Radiator Questions

[Solace in Solitude]

Hi guys,

I'm reprising this thread to ask... Just how difficult is to change a radiator out?

It seems really straightforward to me... and My local Toyota says it will take them 3 hours... I really don't see why I can't do this in 1.5hrs MAX.

I don't mind paying $360 for three hours of pro labor, when it's something I'm not comfortable with.

Am I missing something?

Absent any engine flush I do, isn't the entire replacement process (with new hoses) as simple as:

Remove old radiator​

• Make sure engine is cold
• Remove radiator cap
• Open petcock and drain coolant
• Remove 6 bolts (3 each side of radiator)
• Unclamp upper and lower hose
• Remove overflow line from radiator
• Lift old radiator out
• Remove old hoses from engine

Install new radiator​

• Assemble the two lower hoses and install on the engine outflow
• Install new top hose on the water pump
• Make sure petcock is closed and Insert new radiator
• Hook up upper and lower hoses
• Hookup overflow line to radiator
• Bolt (6) down the new radiator and old cowling
• Fill with coolant - looks like 19.9 qts of Ethylene-glycol - NO ALCOHOL
• Burp system - including heaters

I also have a rear heater - I just realized I didn't know how to turn it on - looks like the front controls control both heaters.

Am I missing anything? Or any reason why this should take a pro 3 hours, at $120 per hour?

Thanks!

​

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I just realized the end of my previous post was truncated when the 'system burped' earlier...

Please see the above post.

Thanks!

 

[cea1]

You are not missing anything. It shouldn't take even 1.5 hours to change the radiator unless you plan to have a short nap in between the time you take the old one out and put the new one in. I suspect the dealership uses a book rate, that is they look up in a book how much they should be charging you regardless of how long it really takes to get the project done.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Thanks cea1! I just didn't see where there was that much to it.

 

[kruisinkid]

if youre smart you will do a good flush of the system before you pull the old one out. theres another 30 mins approx.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I'm going to - sggoat sent a whole flush procedure from his radiator shop.

I'll play it safe and flush out the new radiator before I install it too.

Thanks!

 

[kruisinkid]

is that private info or can you post it if you get a sec?

 

[Solace in Solitude]

is that private info or can you post it if you get a sec?

I doubt that it's private, but let me query sggoat - it's his procedure.

Thanks!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

kruisinkid - as requested, here's the flush procedure that sggoat got from his radiator shop - fortunately, sggoat did the drawing as well.

These are the ‘cooling system flush’ and ‘reverse flush’ procedures that sggoat’s radiator shop provided – he was nice enough to obtain them for me and has no reservations about me sharing them with anyone who reads this.

sggoat’s radiator guy says, “…very seldom do you see a rad that is totally plugged -- you can usually flush the engine and rad as a whole":

Cooling System Flush​

• Drain ~ 1 gal of coolant out of the system.
• Pull the t-stat.
• Mix ~ 1/2 small box Cascade in a gallon of hot water.
• Add to the system.
• Run the engine up to op temp(with the t-stat out, it may not get there-just run ~20 mins.)
• Let it sit overnite.
• Start back up to get it back to op temp(or 20 mins.)
• Let it cool and drain.
• Refill w/water and run up again.
• cool and drain.
• refill w/ normal coolant.(Note: they sometimes use Industrial Tide-but due to the excess foaming, I would not use it.)

Reverse Flush

The reverse flush is as the pics show below - The flush rig they have is very similar to most rad shop's standard units.(they elected to build their own as it is easier to replace filters, etc.)

You could do the engine alone with this--fill with the cleaner, let it sit, then flush/drain using a regular water hose(with the engine running----similar to flushing an outboard motor of salt water)​

Thanks sggoat!

Enjoy!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I have to admit - doing this myself is much more fun than sitting in the waiting room at Toyota!

Today, I flushed my engine, pulled the radiator, the hoses, the fan cowl, the fan (propeller), the air intake hose and the belts. Then I figured out that the belts CDan sent me don't fit my 40...

My alternator-crank-power steering belt about 1.5' longer than the belt he sent.

My crank-water pump-air pump belt is about 1.5" longer than the belt he sent.

I assume something has been changed on my 40, 'cuz CDan's been doing this too long - I've measured my belts and asked him to send belts that will fit.

I tried several local parts houses and couldn't find any similar belts - so... since I originally ordered these belts as spares and my belts are in great shape , I'll put them back on in the morning and finish installing my new radiator.

I also implemented Don's (handcannon, post #13, above) 'Burp Mod', in brass, as he specified. I went to Home Depot, Lowes and two plumbing supply houses and couldn't find all the pieces in brass. Then I went to Ace Hardware to pickup a new petcock for the bottom of my radiator and found that they had everything I needed for the 'Burp Mod'.

I had to take a title-loan out on my 40 in order to raise enough money to buy brass , but buy it I did and I'm sure this mod is going to make future burps more manageable. Thanks Don!

Here's a picture (oh, the only brass 3/4" Tee i could find is gi-normous!) - see the brass in the heater loop, above the air cleaner.

 

[handcannon]

What you did there looks great!! You'll definitely find burping the system much easier now.

Don

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Already did Don! I got my radiator in, with new hoses and it was almost as though I didn't have to burp it at all!

I have a flush in there right now, so I'll be draining it again in a day or two and it'll be easy to burp!

Thanks Don!