Coolant Question... (1 Viewer)

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dbla

Just tryin' to figure it all out.
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
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Location
Nashville, TN
I bought my '88 FJ62 back in January.... It's been an adventure owning an older vehicle (my first) and I'm trying to get a better sense of what's okay to maintain and what is not...

As the months have gotten warmer I've noticed that the cruiser is leaking some coolant. It's generally after I drive it for 30mins or so, once I get it parked it loses approx 1/2 a cup of green coolant.

Keeping an eye on the temp gauge it gets just slightly passed the first mark then never gets any higher (I figure that's a good sign). Am I good to just keep topping off the coolant until I am ready to replace the radiator or is this a bigger problem I should pay more attention to?

Total newb here so if I'm missing some obvious pieces of information please forgive me...

-a
 
It's worth pointing out that I'm coming from driving new/modern Prius' and what not... so leaking fluids are totally new to me... First time I saw some oil spots under my 62 I freaked out... I'm beginning to learn that this is just something older cars do. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️
 
Radiators are weird in that sometimes they leak and it stays small for days, weeks, months, or years. However, sometimes a small leak quickly turns into a massive leak without much warning, generally at the worst possible time. Your best bet is to replace it.
 
It would be important to know where the leak is coming from.

Keep an eye on things, you don;t want to overheat your truck!

Yeah, that's what I figured. I gotta get under there and see what's going on. I know the radiator is one of the things that needed to be replaced... was just hoping to get a little more life out of it. Garage quoted me around $1k to get a new aluminum one in there...
 
Generally speaking if there is a pending repair, attend to it and while you are “there” address other readily needed parts replacements (aging hoses in your example).
 
was just hoping to get a little more life out of it. Garage quoted me around $1k to get a new aluminum one in there...

Ouch. $1K?

You can do it yourself or find a Cruiser Enthusiast around Nashville to help you install the new radiator. Not a bad job and can be done with basic tools.
 
I would pinpoint the leak. Could be as simple as a hose. My radiator was leaking when I got my '83 and I had it pulled and the radiator shop overhauled it and it has been fine since. This may be the route to take if it is otherwise in good shape. They dont make them like they used to. I am sure you can get a solid recommendation on a new one from here as this is a frequent subject. I would not leave it to a shop to buy the cheapest option....because they will.
 
I would pinpoint the leak. Could be as simple as a hose. My radiator was leaking when I got my '83 and I had it pulled and the radiator shop overhauled it and it has been fine since. This may be the route to take if it is otherwise in good shape. They dont make them like they used to. I am sure you can get a solid recommendation on a new one from here as this is a frequent subject. I would not leave it to a shop to buy the cheapest option....because they will.

That's a great point. I need to find a good Cruiser shop here in Nashville.
 
Amazon product ASIN B00513DJZE
This is what I got for my diesel swap. Radiators are not hard to replace. Just make sure to get all the air out of the system. May take several small trips to bleed the air out of the top of the radiator after the thermostat opens. Once the coolant cools then open the cap and add coolant. Squeeze the hoses burping the air until you can’t add anymore. Remember use distilled water and concentrate coolant or the 50/50 pre-mix coolant.
 
The problem with a leak somewhere in the cooling system is that it depressurizes the system which can make it more prone to boiling in spots which can (but not necessarily will) encourage overheating.

Once the coolant starts making bubbles from hot spot boiling in the head due to an unpressurized system, the bubbles get sucked into the spinning water pump via the bypass circuit and get whipped into a froth of millions of teensy weensy bubbles that then circulate throughout the system, decreasing the cooling ability of the coolant. It can become a bit of a death spiral as the coolant becomes less efficient (because of the bubbles) so the engine gets hotter, which creates more bubbles, which get whipped into a froth at the water pump- to get shot back into the engine ---etc

So the moral of the story is: Fix the leak and replace the radiator cap.
 
The problem with a leak somewhere in the cooling system is that it depressurizes the system which can make it more prone to boiling in spots which can (but not necessarily will) encourage overheating.

Once the coolant starts making bubbles from hot spot boiling in the head due to an unpressurized system, the bubbles get sucked into the spinning water pump via the bypass circuit and get whipped into a froth of millions of teensy weensy bubbles that then circulate throughout the system, decreasing the cooling ability of the coolant. It can become a bit of a death spiral as the coolant becomes less efficient (because of the bubbles) so the engine gets hotter, which creates more bubbles, which get whipped into a froth at the water pump- to get shot back into the engine ---etc

So the moral of the story is: Fix the leak and replace the radiator cap.

Gotcha, I think my plan of attack is to see if I can find someone to help me turn some wrenches over a weekend. Looks like $1k+ for a radiator swap is mostly shop time... and from what I'm reading (based on zero experience) it's not that tough of a job...
 
Radiator swap is not a hard job at all and there's plenty of guidance on here to get you through it and, once completed, it will be a total confidence booster for you to take on other jobs if needed down the road. As a few others have said, I think you really want to pinpoint the source of the leak first however...it could be as simple as an old hose (there are many) or even a hose clamp that needs tightening.

If the radiator is the source of the leak, it may not necessarily need replacing. In my case, there was a small leak at the top seam so I took it to an old school radiator shop here in LA and he was able to resolder the seam, flow tested it and it's working good as new. I wanted to keep the radiator for originality purposes because all that's available now is aftermarket but there are a few options that the forum here seems to like.

Whether you fix or replace the radiator, make sure you replace all the hoses you can (with OEM Toyota) while you're in there. The hoses aren't expensive.

Also, if you haven't done it yet, do a search on here for Factory Service Manual (FSM) and you'd be amazed at how much step-by-step detail there is for doing most repairs. In my opinion, one of the best things about Land Cruisers and specifically this forum is the level of support available as well as really good write-ups by people who have been through the same thing. If you have the luxury of taking your truck down for a few days, you could totally do it.
 
While you are in there:

And don't forget new hoses. Buy and install once, cry once.
 
How can a radiator replacement cost $1000? I replaced most of my cooling system myself with all new OEM parts for less than $700 and my time. That includes front crank seal, timing cover gasket, and dip and repair of my original OEM radiator. Radiator dip was like $65. Mine is an FJ60, not 62. Something special with the FJ62 radiator? I'd find a new shop.
 
I may be down in Nashville in the coming month. If schedules aligned, I'd be happy to swing by and help. I haven't had to do mine, but I've got FSMs and replaced the one in my 84 Tercel Wagon, so I'm sure between the two of us we could get it squared away. Message me if you're interested.
 
Something special with the FJ62 radiator? I'd find a new shop.
Originally the 60 and 62 radiators were different. Since the 62 came with a slushbox, it had ports to cool the ATF that the 60 lacked. However, most aftermarket radiators nowadays have the ports even its its spec'd for a 60. CSF amongst other. I'm running a 62 style CSF radiator on my 60 and it fits just fine. I suppose if I had 37" tires I could run the power steering through the rad using those ports as additional cooling but its pretty much unused in most 60 builds.

$.02

Glenn in Marana
 
Anyone have a resource for ordering the correct radiator for an '88 FJ62? Last thing I need is struggling to install the WRONG one.
 

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