Should I replace my radiator? (5 Viewers)

[Kernal]

Interesting video. FWIW I once considered rebuilding my OEM radiator years ago as the core was (and still is) in perfect condition but once I priced out new top and bottom plastic tanks along with the O-rings (rubber seals) and the plates (rectangular metal rings) I was getting close to the cost of a new OEM radiator even with reusing the transmission cooler in the bottom tank.

It's all moot now AFAIK most of those OEM parts are NLA except for the drain cock, it's small O-ring, and the radiator cap, unless there's an aftermarket source for those parts??


The concerning question is the cause for the overheat and possible over-pressurization that may have caused the leak??
Is the leak just due to a hose/hose clamp, or a hairline crack at the base of the top tank, or a failure of the O-ring for the top tank (?rare), or a defective T-stat or cap??

Or is the head gasket leaking and blowing pressurized exhaust gases into the cooling system/water jacket??



For historical purposes:

 

[simpsoap]

Snapped some pics. Cleaned everything up tonight and will see how it looks over the next week or so. I noticed when I got back from work that the coolant reservoir was about 1" above the fill line. By the time the evening came, it was back "normal" and at the fill line. I"ll check to see where it is at in the morning before I leave for work. Appreciate the input thus far!

 

[simpsoap]

these are the last two pics. all the hoses seem to have normal feel, not stiff. They were replaced within the last couple of years, I'm digging through receipts to see what I can find.

 

[Kernal]

What was actually cleaned??

 

[Marvelicious]

What was actually cleaned??

You're not wrong though...

@simpsoap You need to clean up all that red residue so you can actually see if any new antifreeze is coming out. All of that came from somewhere. That last pic looks like it might be coming from around that upper hose, but it's just hard to say where it migrates while you're traveling at speed.

 

[simpsoap]

These were the pics before I cleaned off all the crusty red residue. Another member posted that they wanted to see better pics so I snapped some before I got started. Figured if I sent pics after the fact with stuff looking "wet" it wouldn't do much good. I'm going to watch things closely and see if I can determine a cause.

 

[LongDuck]

Man, those Radiator Hoses look excessively swollen to me through the innerwebs. Also, the return hose at the top of the Radiator seems to be at a harsh angle to meet the Radiator connection, and I've always tried to mount them so there's zero tension on anything, given their plastic connections and the engine moves within the mounts.

Personally, it looks to me like your top tank gasket has failed - or is failing - and while it may be holding pressure at the moment, all of that pink crust is Toyota Red being boiled out, and when the moisture is gone, you get that residue. Those pictures are the MOST residue I've ever seen on a Radiator top tank.

I don't want to scare you, but I live in the Sonoran Desert and can't have anything affect engine heat oror A/C function. I'd park that thing until my new Radiator came in, and then I'd do full Radiator Hose replacement while it's out,... but that's me.

You should be smelling the sweet, acrid smell of Toyota Red if you have that much seepage. Open your hood after a drive, and I'll bet your eyes water. If you're smelling coolant, there's an issue to be addressed.

 

[alia176]

Man, those Radiator Hoses look excessively swollen to me through the innerwebs. Also, the return hose at the top of the Radiator seems to be at a harsh angle to meet the Radiator connection, and I've always tried to mount them so there's zero tension on anything, given their plastic connections and the engine moves within the mounts.

Personally, it looks to me like your top tank gasket has failed - or is failing - and while it may be holding pressure at the moment, all of that pink crust is Toyota Red being boiled out, and when the moisture is gone, you get that residue. Those pictures are the MOST residue I've ever seen on a Radiator top tank.

I don't want to scare you, but I live in the Sonoran Desert and can't have anything affect engine heat oror A/C function. I'd park that thing until my new Radiator came in, and then I'd do full Radiator Hose replacement while it's out,... but that's me.

You should be smelling the sweet, acrid smell of Toyota Red if you have that much seepage. Open your hood after a drive, and I'll bet your eyes water. If you're smelling coolant, there's an issue to be addressed.

excellent observation amigo, and I'm with you. As an aside, the Sonoran Desert need to be revisited by me as that place is muy maravilloso, as they .

I bet after the engine is hot, and the OP sprayed a bottle of soapy water around the top perimeter of the radiator, he'll see bubbles.

 

[simpsoap]

excellent observation amigo, and I'm with you. As an aside, the Sonoran Desert need to be revisited by me as that place is muy maravilloso, as they .

I bet after the engine is hot, and the OP sprayed a bottle of soapy water around the top perimeter of the radiator, he'll see bubbles.

I didn't see any bubbles last night when I sprayed things down, but I will spray things down again once I get home. I am still surprised I see nothing on the ground, and the overflow tank doesn't seem to be losing coolant. Wouldn't it be sucking coolant into the system if it was constantly losing coolant?

 

[simpsoap]

Man, those Radiator Hoses look excessively swollen to me through the innerwebs. Also, the return hose at the top of the Radiator seems to be at a harsh angle to meet the Radiator connection, and I've always tried to mount them so there's zero tension on anything, given their plastic connections and the engine moves within the mounts.

Personally, it looks to me like your top tank gasket has failed - or is failing - and while it may be holding pressure at the moment, all of that pink crust is Toyota Red being boiled out, and when the moisture is gone, you get that residue. Those pictures are the MOST residue I've ever seen on a Radiator top tank.

I don't want to scare you, but I live in the Sonoran Desert and can't have anything affect engine heat oror A/C function. I'd park that thing until my new Radiator came in, and then I'd do full Radiator Hose replacement while it's out,... but that's me.

You should be smelling the sweet, acrid smell of Toyota Red if you have that much seepage. Open your hood after a drive, and I'll bet your eyes water. If you're smelling coolant, there's an issue to be addressed.

To be honest, I have never noticed the smell of coolant, but I will start checking. I believe when I had the head gasket redone at 292k they replaced the hoses and radiator, but now I'm curious. If they didn't then you are correct, it is probably time to replace those. I replaced the fan clutch at 303k due to a noise.

-Andy

 

[alia176]

Hey Andy

that leak is old and quite possibly has sealed itself with the solids that fell (precipitated) out of the coolant over time. This happens and it tells us that your coolant is seeping out of tiny leaks. This is what "radiator stop leak" does and should only be used as an emergency to return home from the bush. So, keep a bottle of Bar's stop leak pellets in your spare kit for emergencies. It also stops HG leaks, if you can believe that!

 

[ozarkmud]

This may not be too relevant, but I did notice that your radiator cap is set for 0.9 bar. If I recall correctly, you can get them for 1.1, but I'm not sure what the spec is. In theory, a higher pressure radiator cap might allow it to cool more.

Also, the blend of coolant will make a difference. More water usually cools a little better, but freezes more easily. Can be a balancing act.

That said, it sounds like your cooling situation is borderline, and it probably shouldn't come down to such a minor detail.

I am curious though what the stock radiator cap setting is, and if some run higher or lower numbers than that.