Radiator Hardware Identification & A Rear Door Oddity

[Blackford Oakes]

Shopping around for another Cruiser to add to the stable.

I came across this ‘13 and was checking for all the things we like to check for: valley plate leak, evidence of KDSS fiddling, properly services cabin air filter components…

I inspect the radiator searching for an emerging crack and notice that it’s brand new. Sales guy says they replaced it (I’m at a non-Toyota dealership). I poke around a bit more and find a piece of hardware floating around on the left side of the radiator near the bottom bracket. It appears to be a bolt shipper/guide with a gasket. See pics.

I look around the truck a bit further. Everything mechanical checks out other than the radiator mystery. I know this truck was in a minor accident involving the rear passenger quadrant. I noticed some overspray here and there which didn’t scare me too much if we’re just talking about a bumper cover replacement. I get around the the rear passenger door and notice that the top left corner doesn’t close enough to engage an adequate seal (see pictures).

Sort of interesting on all accounts and I’m humbly soliciting your thoughts on these issues. If I need to reinstall the radiator in my garage, that’s fine, but this rear door has me spooked.

Thanks, boys.

 

[Blackford Oakes]

How the rear passenger seal should look…

 

[kcjaz]

I dont think the new radiator is OEM. The OEM ones have writing on the raised up part. Not a huge deal but my non OEM radiator only lasted 25k.

If I recall correctly, there are rubber bushings at the 4 bolt locations with metal and rubber washers. That may be what the mystery part is.

 

[Sandroad]

It looks to be a non Toyota radiator of the old style.

I think it was more than a bumper cover replacement type hit to spring the door or frame like that.

 

[Blackford Oakes]

It looks to be a non Toyota radiator of the old style.

I think it was more than a bumper cover replacement type hit to spring the door or frame like that.

Could have been a decent hit. Carfax says minor, but who knows. For what it’s worth, all glass on the vehicle is OEM with matching, etched VIN.

 

[bloc]

The loose hardware is a spacer for one of the four radiator mounting bolts. By the looks of the color and condition, it's from the new part not the original. There should be two bolts on each side of the radiator holding it to the core support, if you look down from the top along the side of the core they are visible. The bolt heads are accessed from the front, the back has a metal washer with a square nut welded to the back of it that the bolt threads into. The metal spacer you found is inserted from the front and gives the bolt something solid to tighten against, while still allowing the rubber grommet in the bracket to isolate vibration. With the spacer missing the bolt is tightened against the rubber grommet squeezing it much more than intended, and not allowing the correct torque value. It'll eat up the grommet, or the bolt will loosen up.. or other problems.

Bent window frame could also be from a ham-fisted pop-a-lock attempt. Our window frames are very, very rigid, but can be bent if you go nuts.

For me there are too many indicators of poor worksmanship on this truck, plus a healthy number of unknowns. I'd pass.

Edit: my details on the direction the above spacer is inserted are based on how the stock rad is put together. Maybe not a good assumption. I am sure that's the place it comes from though, and it laying out is not a good sign.