rad. blew up

[look 171]

Hi all, I am new here. Can you poimt me toward the right direction. My radiator blew today, how hard is it to change it over the weekend. What aftermarket ones are best, or should I go dealer=$$$. What else need to be change? Can't affort to pay the mech anymore. Mortgage is killing me. any suggesting on where to buy this rad. I am in the Pasadena, LA area. Thanks very much.


Jeff

 

[Riley]

Send cruiserdan a Private Message (PM) and get the IH8MUD smart shopper price on an OEM unit.

I've never pulled one but I'm sure it's doable in a weekend.

Here's a link to Dan's contact info

 

[tucker74]

I put a new OEM radiator in my '94 a couple of weeks ago - I did it in a day including PHH, thermostat/gasket, and coolant system flush. Might want to pick up a new set of belts while your at it (I did) - you've got them off anyway. FSM helps ... but it's all pretty strait forward -

Good luck!

Tucker

IIRC there were a couple of threads lately about aftermarket radiators ... might do a search ...

 

[turbocruiser]

Definitely give CruiserDan a call or message, you wont find a better price or better service anywhere that I know of.

Ask about the three row brass rad as it is less expensive than the two row aluminum rad.

Whatever you do, dont make the mistake I made on my 4Runner and get another brand of rad. At that time I compared prices and found that the "lifetime warranty" rad from McParts was about two hundred dollars less than what my local stealership wanted. (That was way before knowing about CruiserDan)

Anyway, I got the off brand rad, put it in, and found out the fawkin thing was slightly taller and slightly wider than the factory rad! The wide part was easy to work around it just required slotting out the brackets that wing off the side of the rad. The tall part was also easy to work around once I gulped and realized the way to 'fix' the fawkin thing was to purposely dent in the support structure of the hood right above the rad cap! It only took one small half dollar sized dent in the support rail to give the thing clearance but these are the sorts of things you always end up doing by dicking around with off-brands from mcparts places.

Ohh, the really good part, ... I used the "lifetime warranty" feature three times over the course of three years til I found a rad that luckily did not leak!!! So here's the question: How do you go about turning an inexpensive rad into a more than stealershiply expensive rad? Answer: Pull it and replace it three times at three hours each and then multiply that by your hourly rate!!! HTH

Let's all sing to snoop's ballad:

Snoop: "Who's the man with the plan?"

Chorus: "CruiserDan!!!"

Snoop: Bowwowwowyippeeyowippeeyaaaa, feed dem dogs every single daaaayyyy!

Bass line kicks in, toes start tappin!!! Watch out now cause TurboCruiser is rappin!!!



Sorry, way too little sleep last night!!!

 

[stayalert]

I'm very happy with the radiators express.com replacement radiator. I only put it in about three years ago.....NOTHING against Cdan, I didn't know of him at the time but the dealer wanted a couple hungee more for a toy rad.
My stock rad didn't blow up but was leaking in a few spots at the tank/core seam

'94FZ80 130Kmiles
Concord, MA

 

[stayalert]

A weekend is more than enough time to swap radiators. I found it to be a pretty straight forward process

 

[erics_bruisers]

i would use oem, and do it yourself over the weekend -- my dad and i did mine this past spring --

-- replace the water pump and fan clutch (or whatever you call it) while you're in there -- plus belts and thermostat, if you're feeling really square --

e

here is my journey on this -- sorry the pics don't post -- that's not my doing -- !!

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=14942&highlight=radiator

e

 

[cruiserman]

Aftermarket rads are metal and fixable with solder generally. OEM rads have plastic tanks and are much more expensive. I replaced my rad with an aftermarket part, and it fit well. The rad is not difficult to replace.

 

[GXO]

FYI, I used radiatorexpress.com as well and they not only got an inexpensive radiator in my city (Atlanta) same day...they also swapped it twice no questions asked when the first had shipping damage and the second had issues.

Mine has been in for about a year and no issues so far. Lifetime no questions asked replacement as well.

 

[look 171]

thanks for the quick reply guys. Cruiser Dan has the best prices? I have seen both good and bad results with the people that just posted onto this thread about the after market stuff. I wonder if it is fixable. My has a crack on top of the tank. Is it a plastic tank. It is a 93. Thanks, Jeff

 

[robbie]

Well it seems like no one has asked how this happened. I see by your post that you have a 93, how many miles do you have on it? Where you drive it and it blew or are you just leaking around the seam. If you blew it, you may want to do a compression check to see if you have a Head gasket problem. If it is just a leak, then a replaced radiator may be just the ticket. Just want to make sure you are headed in the right direction. later robbie

 

[look 171]

Robbie, it has 160k miles on it. It is just leaking around the top. Thinking about an aftermarket rad. I like to get it fix this weekend. Why do you ask about the milage? Now that we are in the subject of milage, I am also using a quart of oil every abiut 1000 miles. Any ideas. It is not dripping, it is going somewhere. Thanks, Jeff

 

[semlin]

1 qt every 1000 miles is the limit of normal according to Toyota. For the rest of us that is bad. A change in oil grade is probably in order and maybe a higher quality oil. Maybe 15w40 dino or switch to 0w40 mobil 1 synthetic. Have you checked your rear main seal area where the tranny meets the motor to see if it may be weeping? You can lose quite a lot of oil there without actually getting a drip on the street.

 

[turbocruiser]

FYI, I used radiatorexpress.com as well and they not only got an inexpensive radiator in my city (Atlanta) same day...they also swapped it twice no questions asked when the first had shipping damage and the second had issues.

Mine has been in for about a year and no issues so far. Lifetime no questions asked replacement as well.

Dan, duuuude, no insult intened at all man, but you are endorsing something that you swapped out twice before you really regularly used it? Maybe I read wrong but it sounds like you R&R'ed your rad twice or maybe even three times to get where you are which is only one year down the road?

Take my stupid formula above, does the time it took to do those swaps multiplied by your hourly rate equal or exceed whatever you saved on an off-brand?

Again, no insult at all, I'm not trying to argue its just that both you and I got an off-brand for a toyota truck and we both swapped the stupid thing twice or three times to get where we are...I came out of that pissed off and determined to tell others to avoid the same mistake, you came out of it endorsing it. Is it the lifetime warranty that makes the difference? I admit pulling the rad is easy enough that if you get a free one every five years or so it aint a bad deal. Is that the difference or am I missing something else like I usually do. Thanks.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

I have installed to many rads in 40s and 60s, the 80 was a no brainer with my discount.

Mostly never use recores or aftermarket, just not worth the effort to pull and replace a second or third time.

Found the same with reman parts also.

I the guy is that cheap I just plain don`t need the headache.

 

[robbie]

Ok a leak not a blown radiator. changing it is in order. Just pick one and put it in. Besides Dan's OEM radiator, check out Performance radiator with the Koyo replacement C 1917 (I beleive this is right, pays to double check). This is also a option and somewhat cheaper if they treat you right. Another source for a quality radiator. First choice for me is the OEM one which Dan's price can not be beat.
Yes read the threads discussing Oil and then make a choice for your oil problem, Could be a bad PCV also. later robbie

 

[G-Cat]

Definitely give CruiserDan a call or message, you wont find a better price or better service anywhere that I know of.

Ask about the three row brass rad as it is less expensive than the two row aluminum rad.

Fact.

Fact.