.
* Installed new LC belts with a Photoman alternator bracket, only to realize a couple of days later that I left my nice, new SK wrench on the back side (you need a deep well socket from behind to hold a nut with that bracket).
* Drove on the freeway to Harbor Freight and back only to afterwards find that I'd left a pair of Vise-Grips laying on the roof.

No siree, I've never done any of that dumb stuff.

So anyway, what damage was done to the radiator and why did a strip of cooling fins come off?
 
Dumbass. I've definitely never:

* Dropped an 8mm 1/4 deep well socket behind the engine while trying to change the distributor on my old Grand Cherokee, only to discover it *years* later resting in the u-channel of the front lower control arm.
* Closed the hood of my old Celica on a wrench, causing a nice little 'pimple' in the hood sheet metal.
* Installed new LC belts with a Photoman alternator bracket, only to realize a couple of days later that I left my nice, new SK wrench on the back side (you need a deep well socket from behind to hold a nut with that bracket).
* Drove on the freeway to Harbor Freight and back only to afterwards find that I'd left a pair of Vise-Grips laying on the roof.

No siree, I've never done any of that dumb stuff.

So anyway, what damage was done to the radiator and why did a strip of cooling fins come off?
Hahaha, I just feel bad about the time I gave a young airman a gentle but thorough ass chewing after I discovered the *bag* of wrenches she left in the *intake* of the jet I was flying that day.

I’m just left town (in the faithful RAV4) and was sitting at a light when I remembered about the hood not closing and the picture I took. I’ll have to investigate when I get back tomorrow.
 
As a side note pressure washing a 28 year old engine is not a good idea JMHO
 
From my internet perspective it really doesn't matter what caused that strip of cooling fins to dislodge (I'm guessing pressure washer). The real concern is that strip looks corroded as hell.
In addition to it coming loose from the core, the outer folds are literally falling apart. I would take a close look to find out where this strip came from, and think about replacing the radiator, A/C condensor, or transmission cooler as preventive maintenance if the rest of it looks as bad.
 
Culprit: AC Condenser. Got in there with a flashlight and was able to see where the bottom row of cooling fins has come off. AC still working okay. Refrigerant pressure seems strong enough at the filling port.

But yeah, the condenser itself is in pretty s***ty condition- especially given the fact that a hard close of the hood with a bottle cap in the way was able to knock it loose. OEM (P/N 88460-60160) runs about $315 on TPD, and Denso is about half that from various sources.

Other lesson learned- don’t pressure wash the top end of your engine! Mea Culpa! The cooling fins were found before pressure washing, but the rough idle after washing is reason enough. Any FAQ info out there on best ways to keep your engine bay clean for those of us that frequent trails and salty roads?

Thanks to this great community for the support and information. I always say- I doubt you can get this quality of free information over on the 4Runner forums!
 
I use a garden hose on low pressure, wet in down spray a little simple green avoiding anything rubber and hose off then wipe dry with a rag. Some Murphy's oil soap looks good on plastic and rubber parts ;)

It's a 94 just like yours

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Any FAQ info out there on best ways to keep your engine bay clean for those of us that frequent trails and salty roads?
I pressure wash my engine compartment at least a few times per year. Use a wide fan, keep a distance, avoid the distributor, and don't go nuts forcing water into any crevices. I only have an electric pressure washer (claims 1300psi, so probably 900), though, and would be *very* careful if I were using a gas-powered pressure washer. Gunk engine degreaser + parts cleaning brush to get rid of oil build-up, and simple green + a soft bristle brush to agitate dirt.

If you're really worried about running water in your engine compartment, try Optimum No Rinse in a spray bottle. That's what detailers use for just about everything.
 
I just feel bad about the time I gave a young airman a gentle but thorough ass chewing after I discovered the *bag* of wrenches she left in the *intake* of the jet I was flying that day.

Yeah but she didn't have a screaming toddler as an excuse--and, you know, it was a FREAKING JET!!!!

I appreciate the advice on here about how to clean the engine compartment. After having an oil dipstick that blew gallons a few times due to a clogged vent filter, and persistently leaking PS reservoir which is now finally fixed, the entire LH side of my bay is GROSS. I pressure wash (I have a diesel so it's less scary) but I don't like to, and it definitely didn't get all the crap out. I'll check out the Gunk degreaser--so I just spray it on and walk away and when I come back it'll look like Broski's engine bay? :p
 

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