Radiator replacement options (ADVICE NEEDED)

[alia176]

I have a turbo so a RD radiator was a no brainer for me. Let me put things into perspective as to how effective this radiator is at pulling out the heat.....you know that ball cooling vent we got below the steering column? My a/c is so cold, I had to close that vent off.

 

[Marco Lau]

I have a turbo so a RD radiator was a no brainer for me. Let me put things into perspective as to how effective this radiator is at pulling out the heat.....you know that ball cooling vent we got below the steering column? My a/c is so cold, I had to close that vent off.

Is your turbo water cooled? Otherwise, i doubt it would have any effect on your cooling honestly..

 

[Broski]

I have a turbo so a RD radiator was a no brainer for me. Let me put things into perspective as to how effective this radiator is at pulling out the heat.....you know that ball cooling vent we got below the steering column? My a/c is so cold, I had to close that vent off.

@baldilocks

 

[baldilocks]

Yesterday I came across a thread where the poster was showing cracks that had developed in a RD radiator with 100k miles on it. A bit of a turn off considering the cost of a RD unit. But before I saw that thread I ordered a new OEM radiator for my currently happening turbo charged build with rebuilt 1fz and A343. The radiator in my previous 80, which I flopped and ended up parting out/scrapping out, was also OEM purchased in 2019 and ran approx 3.5 years. Was planning to reuse it but decided a new engine deserves a new radiator. I don’t have the variety of experience with radiators as some of you do but I can tell you that going from a CSF 2517 copper core brass tank radiator to the OEM AL made a considerable difference in my coolant temps especially during summer.

After hearing about @Marco Lau ‘s experience where his fan ate the thicker RD radiator I was gun shy about spending the greenbacks on a RD. I’m not sure that there is another all AL radiator other than RD that isn’t manufactured outside of China so there’s that.

I have no doubts about an OEM AL radiators ability to keep my turbo charged engine temp within normal perameters. Copper absorbs heat more quickly than AL but AL releases heat more quickly than copper. And remember that all that solder used to build a copper core is a pore conductor of heat. 100% of an AL core is transferring heat. It’s probably true that auto manufacturers switched to AL because it’s lighter and in some cases cheaper especially with plastic tanks but with the track record that the original radiators have for reliability and longevity I see no reason why not to run one. Perhaps Toyota went with a thinner AL core on the premis of being able to pull more air volume through it in a given amount of time?

The plastic tanks can be removed with a pliers type tool and the gasket can be replaced. However, an OEM rad that’s ten years old and has leaking gaskets like the one previously posted may not be a good candidate for gasket replacement. Ten years is a pretty good run, I agree that 20 would be better.

Some members here who live in the USA’s hottest area have boasted about the Chinese made TYC for cooling better than OEM but no one ever does a long term review of these products from overseas. They say it doesn’t matter if they have to replace the radiator more often because they are so cheap. Ok…..

The vendor from whom I purchased my turbo kit ran the same kit on his own high mileage 80 with stock radiator for 18 months or so as his test mule. He reports coolant temps that were always under control. That’s good enough for me.

But will I run red, pink, yellow, or green coolant???? The decisions are many!

 

[Broski]

Yesterday I came across a thread where the poster was showing cracks that had developed in a RD radiator with 100k miles on it. A bit of a turn off considering the cost of a RD unit. But before I saw that thread I ordered a new OEM radiator for my currently happening turbo charged build with rebuilt 1fz and A343. The radiator in my previous 80, which I flopped and ended up parting out/scrapping out, was also OEM purchased in 2019 and ran approx 3.5 years. Was planning to reuse it but decided a new engine deserves a new radiator. I don’t have the variety of experience with radiators as some of you do but I can tell you that going from a CSF 2517 copper core brass tank radiator to the OEM AL made a considerable difference in my coolant temps especially during summer.

After hearing about @Marco Lau ‘s experience where his fan ate the thicker RD radiator I was gun shy about spending the greenbacks on a RD. I’m not sure that there is another all AL radiator other than RD that isn’t manufactured outside of China so there’s that.

I have no doubts about an OEM AL radiators ability to keep my turbo charged engine temp within normal perameters. Copper absorbs heat more quickly than AL but AL releases heat more quickly than copper. And remember that all that solder used to build a copper core is a pore conductor of heat. 100% of an AL core is transferring heat. It’s probably true that auto manufacturers switched to AL because it’s lighter and in some cases cheaper especially with plastic tanks but with the track record that the original radiators have for reliability and longevity I see no reason why not to run one. Perhaps Toyota went with a thinner AL core on the premis of being able to pull more air volume through it in a given amount of time?

The plastic tanks can be removed with a pliers type tool and the gasket can be replaced. However, an OEM rad that’s ten years old and has leaking gaskets like the one previously posted may not be a good candidate for gasket replacement. Ten years is a pretty good run, I agree that 20 would be better.

Some members here who live in the USA’s hottest area have boasted about the Chinese made TYC for cooling better than OEM but no one ever does a long term review of these products from overseas. They say it doesn’t matter if they have to replace the radiator more often because they are so cheap. Ok…..

The vendor from whom I purchased my turbo kit ran the same kit on his own high mileage 80 with stock radiator for 18 months or so as his test mule. He reports coolant temps that were always under control. That’s good enough for me.

But will I run red, pink, yellow, or green coolant???? The decisions are many!

@Marco Lau has a 3FE who knows is the clearance from the fan to the radiator is the same as a 1FZFE ?

I run a TYC and it 10 years old and still doing it's job Happy with it !

 

[efjayatee]

Yesterday I came across a thread where the poster was showing cracks that had developed in a RD radiator with 100k miles on it. A bit of a turn off considering the cost of a RD unit. But before I saw that thread I ordered a new OEM radiator for my currently happening turbo charged build with rebuilt 1fz and A343. The radiator in my previous 80, which I flopped and ended up parting out/scrapping out, was also OEM purchased in 2019 and ran approx 3.5 years. Was planning to reuse it but decided a new engine deserves a new radiator. I don’t have the variety of experience with radiators as some of you do but I can tell you that going from a CSF 2517 copper core brass tank radiator to the OEM AL made a considerable difference in my coolant temps especially during summer.

After hearing about @Marco Lau ‘s experience where his fan ate the thicker RD radiator I was gun shy about spending the greenbacks on a RD. I’m not sure that there is another all AL radiator other than RD that isn’t manufactured outside of China so there’s that.

I have no doubts about an OEM AL radiators ability to keep my turbo charged engine temp within normal perameters. Copper absorbs heat more quickly than AL but AL releases heat more quickly than copper. And remember that all that solder used to build a copper core is a pore conductor of heat. 100% of an AL core is transferring heat. It’s probably true that auto manufacturers switched to AL because it’s lighter and in some cases cheaper especially with plastic tanks but with the track record that the original radiators have for reliability and longevity I see no reason why not to run one. Perhaps Toyota went with a thinner AL core on the premis of being able to pull more air volume through it in a given amount of time?

The plastic tanks can be removed with a pliers type tool and the gasket can be replaced. However, an OEM rad that’s ten years old and has leaking gaskets like the one previously posted may not be a good candidate for gasket replacement. Ten years is a pretty good run, I agree that 20 would be better.

Some members here who live in the USA’s hottest area have boasted about the Chinese made TYC for cooling better than OEM but no one ever does a long term review of these products from overseas. They say it doesn’t matter if they have to replace the radiator more often because they are so cheap. Ok…..

The vendor from whom I purchased my turbo kit ran the same kit on his own high mileage 80 with stock radiator for 18 months or so as his test mule. He reports coolant temps that were always under control. That’s good enough for me.

But will I run red, pink, yellow, or green coolant???? The decisions are many!

A front mounted intercooler will also help with your turbo setup- Once they are back in stock, from your "vendor".
I will let you guys know how it performs !

 

[Marco Lau]

@Marco Lau has a 3FE who knows is the clearance from the fan to the radiator is the same as a 1FZFE ?

I run a TYC and it 10 years old and still doing it's job Happy with it !

Measure the aftermarket radiator thickness and your factory OEM unit and the difference in thickness is the delta here, simple as that, and regardless if its a 1FZFE or 3FE.

 

[alia176]

Is your turbo water cooled? Otherwise, i doubt it would have any effect on your cooling honestly..

sorry for the delay, but no, my turbo isn't water cooled. But, yes, this $$$ RD radiator dropped the coolant temp from 215+ (w/o a/c running) going up to my house from work, to 200 or under consistently. Did you think for a second I had $1600 burning a hole in my pocket if I wasn't worried about the temp issue? Additionally, the Koyo radiator that I had in there was less than three years old at that time, and worked great up until the turbo went in. The factory coolant system wasn't capable of handling the additional BTUs that the turbo introduced. The underhood temps after the turbo is also stupid hot, to be expected of course. Hood louvers help somewhat but only when not moving, or idling at a stop light. The fenders are too hot for prolong touching after parking.

Now, I just drive her like I stole her. Coolant temps ain't no big thing. There maybe a spike on hard and fast climbs but it comes down quickly and settles at 190-195 deg, for the most part. I routinely see 185 deg on a cooler temp day now.

 

[efjayatee]

Im planning to add a puller fan under the "hood scoop" with a nanual switch to combat that engine heat soak during idle/traffic

 

[baldilocks]

sorry for the delay, but no, my turbo isn't water cooled. But, yes, this $$$ RD radiator dropped the coolant temp from 215+ (w/o a/c running) going up to my house from work, to 200 or under consistently. Did you think for a second I had $1600 burning a hole in my pocket if I wasn't worried about the temp issue? Additionally, the Koyo radiator that I had in there was less than three years old at that time, and worked great up until the turbo went in. The factory coolant system wasn't capable of handling the additional BTUs that the turbo introduced. The underhood temps after the turbo is also stupid hot, to be expected of course. Hood louvers help somewhat but only when not moving, or idling at a stop light. The fenders are too hot for prolong touching after parking.

Now, I just drive her like I stole her. Coolant temps ain't no big thing. There maybe a spike on hard and fast climbs but it comes down quickly and settles at 190-195 deg, for the most part. I routinely see 185 deg on a cooler temp day now.

How much boost are you running? Is the J-pipe ceramic coated? Is the down pipe insulated? The TRD super charger made 5psi and a couple here I know of run a smaller drive pulley to make 7psi and they don’t complain of coolant temp issues. The turbo set up I’m installing is basic and will make 7psi. This subject hast my interest……

 

[alia176]

How much boost are you running? Is the J-pipe ceramic coated? Is the down pipe insulated? The TRD super charger made 5psi and a couple here I know of run a smaller drive pulley to make 7psi and they don’t complain of coolant temp issues. The turbo set up I’m installing is basic and will make 7psi. This subject hast my interest……

i think i'm a hair less than 9 psi, and no ceramic coated anything. The downpipe from the turbo has a blanket, and the hot side has a blanket also. 7psi is plenty for negating the elevation hp loss and extra head room, and you'll freaking love it.

Coating things may reduce underhood temps, but we're talking about coolant temps, hence the radiator conversation. I live in the SW so our summers maybe hotter than some parts of the country. Turning the a/c off does help with the heat load from the condenser, but not enough with my previous radiator. I live at 7k, work in 5k and routinely play in 8-10k, so that may contribute to the engine BTU as well.

I feel like we're derailing the OP's intent since he isn't FI..yet!!!

Anyway, the turbo threads beat this topic to death I'm sure.

 

[alia176]

Im planning to add a puller fan under the "hood scoop" with a nanual switch to combat that engine heat soak during idle/traffic

definitely won't hurt. I did a simple test, and drove with the hood removed for weeks. Not only did I get to watch my engine bounce around (yes, with new motor mounts) but even the coolant temps were decent. Mind you, I only did this in the beginning, but a year or two later I got sick of watching the coolant temps like a hawk. After the RD radiator got installed, no more worries. Heck, I don't even have a boost gauge after solving the backpressure restriction and all that cool research I did into the exhaust. I simply drive like a normal vehicle while showing her zero mercy.

 

[Broski]

Measure the aftermarket radiator thickness and your factory OEM unit and the difference in thickness is the delta here, simple as that, and regardless if its a 1FZFE or 3FE.

I don’t have RD radiator measure.
The only reason I bought up the 3FE is because Steve mentioned your fan hitting the RD radiator.
Did you happen to compare the OEM to the RD ?
I sure the OEM radiators are the same 3FE or 1FZFE what I’m not sure of if the space Is the same fan to radiator.

 

[Marco Lau]

I don’t have RD radiator measure.
The only reason I bought up the 3FE is because Steve mentioned your fan hitting the RD radiator.
Did you happen to compare the OEM to the RD ?
I sure the OEM radiators are the same 3FE or 1FZFE what I’m not sure of if the space Is the same fan to radiator.

I had not only 1 but 2 radiators destroyed. 1st one was my RDs, the 2nd one was my Lilland 2 row alum. Both radiators were about 1"thicker than factory. You can tell by looking at how much the fan was exposed from the fan shroud. I compared pictures taken from both configurations over time and you can tell most of the fan blades were hidden inside the factory shroud leaving only the end of the fan blades exposed with the aftermarket radiator vs with the OEM unit, there are a lot more fan blades exposed implying that my fan is 1" closer to the back of the radiator with most aftermarket unit. When it happened the 2nd time, i have had both motor mounts replaced along with a brand new transmission mount just over a month ago prior to my trip eliminating the broken motor mount theory.
FWIW, this is a non issue now that i have converted to electric fans

 

[Broski]

I had not only 1 but 2 radiators destroyed. 1st one was my RDs, the 2nd one was my Lilland 2 row alum. Both radiators were about 1"thicker than factory. You can tell by looking at how much the fan was exposed from the fan shroud. I compared pictures taken from both configurations over time and you can tell most of the fan blades were hidden inside the factory shroud leaving only the end of the fan blades exposed with the aftermarket radiator vs with the OEM unit, there are a lot more fan blades exposed implying that my fan is 1" closer to the back of the radiator with most aftermarket unit. When it happened the 2nd time, i have had both motor mounts replaced along with a brand new transmission mount just over a month ago prior to my trip eliminating the broken motor mount theory.
FWIW, this is a non issue now that i have converted to electric fans

Excellent intell thank you.

 

[bicycleagent003]

@Marco Lau has a 3FE who knows is the clearance from the fan to the radiator is the same as a 1FZFE ?

I run a TYC and it 10 years old and still doing it's job Happy with it !

My TYC is 9 years old and is holding up great. No complaints. When Tools used to post on here (RIP, Tools) I believe he posted that in the heat of AZ the TYC radiators do a better job cooling than the Koyo. That's old information at this point, and production techinques, QC, etc., can change over time. But my TYC is doing great.
I will add that I paid a local mom and pop radiator shop $25 to pressure test my TYC radiator for me when it was fresh out of the box. I didn't want to go to all the trouble of installing it only to find out it had a pinhole leak. Money well spent, IMHO, and they did not find any leaks.

 

[bicycleagent003]

Couple more thoughts
Amazon lists a Denso radiator for my 1996. I didn't realize that was an option. It's $230 as of now:

Amazon.com: Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362 : Automotive

Buy Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362: Radiators - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

While you're in there, closely inspect your radiator fan. I replaced mine a couple years ago with a new Denso unit for about $40. They are plastic, and plastic fatigues. I have read some posts here on Mud about rad fans failing, and taking out the belts and the rad in the process. I went ahead and replaced mine, though I didn't see any cracks or damage. YMMV.

 

[Marco Lau]

Couple more thoughts
Amazon lists a Denso radiator for my 1996. I didn't realize that was an option. It's $230 as of now:

Amazon.com: Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362 : Automotive

Buy Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362: Radiators - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

While you're in there, closely inspect your radiator fan. I replaced mine a couple years ago with a new Denso unit for about $40. They are plastic, and plastic fatigues. I have read some posts here on Mud about rad fans failing, and taking out the belts and the rad in the process. I went ahead and replaced mine, though I didn't see any cracks or damage. YMMV.

Also to add to the above, I have seen lots of cracked fan shroud towards the 12 o'clock position and many people. include myself. have been reluctant to replace the shroud with new and many attempt to repair with glue or duct tape as temporary measures. IMO, don't do it. i have had a piece of broken shroud destroyed my fan blade and took out my radiator, and yes, that happen.....on the trail. I am also not surprised that if you put thicker oil inside your fan clutch like most ppl do on here, the increased in thickness in oil will tend to deform the tip of the fan blades as they rotate during higher RPMS and that might result in making contact with the back of your radiator as well given the condition also described in my previous post. Something to think about as well......
In other words,
THICKER OIL 10k or more inside fan clutch + aftermarket alum. radiator with thicker core + worn motor mounts = broken fan/radiator on the trail.

 

[efjayatee]

Couple more thoughts
Amazon lists a Denso radiator for my 1996. I didn't realize that was an option. It's $230 as of now:

Amazon.com: Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362 : Automotive

Buy Denso Radiator, New OE Quality - 221-9362: Radiators - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

While you're in there, closely inspect your radiator fan. I replaced mine a couple years ago with a new Denso unit for about $40. They are plastic, and plastic fatigues. I have read some posts here on Mud about rad fans failing, and taking out the belts and the rad in the process. I went ahead and replaced mine, though I didn't see any cracks or damage. YMMV.

FYI.
My 96 has the Denso and the Denso rad runs hotter than TYC by 4-5°.

 

[alia176]

Also to add to the above, I have seen lots of cracked fan shroud towards the 12 o'clock position and many people. include myself. have been reluctant to replace the shroud with new and many attempt to repair with glue or duct tape as temporary measures. IMO, don't do it. i have had a piece of broken shroud destroyed my fan blade and took out my radiator, and yes, that happen.....on the trail. I am also not surprised that if you put thicker oil inside your fan clutch like most ppl do on here, the increased in thickness in oil will tend to deform the tip of the fan blades as they rotate during higher RPMS and that might result in making contact with the back of your radiator as well given the condition also described in my previous post. Something to think about as well......
In other words,
THICKER OIL 10k or more inside fan clutch + aftermarket alum. radiator with thicker core + worn motor mounts = broken fan/radiator on the trail.

You bring up a good point about the shroud. The top two bolt hole tabs were broken on mine and I was limping along for years. My advice is to replace it before it becomes NLA!! Your theory about the tips slowly moving fwd and contacting the shroud makes sense. I need to look at my log book to see what oil I'm running, maybe 15k CST? Thankfully I don't have this contact, knock on wood!