Need Radiator (1 Viewer)

[Obather]

hello all. My baby over-heated and now im
Looking at replacing a head gasket, pressurized testing, etc $2k! I’m thinking I should replace the radiator while all this gasket and seal work are being done.
For my radiator choice, should I just go
OEM or are there after market solutions that will last/perform as long. I really appreciate your responses! It’s been super helpful!

 

[jfz80]

Well everyone has an opinion but mine is OEM is still available and lasted the first 20 yrs so why not. May save a Benjamin or so to go with koyo. Lots of threads and info here on the subject. Or drop over a grand on a Ron Davis but I see it as a waste unless you have big power plans and or live in a hot climate. Brooklyn, not so much.

 

[Kernal]

Been discussed a lot, try a search for Radiator replacment, New Radiator,
CSF, TYC, OEM Radiator. Be careful, there's a lot of junk out there.

Long story short: OEM fits right, looks right, works right, but costs almost double compared to the made in Chyna kerapp. Some individuals in the Southwest prefer the TYC radiator as it tends to cool a bit better than the others in desert heat conditions, but for the Northeast either radiator will work.

There's a bunch of other things that should be taken care of during
a head gasket replacement; does the mechanic you're using know this model/engine well, done it before??

Here's one discussion (there's been many):

Good aftermarket radiator for 97 LX450?

Let me go ahead and start this off by saying that I clearly know the OEM is superior.....that being said it is not an option for me right now. I literally just got it back this week with a fresh paint job and body work, so I'm flat broke. I smelled the the sweet smell and opened the hood to...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[baldilocks]

If paying for a HG job doesn’t make you nauseous then paying the extra for a Toyota (TRad) radiator shouldn’t either. I agree with with the above posts recommending oem. Cut rate parts are just that and for those times when the money just isn’t there. Planning to sell sometime in the not so distant future? Then cheap might be the way to go.

Last year I bought my radiator from McGeorge Toyota on-line parts for $345 and with shipping it was considerably cheaper than my local dealers price.

 

[Obather]

If paying for a HG job doesn’t make you nauseous then paying the extra for a Toyota (TRad) radiator shouldn’t either. I agree with with the above posts recommending oem. Cut rate parts are just that and for those times when the money just isn’t there. Planning to sell sometime in the not so distant future? Then cheap might be the way to go.

Last year I bought my radiator from McGeorge Toyota on-line parts for $345 and with shipping it was considerably cheaper than my local dealers price.

Haha yeah...so turns out more than one gasket was busted. The head of engine is off and was sent to third party to be cleaned thoroughly. All seals being replaced. New radiator, new fan clutch. This was a major disappointment as I bought this car from
Family friend who’s also a mechanic. $3000.00 repair bill but I did buy the car for $5000.00

 

[rolliges]

May as well do a few more things while it's open.

 

[Pascoscout]

My cruiser had a CSF radiator in it when I bought it. Worked fine and fit like it should. I ran it 5 years that way and who knows how long it had been in there, certainly did not look new when I bought it. I damaged it replacing the front crankshaft seal so I bought OEM thinking it would be better. I actually wish I would have gone with the CSF again as it was all metal vs the OEM which has plastic tanks. I usually go with OEM parts but I've seen a lot of failures on radiators with plastic tanks.

 

[baldilocks]

My cruiser had a CSF radiator in it when I bought it. Worked fine and fit like it should. I ran it 5 years that way and who knows how long it had been in there, certainly did not look new when I bought it. I damaged it replacing the front crankshaft seal so I bought OEM thinking it would be better. I actually wish I would have gone with the CSF again as it was all metal vs the OEM which has plastic tanks. I usually go with OEM parts but I've seen a lot of failures on radiators with plastic tanks.

I ran the CSF for a couple years. My engine ran 10 - to whatever degrees hotter than with the Toyota radiator I installed last year. The hotter ambient temps were, the more hotter the engine ran, if that makes sense. It just couldn’t keep up. This fact has been documented and beaten to death in other threads. Now I have to l be pushing it hard up hill on a hot day to see 195 whereas 210-220 was easily reached with the csf. I like the all metal design too but the numbers speak volumes.

 

[Pascoscout]

I ran the CSF for a couple years. My engine ran 10 - to whatever degrees hotter than with the Toyota radiator I installed last year. The hotter ambient temps were, the more hotter the engine ran, if that makes sense. It just couldn’t keep up. This fact has been documented and beaten to death in other threads. Now I have to l be pushing it hard up hill on a hot day to see 195 whereas 210-220 was easily reached with the csf. I like the all metal design too but the numbers speak volumes.

I agree, I noticed my cruiser runs colder with the OEM. Where I live it's rarely an issue though. I'm sure the OEM will be fine, Toyota tends to have higher quality than most manufacturers, but being as I have replaced several plastic tank units in my lifetime due to failed joints it bothers me a little.

 

[baldilocks]

I agree, I noticed my cruiser runs colder with the OEM. Where I live it's rarely an issue though. I'm sure the OEM will be fine, Toyota tends to have higher quality than most manufacturers, but being as I have replaced several plastic tank units in my lifetime due to failed joints it bothers me a little.

My thought in the subject is similar except I’ve never had a plastic unit leak. My 2005 Dodge Cummins has the original radiator built in 2004 plus 159k miles. The Toyota fsm has instructions for replacing the tank seal rings. This can be done with a pair of pliers.

 

[clx16]

Some of us have been lucky with CSF, but if I just spent a bunch of money on a upper end rebuild (and I definitely would if the head gasket went) then I would just get an aluminum radiator. There are some non-plastic ones out there and shops can make you one. But the plastic tanks are really not that big of a risk. The goal is to let the t-stat do all the temp decisioning not have something else not able to keep up. I would say from my non-educated "observations" of posts on here you have a 50/50 chance of a CSF being fine. Not really worth risking it. Mine has been good to me, and yet someday I will replace it just to see if i can shave 5 degrees off.

Are you going to clean up that oil cooler too on the block while you are in there and put in new valve seals in the head?

 

[IdahoDoug]

If anybody wants to take a crack at the tank seal ring replacement, I have a set of Toyota seals I'd send cheap. I thought I'd do this and even pulled a nice candidate from the u pull intending to replace it. Never got around to it and when I needed a radiator finally at 241,000 on the original I just bought a new radiator.

 

[Obather]

Hello all! After all said and done the engine block came off, valves machine cleaned, new radiator, fan clutch, drive belts, water pump, and tune up...over $4k in work done and the car sounds amazing. Thanks for all your input.

 

[Kernal]

Did they install a Toyota radiator?

 

[Obather]

Did they install a Toyota radiator?

Yup! OEM

 

[ToothDr]

Yup! OEM

odd. Belts are not OEM. Some toyota part numbers and some non Toyota part numbers.

 

[ppc]

Kernal said:
Did they install a Toyota radiator?

Yup! OEM


From your receipt the radiator does not list an OEM part number. I also believe that OEM radiators come with the radiator cap included.