Is the top of my radiator leaking?

[zhloea]

Agree. This is a very slippery slope toward that $5K baselining cost people throw around.

I replaced my radiator at about 185K miles because it was turning that worn, aged brownish color that indicates the radiator is weakening and might eventually crack. As long as they were in the area, I had them replace the coolant hoses and thermostat plus had them inspect the fan clutch and some of the belt pulleys, which arguably was a good thing since we found metal shavings in the fan clutch and some of the pulleys were intermittently oh so subtly squealing. None of these had failed yet, but I am prepping the car for some cross country camping type trips and I wanted to be confident everything was in working order. If this were purely a daily driver, I probably could have gone months or even years before any of the parts I replaced would have failed. Probably.... and that's where every owner has to make their own decision based on their own comfort level with spending more on preventative maintenance to achieve peace of mind vs milking the 100's reliability for everything they can by only replacing things that are provably bad.

That is what I exactly mean, include all these "preventive" repair, 5k cost is not that hard to reach...particularly if you got a couple of non-OEM parts been installed by PO and really curious if the performance would be different if swap back to OEM like me...

 

[zhloea]

It appears that tanks are stress cracking as well based on your photos. Probably a great idea to change that radiator out ASAP and maybe a fan clutch while you’re in there

Thanks for the Fan clutch suggestion, but I don't quite understand it. Did you mean maybe my fan clutch going bad then the radiator kind of overheat and overpressure for this reason? (my car is not overheat)

 

[hoser]

~And I am not a really good DIYer also, the I did not do the timing belt by myself, the shop charges me 1500, so 5000 is easily...

I'd only recommend a 20+ year old LC to somebody who is either a DIY'er, willing to learn or willing to pay. The same for European cars except substitute 20 years for 10 years.

 

[zhloea]

I'd only recommend a 20+ year old LC to somebody who is either a DIY'er, willing to learn or willing to pay. The same for European cars except substitute 20 years for 10 years.

what I want to say is I am not a good DIYer still, but I am better than before. I am a good learner for sure and also willing to pay money, time and love...
I have a very long story behind the purchase of this LC100. Shortly, I have been lived in a county which this truck only could be owned by a millioner, so it is my dreaming car 17 yrs ago and now I can own it easily with spending a little money, that is kind of a dream come to true.
And another fact is that I accidentally bought two full sizes toolboxes of automotive tools...sounds crazy right, this because I decide to be an Auto technician when I just immigrant to the US, but finally I get into another career which more beneficial and much easier to me...this another long story...
So these tons of tools just sit in my garage for years until I bought this LC100, and I finally could get these tools in use and became to be a hobby car DIYer...

 

[zhloea]

This blooding killer came in today~

 

[Ayune]

This blooding killer came in today~


View attachment 2581055

Nice! Put cardboard over both sides of the fins while installing it, to protect the fins. Pull out the cardboard right before you bolt it to the car and attach the fan shroud. AFTER installing the fan & clutch.

 

[zhloea]

Nice! Put cardboard over both sides of the fins while installing it, to protect the fins. Pull out the cardboard right before you bolt it to the car and attach the fan shroud. AFTER installing the fan & clutch.

here we go~even though Toyota dealer already scratch it a little bit~

 

[zhloea]

Is there any hide bolt hold the radiator? I removed all the bolt on the top of radiator which hold the bracket of the lines and 4 bolts with big rubber grommets. Then the top come to lose but the bottom seems like still hold by something. Any suggestions?

 

[Ayune]

Is there any hide bolt hold the radiator? I removed all the bolt on the top of radiator which hold the bracket of the lines and 4 bolts with big rubber grommets. Then the top come to lose but the bottom seems like still hold by something. Any suggestions?

Remove the large metal washers and separate the top & bottom parts of the bottom rubber grommets. They may be holding down the metal brackets.

 

[zhloea]

I just replaced that baby last night, everything going well except I drop a 12mm nut in the engine bay and could not find it back...and got some drips after adding coolant to the radiator, seems they are the overflow because I add on too much coolant, I wiped them up and did not see any leaking come back so far.

By the way, I finally decide to replace the fan and clutch because Amazon failed to cancel my order, new parts always look fantastic and the old fan got tons of dirt in the center, so I think it is not a bad idea to swap fan out at the same time.

 

[AFei]

@zhloea , I'm just get into the same boat as you, and my radiator broke on the highway. Do you mind sharing which radiator you got and the cost?

 

[zhloea]

@zhloea , I'm just get into the same boat as you, and my radiator broke on the highway. Do you mind sharing which radiator you got and the cost?

Hi, I got an OEM from a local dealer, it comes with a new cap and foam seal.
506 dollars, part number: 16400-50290 for 2004 LC100. it is expensive, I do pay in full with extra tax. You can get one from some other tax-free state dealer with the free ship, you probably could save 30 bucks. The drawback would be you will get more damage/bent fin on the radiator from a longer shipping process, the wrapping from Toyota is not that good also, Good luck!

================== corrected the price and part number 05/15/2021

 

[zhloea]

@zhloea , I'm just get into the same boat as you, and my radiator broke on the highway. Do you mind sharing which radiator you got and the cost?

One more suggestion to you, if you want to change the alternator or power steering rack, do it at the same time, will save you a lot of trouble after totally remove the raidator.

 

[AFei]

Hi, I got an OEM from a local dealer, it comes with a new cap and foam seal.
384 dollars, it is expensive, I do pay in full with extra tax. You can get one from some other tax-free state dealer with the free ship, you probably could save 30 bucks. The drawback would be you will get more damage/bent fin on the radiator from a longer shipping process, the wrapping from Toyota is not that good also, Good luck!

View attachment 2674232

Wow, only $384 for OEM! That's a steal! The dealer in MD quoted me $9xx just for the radiator! I wish I was in your area...

Thanks for sharing...

 

[zhloea]

Wow, only $384 for OEM! That's a steal! The dealer in MD quoted me $9xx just for the radiator! I wish I was in your area...

Thanks for sharing...

online order then pick up from dealer by yourself, this is the key, the discount only applies to online order. Toyota really like Walk-in customer, because those customers pay a lot more. even you call them, you will get a lot higher quote.

 

[AFei]

online order then pick up from dealer by yourself

Do you have the link? Maybe I can try to price match, or at least to barging a little bit...

 

[AFei]

Another question @zhloea , do you have to top off the ATF after replaced the radiator? If so, how much?

I just went through the factory service manual, and didn't see such step.

 

[zhloea]

Another question @zhloea , do you have to top off the ATF after replaced the radiator? If so, how much?

I just went through the factory service manual, and didn't see such step.

use two plastic hose clamps pliers to clamp your trasmission cooler hose firstly when you start, then take off your transmission hoses, then use two spark plug plug those two hoses.
By doing this you will just lose a little bit ATF and avoid refilling ATF. But if you anyhow lost a lot of ATF during the work, I would refill after the work.

 

[AFei]

use two plastic hose clamps pliers to clamp your trasmission cooler hose firstly when you start, then take off your transmission hoses, then use two spark plug plug those two hoses.
By doing this you will just lose a little bit ATF and avoid refilling ATF. But if you anyhow lost a lot of ATF during the work, I would refill after the work.
View attachment 2674323

Good to know. Thx!

 

[zhloea]

Good to know. Thx!

But check your ATF level is essential, I did my radiator just after a transmission flush, then I know I have full of ATF, so losing that little of ATF not a big deal, but if you don't know the current level of your ATF, you should check it, let's say if you lack ATF originally, then that radiator replacement will make it worse even though you only lost a little...