Real time, should I use this radiator

[cstamm81]

I recently had my leaking rad checked out by a rad shop, they wanted way too much money to repair and recore it. So I called up Cruiserparts.net and bought what I was told was a very nice 60 rad for $150. I figured that was worth it, as the cheapest new I could find was about 275. I just tore into the used rad box, to find leaves and seeds stuffed in the tubes. I started flushing the rad with a garden hose into every inlet and outlet, backflowed etc. I got out a considerable amount of debris. My guess is a small critter made a nest in both tanks. I've flushed it out the best I could, but I obviously can't see inside. So, quesion is do I risk running it or not? Opinions needed. Oh, and this rad also has two male threaded ports on the bottom tank, what are these for? The old one didn't have these.

 

[sirenmoses]

I call cruiserparts and have them send a different one... do you really want to risk blowing your engine if you don't get all the crap cleaned outta the rad?

 

[jvazquez53]

The two male connectors are for the automatic transmission cooler.

 

[Landpimp]

so it came out of a fj62 not a 60

The two male connectors are for the automatic transmission cooler.

 

[cruiser88]

Give it a try and see what happends.

 

[Elbert]

used radiators are a roll of the dice, whatever promises are made as to the condition.

 

[cstamm81]

ya I know a used rad is a roll of the dice, I just didn't expect to be able to visibly see leaves inside the upper and lower rad ports. I expected a little better of cruiserparts. I flushed it so many times and can't seem to get anything else out. I'm tempted to try it, seeing as my goal for the weekend was to get this thing back on the road. But, as was stated I sure would feel like an ass if I ran it and clogged up a water jacket in the head or something dumb.

 

[cstamm81]

oh and seeing as it is probably a 62 rad w/ the trans lines, is there anything else different about it? Will it fit any differently in my 60? Now that I think about it I'm really bummed about Cruiserparts, they even assured me it was for the proper year.

 

[Ducks]

Can you just send it back to cruiserparts? I think they have a 30-day return period. Send it back and get a new aftermarket radiator. Search here and there are a couple of different options. I just got a Performance Radiator for somewhere around $150. There were a couple of other radiator options that were cheaper but there is a lot of good reviews about Performance on 'MUD.

 

[Spike Strip]

Yeah, I dunno, if it were me, I'd send it back and ask for another that's not full of junk, unless you want to go and pay for the Rad shop to boil it. But then you're into the price of a new aftermarket. Is it worth an extra hundred bux to you NOT to have to worry - or perhaps replace that oh-so-easy head gasket?

 

[cruiser88]

I really do not think I would want to wait that long....they can be really slow on shipping

 

[Elbert]

If you figure up how much time it takes to replace the radiator and what the used stuff costs relative to the new or new/aftermarket.... , and what potentially could go wrong.,.. I just don't see running a used radiator unless you have no other option, or short of funds. I understand you do what you have to do, within the resouces you have (I've been there plenty of times). Some things are better replaced with new or rebuilt stuff rather than used... I'm a little lazy, I don't don't want to have to fix the same thing twice in a short period of tiime. Some of the used stuff can bite you in the @$$ and you end up spending as much or more fixing things anyway.

 

[cstamm81]

Ya seeing how much effort I'm putting into replacing all the heater hoses, I'm not going to chance it. It' either going back to cruiserparts or else they are paying for a shop to leak test and boil it out clean.
Ducks, where o where did you find a performance rad for $150. I have searched, and all of the links talked about prices have apparently gone way up. Radiator barn was the cheapest at like $280 shipped.

 

[cruiser88]

Ya seeing how much effort I'm putting into replacing all the heater hoses, I'm not going to chance it. It' either going back to cruiserparts or else they are paying for a shop to leak test and boil it out clean.
Ducks, where o where did you find a performance rad for $150. I have searched, and all of the links talked about prices have apparently gone way up. Radiator barn was the cheapest at like $280 shipped.

Have you tried the parting out section here on mud?

 

[cstamm81]

No I'm over the used rad, someone else said it better than me, some parts aren't meant to be re-used easily. I'm either sending this one back and getting a new one, or getting it baked at cruiserparts expense. I could have had the rig on the road today if it wasn't for this fiasco.