Radiator BLEW UP!

[Shahram]

So I'm driving down the freeway, it's 90ºF, I've got the A/C on, and suddenly I smell the distinct odor of humidity coming through the vents. Look down at the temp. gauge and...


BOOM!


Grenade goes off under the hood. Coolant flying all over the place, temp. gauge is pinned due north, battery light on.....crap. Pull over, assess damage. This is what I see:

Radiator is in pieces, and the belt is shredded. Bent the hood, so that it sits an inch above the left quarter panel when down. Blew the hood seals right out. Ah crap...and I had just saved up for that suspension lift! We'll see what the damage is in the next day or so...

 

[MoJ]

o lee chit

 

[OGBeno]

Not good.

I would do a thorough cooling system overhaul and check. Thermostat, hoses, coolant, etc. I would replace immediatly...as well as, obviously, the radiator.

Something is amiss with this situation. There were no tell tale signs before hand? NO coolant smell in the cabin earlier in the day, week, etc.?

What was your cooling system like before this event?

Time to feed Dan's dogs.

Best of luck Shahram.
-onur
Oberlin, OH

 

[extremetoy1]

maybe a stuck thermostat??! something CAUSED that and i would find the root of your problem before assesing damages. an aftermarket radiator?

DAMN!! I had a V6 4runner fan explode in east bum f*** arizona and take out the battery, radiater hose, intake boxes, looked like "alien" was coming out of the hood cause of the dents outward. I maged to jerry rig it all back together and make it to MO.!

 

[alaskacruiser]

Shahram- sorry to hear this! What is the history on your rig and cooling system? How many miles? How old is your rad? When's the last time you flushed?

 

[tarbe]

It would seem like the kind of pressure it should take to blow the radiator should have had the cap wide open and spewing into the overflow.

If the rad was seriously weakened, it wouldn't seem like the pressure would get high enough to bend the hood up and blow out the gaskets. Unless the pressure went ballistic real fast...but how's that gonna happen?

Just thinking out loud here...

Hope nothing beyond the obvious is tanked (no pun intended).

 

[Truckasaurus]

Dude,

To quote Homer J. Simpson: "That's the suckiest thing that ever sucked. It sucked."

I'm going with lame rad cap first, as that lil POS should have vented to atmospheric under that kind of pressure. Then, tired old 30% Glass Filled Nylon. Thank you, DuPont. First the defective silicone breast implants, now rad end tanks exploding.

Bastids!

Just sucks for you. Hating that. Think of overhauling as much system as you think you need to do. Hope nothing head gasket-ish went south on ya.

Let us know how it turns...

Fingers crossed, buddy!

 

[Shahram]

Thanks for all the sympathy and support...

I have a '96, 138k miles, original oem radiator (I believe), just had it flushed around three months ago. It appears that the belt that drives the water pump shredded, causing a simple overheat. The steam did not escape out the valve, as I thought it would, nor out of the hoses, but the pressure built up enough to explode. Shrapnel was everywhere. It was awful.

The horror....the horror....

 

[bigbrowndog]

Shahram, Good mate you always do it with great style. Not good to see but it looks like a complete cooling system rebuild as previous posts suggest. Steam expansion , was the radiator cap spring siezed? The cap did not cause it but should have let the excess pressure out. goodluck.

 

[Beowulf]

It appears that the belt that drives the water pump shredded, causing a simple overheat.

There are 2 belts that drive the water pump. Sometimes a failure on one will take out the other.

-B-

 

[IdahoDoug]

I'd agree with the cap issue. Lots of things will cause an overheat, followed by boil with instant pressure up. But the cap should have been letting the pressure off. Is is a Toyota cap? Spring rusted in place?

DougM

 

[landtank]

was this all of a sudden, you didn't notice the temp guage prior to the burst.

 

[Shahram]

There are 2 belts that drive the water pump. Sometimes a failure on one will take out the other.

-B-

Yes, you are correct sir, that is exactly w'happened. I look at it this way...sure, it puts off my suspension lift for a while, but there are some components, damned important ones to boot, that I probably won't have to replace or worry about for a while.

Secondly, I was lucky as hell that it happened on the 5 Fwy. in Glendale instead of some 5+ rated trail in Death Valley at 120ºF, which I often do. Leaving my car at the mechanic's is saddening; leaving it on a trail in the middle of nowhere is gut-wrenching.

I was also lucky that it appears no engine components were harmed in the making of my under-hood Bruckheimer scene.

 

[Shahram]

Is is a Toyota cap? Spring rusted in place?

Yeah, OEM cap, no appearance of rust. Spring worked when I pushed up and down on it. Hell, the force of the explosion could have cleaned ot right off for all I know. I do think it seized, but the movement of flying around the engine bay un-stuck it.

I didn't notice the temp gauge before the burst. I looked at the gauge maybe 5 or so minutes before, and it was smack in the middle.

 

[SR.GRINGO]

no bueño amigo,

So while at the mechanic tell him about the block drain--first time I opened mine up some wierd stuff came out. You may also want to purchase some distilled water for him. Before you chew on your fingers make sure you wash your hands

 

[AATLAS1X]

Cause for nail biting relapse...................I will pray for you.

 

[Grench]

A note to CruiserDan

Yeah, OEM cap, no appearance of rust. Spring worked when I pushed up and down on it. Hell, the force of the explosion could have cleaned ot right off for all I know. I do think it seized, but the movement of flying around the engine bay un-stuck it.

I didn't notice the temp gauge before the burst. I looked at the gauge maybe 5 or so minutes before, and it was smack in the middle.

Dan, stock up on radiator caps. Even if this is a 1:1000 chance, I want to PM it away. I'll need two on my next order.

Oh, and OMFG you have to be Fing kidding! I'd expect the top tank of the radiator to lift off the core under extreme pressure, not blow up in a cataclysmic hood denting belt breaking FBI investigating pants soiling event!

Glad you're OK and had the presence of mind to get safely off the road. *shudders*

Oh, and if you have the opportunity... cut that sucker in half and lets see how it held up over the years. May as well get science out of it.

 

[Tentsontop]

Sad Day. That's crazy how it blew up like that. I had a close call with the radiator in a 52 Carryall the other day. Think I'll knock on wood before I take the old Scout out for a drive tomorrow.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

I know it's bad form, but, I've been driving around since July with a cracked radiator. It's near the top and once some of the excess bleeds out it doesn't leak anymore.

Now I'm thinking I gotta call Cdan before mine grenades too.

That sucks Shahram.

Butch

 

[Riad]

Damn Mah! I am trying to imagine a grenade going off in my engine bay while I'm driving down the interstate... that's just plain scary. I'm glad you're OK