Lx470 radiator woes. Advice? (1 Viewer)

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Sending back a second replacement radiator for the 2001 lx470. Original developed a pinhole leak so I changed it out before our summer vacation. Installed a spectra purchased from Amazon. Looked good before install and I felt confident in quality considering that they are supposedly triple pressure tested.
long story short it failed 3 weeks after install while on vacation. It developed a bad leak where the plastic tank is mated to the aluminum core. Had the old one in the basement still and had to have a friend bring it to me. Re installed the original radiator in a hotel parking lot and made it home despite the slight leak.
Ordered another all aluminum radiator from Amazon that was supposed to be compatible with 100 series/ lx470 from 98-07 but there are no hose barbs for the trans cooler hoses. There are m14x1 threaded male connections where the hose barbs should be. Can’t find the right metric hose barbs or any adapters or fittings to make it work anywhere. Back at square one, and the original radiator is leaking worse now.
Don’t know what to do as I’ve heard all the plastic and aluminum replacements are a crap shoot compared to the original T.Rad radiators. Has anyone else had to replace multiple radiators to get one that’s not faulty?
 
My experiences......For several of my LX/LCs over the last 10 plus years, I have used the TYC brand radiator from Amazon. They are about $175 and I personaly have not had one issue with any of them to date. I have probably bought and installed 5-6 of them for hundys and 80 series LXs. They have all worked out fine for me. The plastic tank doesn't scare me a bit. The OEM plastice tank radiators consistently last 15+ years and bunches of miles. But that is just me.
 
The consensus around here seems to be that the original is the best. If you still have the aluminum radiator, you could have someone cut the metric threads off and tig weld some barbs on for the transmission cooler, but I would lean toward returning it personally.

There's an aluminum radiator by Liland Global on Rock Auto that I considered taking a gamble on. It appears to be an accurately built replacement radiator rather than all of the other ones on the market that have the wrong dimensions, connections, or the reservoir line facing the wrong direction.
 
maybe this link will help.


is OEM not available?
 
maybe this link will help.


is OEM not available?
I read that thread and few others before I purchased the Spectra radiator . Apparently all that can be purchased from Toyota is a denso radiator and people have reported the same kind of issues with these. From my research the Denso radiators that Toyota dealerships sell are the same Chinese or Taiwan made Denso radiators available for much less on Amazon and elsewhere. To my knowledge the originals that were made in Japan and are TRad brand and no longer available to purchase new.
 
The consensus around here seems to be that the original is the best. If you still have the aluminum radiator, you could have someone cut the metric threads off and tig weld some barbs on for the transmission cooler, but I would lean toward returning it personally.

There's an aluminum radiator by Liland Global on Rock Auto that I considered taking a gamble on. It appears to be an accurately built replacement radiator rather than all of the other ones on the market that have the wrong dimensions, connections, or the reservoir line facing the wrong direction.
I looked at the aluminum radiator by Liland Global just now on the Rock Auto website. It appears to have threaded male connections for the trans cooler lines so it would not be a direct install without finding female hose barb adapters that fit correctly. The all aluminum one I just purchased has the same threaded male connections most likely. They are m14*1.0 pitch. I looked locally and online with no luck so I'm returning it.
 
I looked at the aluminum radiator by Liland Global just now on the Rock Auto website. It appears to have threaded male connections for the trans cooler lines so it would not be a direct install without finding female hose barb adapters that fit correctly. The all aluminum one I just purchased has the same threaded male connections most likely. They are m14*1.0 pitch. I looked locally and online with no luck so I'm returning it.

Any halfway decent hose shop should be able to adapt those to barbs. Maybe that's not ideal for you, but it shouldn't scare you off.

I've had really great luck with a company called Pirtek—looks like there's one in Chattanooga.
 
it's all in the shipping. I replaced 3x. They very well could be all tested good until they put it in a box.
If doing it again I'd order two, install one, make sure it doesn't leak and only then return the second to amazon sighting damaged in shipping.
It's an exercise in labor. Save the coolant. Pressure test each time with the rental from orielly or wherever.
If swapped 2 times, add tranny fluid as necessary, you'll know almost immediately if your a little low with pretty abrupt one two shifts with a bit of a delay.
 

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