Reputable 4Runner Mechanic in Santa Fe? (8 Viewers)

[NMBound]

I picked up a guy on the way up the hill to Los Alamos this morning, coolant smoke billowing from his '84 1st gen.

The top hose on the radiator popped and he said he just recently had the rad replaced after the previous one had cracked. Said the truck was running hot before then too.

Timing belt cover shows 2005, 122k service and the odometer has 250k. My guess is the water pump is out and probably needs a new thermostat too.

Any shop doing a rad like that should have asked about the date of last water pump replacement, so I don't want to send him back to the same place. I'll ask who did the work.

He's a recent transplant from Kentucky. Said he can't find anyone to make him a tube bumper. I told him this might be a blessing in disguise

Edit: Immaculate Auto did the radiator that just popped.

 

[juane]

I've been happy with Toyotech.
Someone here once mentioned Alpine Auto Service.

 

[alia176]

coolant overpressurization can also be caused by a blown HG. Quite possibly the HG blew long time ago, which opened up the old radiator since it was the weakest point. Now, a new radiator held itself together but the hose popped off due to too much pressure caused by the combustion gasses entering the coolant passageways.

 

[NMBound]

coolant overpressurization can also be caused by a blown HG. Quite possibly the HG blew long time ago, which opened up the old radiator since it was the weakest point. Now, a new radiator held itself together but the hose popped off due to too much pressure caused by the combustion gasses entering the coolant passageways.

True that. I don't want to assume a bad head gasket, but it's possible. I didn't see any milkshake. I'll let him know he should do a combustion gas check too.

 

[alia176]

after he's buttoned up, just warm up the engine then rev it up to 2500 rpm, and look for aquarium style bubbles coming from the overflow tank. If the HG leak is bad, then all the water in the overflow tank will be displaced by hot gas in short order. It'll be a gaiser at that point!