2008-2018 Radiator Failure and Public Service Announcement (8 Viewers)

[ekolpack]

I applied JB Weld in this way with a fiberglass mat and it has been great for 40k miles. Zero evidence crack has expanded and zero leaks. Crossed over 150k miles and starting to put together my list of parts to replace while also replacing radiator. But that will be another post.

Great to hear!

 

[ekolpack]

$400 for a new radiator (or call it $600 with hoses, etc.) is pretty cheap peace of mind.

That said, if I had to make an emergency trip the JB + mat (would fiberglass cloth be as good, or better???) would go on mine in a heartbeat.

Fiberglass or carbon fiber mat should be fine. I just went with fiberglass because I had some laying around. Carbon fiber is probably even stronger, but this is just for shearing/lateral tearing strength, which I don't believe is the weak link the chain in most cases. The weak link is most likely going to be water seeping past the crack, between the adhesion point of the epoxy and the plastic, thus breaking the bond. Still, it certainly doesn't hurt to have some extra strength in the JB Weld structure.

 

[ekolpack]

I like the tips, haven’t read the whole thread but are there any photo examples of what a good job-weld job looks like vs. A crap one?

I'm sure you could research this, but you really can't clean the area enough. Use degreaser (or just dish soap), then isopropyl, then scuff with sandpaper, which not only creates bumps for the epoxy to grab onto, but also exposes fresh virgin plastic. Then, wash any sandpaper residue out with more isopropyl (preferably 99%), then for extra strength apply adhesion promoter, then apply and smear JB Weld, then a fiberglass or carbon fiber soaked mat. Do a couple more coats of fiberglass or carbon fiber soaked in JBL weld, then maybe one more top coat of JB Weld, mainly just to even everything out and make it look a little cleaner.

I don't believe you want huge globs of JB Weld (not sure on this, research yourself). I believe I remember hearing somewhere that large, thick patches of JB Weld are more prone to cracking...again, I could be wrong on this. But even if they aren't, it's really just unecessary. Again, the weak point is likely to be the bond to the plastic. So whether you've got 2mm of epoxy detaching or 2", it's still going to fail. I'd probably shoot for the 1/8"- 1/4" thickness range....use your best judgement. It's not rocket surgery.....again, the main thing is to get a CLEAN surface with good contact and strong adhesion. That's almost certainly going to be your weak point.

 

[Fisher23]

I wonder if JB weld on both sides would be best?

 

[bloc]

I wonder if JB weld on both sides would be best?

Define both sides?

Meaning put some inside the upper tank also? If so I don't think that's practical.

 

[Fisher23]

Yes .. that is what I was wondering. That JB is like goop when mixed, and the place where it cracks is only about 6 or 8 inches from the cap area.
Probably not worth the trouble.

 

[ekolpack]

Yes .. that is what I was wondering. That JB is like goop when mixed, and the place where it cracks is only about 6 or 8 inches from the cap area.
Probably not worth the trouble.

Yeah, and if any chipped off, you don't want that going into your water pump.

 

[lucius]

It looks like from July 2018, which is when my J200 was manufactured the stress risers were removed by rounding the edges. See photo:

 

[bloc]

It looks like from July 2018, which is when my J200 was manufactured the stress risers were removed by rounding the edges. See photo:
View attachment 3564314

Thanks for the data

 

[Fisher23]

I did swap mine out for that version ... hopefully it lasts better.

 

[shelby95]

Matter of time. Just has the oil changed and the attendants noted the pink fluid. I had been monitoring this and hadn’t noticed a crack, but now wondering how long this has been going on and why there wasn’t/isn’t some bell or whistle that goes off. Moreover, what damage may been done?
Can I patch the likely culprit as I wait for the parts to arrive?

 

[shelby95]

Continued. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Cruisin911]

If you didnt overheat then no damage done. Simply replace the radiator, refill with toyota fluid, and go on your merry way. However, depending on your mileage, it may be a good time to do water pump, thermostat, pulley, etc.... I did all of this over a 2 day weekend in my garage. Not terribly difficult and are probably due around 100-120k. I did it with no indication of imminent failure at 105k.

 

[shelby95]

If you didnt overheat then no damage done. Simply replace the radiator, refill with toyota fluid, and go on your merry way. However, depending on your mileage, it may be a good time to do water pump, thermostat, pulley, etc.... I did all of this over a 2 day weekend in my garage. Not terribly difficult and are probably due around 100-120k. I did it with no indication of imminent failure at 105k.

Thanks! I’ve followed this thread since damn near the start and was hoping not to join it. Just wanted a stop gap measure for a few days until I do the proper fix. I’ve already saved the replies and invoice attachments with the “while you’re in there” parts. Appreciate the contributions from the forum members on this topic and countless others.

 

[Kinnada]

Thanks! I’ve followed this thread since damn near the start and was hoping not to join it. Just wanted a stop gap measure for a few days until I do the proper fix. I’ve already saved the replies and invoice attachments with the “while you’re in there” parts. Appreciate the contributions from the forum members on this topic and countless others.

so how many miles did you get to? i'm at 105 and watching too...

 

[shelby95]

107315

 

[finboy]

146k here, checked with no issues currently but planning to jb weld soon

 

[RT Cruiser]

The first owner replaced the original radiator on 10/13/16 175,600 miles. Mileage now is 300,500. I did not see any cracks. But, coolant has been egressing the system more than normal in the past 2 months. I've been monitoring this issue since we bought this 2008 in June 2019, 225,500 miles.

Due to several multi-thousand road trips occurring this year (Plus going to Cruiser on the Rocks in July!), I believed it was time to address the front end now:

• Radiator
• Thermostat
• Lots of coolant-line hoses
• Water pump
• Idler pulley
• Tensioner pulley
• Fan clutch
• Alternator

However, as my mechanic began to pull out parts to swap with new ones today, here is what else we discovered:

• The tensioner pulley had unnecessary play between the pulley and housing.
• The fan clutch pulley had unnecessary play.

Thank you God for not having the tensioner pulley and/or the fan clutch pulley die out when I was driving it.

The error is on me for not ordering the fan clutch pulley housing when I ordered the other items. So now I await till Mon/Tue for this... but I also forgot a few coolant hoses so at least I'll have those. Well, it's not that I forgot but the diagram was not clear enough (the parts people at Corwin said the same thing).

I do appreciate the 25% discount from Corwin Toyota in CO Springs (ask for Melanie or Charles).

My mechanic can testify that it's a lot easier to replace the pulleys, water pump, fan clutch, and alternator with the radiator pulled.

Yes, I did get the re-engineered radiator.

 

[LX Cruiser]

Dang should I replace the alternator, too?

I have the radiator, water pump, idler pulley, tensioner, fluid coupling bracket, thermostat, upper/lower hoses.

I’m at 175k miles. If it’s significantly easier to do when the radiator is out, maybe I should grab an alternator, too…

 

[nwfl4runner]

Dang should I replace the alternator, too?

I have the radiator, water pump, idler pulley, tensioner, fluid coupling bracket, thermostat, upper/lower hoses.

I’m at 175k miles. If it’s significantly easier to do when the radiator is out, maybe I should grab an alternator, too…

100% it makes the job so much easier if radiator is out. If you’re already in there and even remotely concerned I’d do it at the same time.