Radiator leak (not the normal one)

[kcjaz]

I have completed most of my "150K mile PM" activities and got the truck running but now still have a very small coolant leak that I think is in the radiator but I can't tell for sure. It is a non-OEM radiator with about 25K miles. I have pressure tested and it help and didn't produce visible drips. Its only after test drives of 10 miles or so that I get very small amounts of coolant dripping. Hard to see in the pick but the drips show up on the bottom (duh) passenger side corner of the rad. The truck is parked pretty level in the pic but about "half a bubble" slope down to the passenger side. I think the leak is on that side. When the truck is sloped the other way, I get coolant along most of the bottom. I can't see anything above it that is wet. The two bolts you see in the pick appear just to be holding the plastic sides on. They don't seal anything. Whatever is leaking has to be above them. Thought?

 

[gaijin]

Maybe your overflow reservoir has a crack/leak? Just a thought.

HTH

 

[bigredmachine]

above them would be the tank seam, rad core, overflow, top tank seam. if you havent changed it yet id start with new rad cap and keep an eye on it. try doing the pressure test both hot and cold and double check that the claps are tight if they have been changed over to screw clamps

 

[Angelo1]

Anyone know of higher quality Radiator aftermarket upgrade options available for the 200?

 

[kcjaz]

thanks guys. No screw clamps. All new PITA OEM spring clamps. Have a whole new set of tools now to deal with these. The overflow tank is good. That's the first thing I checked as it is right above.

If the cap was leaking, and drips were making it to the bottom, shouldn't I be able to see evidence of this up top? To pressure test hot, would I put the tester on cold and just run the engine until hot, then pump it up to the test pressure?

 

[bigredmachine]

If the cap was leaking, and drips were making it to the bottom, shouldn't I be able to see evidence of this up top? To pressure test hot, would I put the tester on cold and just run the engine until hot, then pump it up to the test pressure?

not so much the cap leaking more for the possibility of the cap not releasing pressure correctly, either having too much pressure in the system or opening early and overflowing the overflow tank.

get the engine up to operating temp or close to it, shut the truck off, take the rad cap off then perform the pressure test. no need to run the truck with the tester on

 

[04UZJ100]

thanks guys. No screw clamps. All new PITA OEM spring clamps. Have a whole new set of tools now to deal with these. The overflow tank is good. That's the first thing I checked as it is right above.

If the cap was leaking, and drips were making it to the bottom, shouldn't I be able to see evidence of this up top? To pressure test hot, would I put the tester on cold and just run the engine until hot, then pump it up to the test pressure?

Not to hijack but what tools do you recommend to remove the radiator hose clamps?

 

[bigredmachine]

Not to hijack but what tools do you recommend to remove the radiator hose clamps?

nothing fancy just a pair of slip joint pliers or 90 degree bent needle nose pliers

 

[kcjaz]

Not to hijack but what tools do you recommend to remove the radiator hose clamps?

I bought this: Hose Clamp Plier Set

They lock closed which can make it easier to then manipulate/move the clamp into position. The one with the flexible cable is useful in places where you can't get a pliers in position. Still, sometime a channel lock worked the best if I could get it in there.

 

[kcjaz]

not so much the cap leaking more for the possibility of the cap not releasing pressure correctly, either having too much pressure in the system or opening early and overflowing the overflow tank.

get the engine up to operating temp or close to it, shut the truck off, take the rad cap off then perform the pressure test. no need to run the truck with the tester on

Hmm. Not too excited about taking the cap off with the engine hot. I've been told that it can be done with a towel or something over the cap and with gloves slowly twist the cap and try to slowly bleed pressure but the guy that told me that looked like Freddie Krueger...

 

[bloc]

Hmm. Not too excited about taking the cap off with the engine hot. I've been told that it can be done with a towel or something over the cap and with gloves slowly twist the cap and try to slowly bleed pressure but the guy that told me that looked like Freddie Krueger...

Just go slow. You’ll feel/hear the pressurized water start to flow out, and as you turn further/press less hard it’ll continue, then will stop.
The trick is to not overwhelm the capacity of the overflow tube, which means just going slow.
If you do overwhelm it, the cap won’t go flying off or anything, but the extra fluid will leak out the sides, soaking the rag and maybe your gloves if they aren’t water resistant.

Also, there is a big difference between an at-temp radiator and a truly hot, about to overheat one. Those are the ones you have to worry about.

You did more than enough work successfully to be able to do this.. just do your research and proceed with caution. Then pressure test it.

 

[kcjaz]

Just go slow. You’ll feel/hear the pressurized water start to flow out, and as you turn further/press less hard it’ll continue, then will stop.
The trick is to not overwhelm the capacity of the overflow tube, which means just going slow.
If you do overwhelm it, the cap won’t go flying off or anything, but the extra fluid will leak out the sides, soaking the rag and maybe your gloves if they aren’t water resistant.

Also, there is a big difference between an at-temp radiator and a truly hot, about to overheat one. Those are the ones you have to worry about.

You did more than enough work successfully to be able to do this.. just do your research and proceed with caution. Then pressure test it.

Thanks. I don't see too much of a problem doing that. I assume the value in doing it is that if there is a crack in the rad itself then it may be more leaky at temp than cold. The tester on, it keeping the pressure up and actually higher than normal operating pressure, I may be better able to visualize and hopefully pin point the leak? I would think that the system won't hold the pressure like it did with the engine cold just because the truck will be cooling as I do this but I can keep pumping it up as I try to find the source.

 

[bloc]

because the truck will be cooling as I do this but I can keep pumping it up as I try to find the source.

Exactly. Frankly if it leaks hot it should leak cold but this is the next logical step.

 

[kcjaz]

I couldn’t pin point the leak but it wasn’t any of the connections so it had radiator. I replaced it today with OEM radiator. After I got the old one out it appears to be leaking at the bottom, front passenger corner.

 

[04UZJ100]

I couldn’t pin point the leak but it wasn’t any of the connections so it had radiator. I replaced it today with OEM radiator. After I got the old one out it appears to be leaking at the bottom, front passenger corner.

View attachment 2628240

How was the job? Any advice or insight?

 

[kcjaz]

How was the job? Any advice or insight?

It’s not too bad. It’s the second time I’ve done it and and it gets easier every time...

My tips are these:

1. Removing the bottom mounting bolts are a bit of a pain because they go through holes in the frame and its east to drop the bolts in the frame. I used poster putty in the 12mm socket to hold the bolts in the socket. I tried magnetic inserts bit they didn't really work. My aftermarket bumper made this even harder thought this time I had it removed as I am installing a winch so it was easier.

2. It is possible to remove/install the radiator without removing the fan and shroud but I think it is easier to just pull the fan and shroud which gives more room to work and lessons the chance of dinging up the fins when you put the new one in. Use a large screwdriver placed between one of the 4 nuts and the hub to prevent it from rotating when loosening the nuts.

3. Use locking spring clamp pliers for the hoses. Easier than just pliers or channel locks.

4. When you pull the two AT hoses off of the barbs on the cooler, have bucket ready to collect the ATF so you know how much fluid you hve lost. I zip tied the driver's side hose up into the engninnr

5. Rent a pressure tester if you don't have one to find any leaks,

6. connect a tube to the drain plug outlet and direct it to a clean bucket so you can reused the fluid..

 

[04UZJ100]

It’s not too bad. It’s the second time I’ve done it and and it gets easier every time...

My tips are these:

1. Removing the bottom mounting bolts are a bit of a pain because they go through holes in the frame and its east to drop the bolts in the frame. I used poster putty in the 12mm socket to hold the bolts in the socket. I tried magnetic inserts bit they didn't really work. My aftermarket bumper made this even harder thought this time I had it removed as I am installing a winch so it was easier.

2. It is possible to remove/install the radiator without removing the fan and shroud but I think it is easier to just pull the fan and shroud which gives more room to work and lessons the chance of dinging up the fins when you put the new one in. Use a large screwdriver placed between one of the 4 nuts and the hub to prevent it from rotating when loosening the nuts.

3. Use locking spring clamp pliers for the hoses. Easier than just pliers or channel locks.

4. When you pull the two AT hoses off of the barbs on the cooler, have bucket ready to collect the ATF so you know how much fluid you hve lost. I zip tied the driver's side hose up into the engninnr

5. Rent a pressure tester if you don't have one to find any leaks,

6. connect a tube to the drain plug outlet and direct it to a clean bucket so you can reused the fluid..

Awesome. Thanks so much!

 

[kcjaz]

One more thing related to #4. When you add back the fluid to the AT, the truck needs to be running when you remove the fill plug or you will drain more fluid out the fill whole. I learned that one the hard way. I'm not sure but you probably also should pin the AT T-stat open to as the fluid lost is on the cooler side of the circuit. I only lost about 200 ml of fluid so I probably can "overfill" by that amount as the engine is warming up. You probably don't really need to go through the whole AT fluid level check procedure if you have fairly accurately measured the fluid you lost and can also measure what you add back. I am debating this with myself now. I bet some folks are better at not loosing as much fluid as I did and then just don't worry about it at all. The total fluid capacity is 12.9 L. I'm OCD enough that I will probably do the whole level check thing again. Remember to get new crush washers for the plugs if you remove them.

 

[CharlieS]

I have several hose pinching pliers that I put on those cooler lines and it minimizes fluid loss. I’ve had mine for years, but they are similar to these:

https://www.autozone.com/wrenches-pliers-and-cutters/hose-clamp-pliers/oemtools-hose-pinching-pliers-set-3-piece/13529_0_0