What is causing my 40 to overheat? (1 Viewer)

[1969FJ]

I wish I had that camera. Tells a lot. Looks like a new radiator is coming.

 

[Turkleton]

way to double down on technology with the cool toy!! Why not just grab a FLIR camera vs a $30 cheapie IR temp gun?

The operative word was "borrowed" . It's one sweet camera though!

Maybe just have the radiator shop "rod" out your core, see if that helps, before you spring for a new core.

I didn't realize rodding out a radiator was something you could still get done this day and age. Good to know. Does anyone have any recommendations for a radiator shop in Maine?

Can you get a pic for us of what fan you’re running and does it have a fan clutch ? I think it doesn’t hurt to base line your radiator and whole water system. All of this is money well spent and will keep you of the tow trucks bed.

Do you mean the primary fan behind the radiator, or the secondary one blowing towards the carburetor intake (apparently a factory part)? I'm not sure where/how to see the fan clutch. Here are some pics of both:

The secondary one is directly wired to a switch on the dash, so it's fully manual control. What do you mean by "base lining" the radiator? Rodding it out, or re-coring it, or something else?

Thanks for all the help, folks!

 

[Pighead]

Yours does not appear to have a fan clutch.

 

[Casey E]

Save yourself and just buy a new one. Baseline means you go through everything in the vehicle and baseline it. So replace old hoses and belts, change the fluids, replace the plugs,wires and cap. Just get it baseline so you know what you have and don’t end up broke down with a leaking hose that’s rotten and ten years old.

OEM 2F Radiator for Land Cruiser FJ40

Toyota OEM radiator. Fits all years of Land Cruiser FJ40 with 2F egine and without factory A/C. 4 core. Includes radiator cap and drain plug extension. Shipping notes: Due to Toyota factory packing being insufficient for transport, the factory box will be repacked by us with additional...

www.cityracerllc.com

 

[Turkleton]

Save yourself and just buy a new one. Baseline means you go through everything in the vehicle and baseline it. So replace old hoses and belts, change the fluids, replace the plugs,wires and cap. Just get it baseline so you know what you have and don’t end up broke down with a leaking hose that’s rotten and ten years old.

OEM 2F Radiator for Land Cruiser FJ40

Toyota OEM radiator. Fits all years of Land Cruiser FJ40 with 2F egine and without factory A/C. 4 core. Includes radiator cap and drain plug extension. Shipping notes: Due to Toyota factory packing being insufficient for transport, the factory box will be repacked by us with additional...

www.cityracerllc.com

Wow, I didn't know you could still get a new OEM radiator for an FJ40 (one mechanic flat out told me it wasn't possible). Thanks for the link!

 

[Pighead]

just buy a new one.

It is my considered opinion that an original radiator, when repaired by a craft radiator person, is superior to a store-bought new radiator. Hear me out.
The original FJ40 radiators, from the factory, had a habit of the top tank seam splitting. I've seen it on several mid '70s 40s, heard about many more. Perhaps they've ironed out this SNAFU in the last 40-50 years, i dunno. But, when a good radiator guy takes your top tank off, for a rod job or whatever, when he puts it back on, it don't leak, it don't split.
Now, I'll let on that my opinion may be biased by the facts that,
1) I have found a very good radiator shop. It's made of bricks so it won't burn down easily. It's been there forever, the guy that runs it is old like me and knows his stuff. He's done little jobs for me, like re-soldering the overflow tube back onto the filler neck WITH the radiator still in the Pig.
B) I can't just go out and buy a new FJ55 radiator off the shelf, so I kinda hafta go to a radiator guy. I tried a 4-row core many years ago, not a good idea. Too thin and flimsy (the tubes and fins). The good shop I now use re-cored me with a 3-row that looks OEM, thick and sturdy. He painted it glossy black and it looks and performs showroom new. O.K., I don't know about showroom new ,I bought this '74 FJ55 in 1986. So, 34 years of ownership and maybe 4 or 5 radiator changes, I'm allowed to opine...
My suggestions:
1) Find the oldest radiator shop in your county, or state, if your state is small. It'll probably be made of brick, there's a lot of fire in radiator repair work. The owner should be old, like me, and know his stuff and won't blink when you tell him you want a rod job.
B) Have the radiator with you. Let him look at it, tell him your story. He may want to pressure test it. Good. He may say you need a new core, good, saves you the time & money on doing a rod job first. Listen to him, he knows more about radiators than you will ever care to know.
III) A recore will easily cost you as much as a new radiator. Crazy huh? But, your old re-cored radiator is better. Built for you one at a time, not on an assembly line.
Solid seams, built sturdy. And you now know the guy what built it. Any problem, you can call him. Who you gonna call when a store-bought radiator starts leaking from a splitting seam? A radiator guy?
Do some homework, do some legwork. Find the good shop in your area.

 

[Casey E]

It is my considered opinion that an original radiator, when repaired by a craft radiator person, is superior to a store-bought new radiator. Hear me out.
The original FJ40 radiators, from the factory, had a habit of the top tank seam splitting. I've seen it on several mid '70s 40s, heard about many more. Perhaps they've ironed out this SNAFU in the last 40-50 years, i dunno. But, when a good radiator guy takes your top tank off, for a rod job or whatever, when he puts it back on, it don't leak, it don't split.
Now, I'll let on that my opinion may be biased by the facts that,
1) I have found a very good radiator shop. It's made of bricks so it won't burn down easily. It's been there forever, the guy that runs it is old like me and knows his stuff. He's done little jobs for me, like re-soldering the overflow tube back onto the filler neck WITH the radiator still in the Pig.
B) I can't just go out and buy a new FJ55 radiator off the shelf, so I kinda hafta go to a radiator guy. I tried a 4-row core many years ago, not a good idea. Too thin and flimsy (the tubes and fins). The good shop I now use re-cored me with a 3-row that looks OEM, thick and sturdy. He painted it glossy black and it looks and performs showroom new. O.K., I don't know about showroom new ,I bought this '74 FJ55 in 1986. So, 34 years of ownership and maybe 4 or 5 radiator changes, I'm allowed to opine...
My suggestions:
1) Find the oldest radiator shop in your county, or state, if your state is small. It'll probably be made of brick, there's a lot of fire in radiator repair work. The owner should be old, like me, and know his stuff and won't blink when you tell him you want a rod job.
B) Have the radiator with you. Let him look at it, tell him your story. He may want to pressure test it. Good. He may say you need a new core, good, saves you the time & money on doing a rod job first. Listen to him, he knows more about radiators than you will ever care to know.
III) A recore will easily cost you as much as a new radiator. Crazy huh? But, your old re-cored radiator is better. Built for you one at a time, not on an assembly line.
Solid seams, built sturdy. And you now know the guy what built it. Any problem, you can call him. Who you gonna call when a store-bought radiator starts leaking from a splitting seam? A radiator guy?
Do some homework, do some legwork. Find the good shop in your area.

My new OEM radiator split after two years so maybe it continues on. I literally just replaced it again with aluminum instead of OEM.

 

[John McVicker]

What @Pighead said has a lot of merit. Not withstanding what happened to @Casey E the OEM radiator will outlast most aftermarket radiators.

I bought my 40 new, the original radiator lasted 35 years. I replaced it with another OEM when John Hocker was still around. The replacement is now going on 10 years and has been perfect.

 

[Dizzy]

Aftermarket radiator in my 40. I can't get the temp above a third of the way on the combination meter. I'm totally happy.

However, I can't help but wonder how much of the system is also plugged up. Like if you pulled the head, would the water jacket passages on the spark plug side, which are capped with the head gasket be clear? One of mine was partially obstructed with RTV.

Also, I ran a Gano clear filter for a while on my current 2F, on the upper radiator hose, it caught virtually nothing, but either way, I didn't want to my radiator eating rust as soon as I finished the build.

 

[thorslc1977]

I have to add emphasis to what pighead said. I also bought my FJ40 brand new like John McVicker. It has original tanks from radiator but has been re-cored once. It has always ran below first mark and if it goes over first mark I know to look for something. My version of old radiator guy is just like pighead's. Knows more about radiators than anyone. My brass y-pipes for heater started leaking at seams-- took them to my guy-- twenty minutes and thirty dollars later -- good as new. An old radiator dude is good to have on your team.

 

[Turkleton]

I ended up ordering a new OEM radiator from City Racer (thanks for the tip, @Casey E). Incidentally, does anyone know how long their shipping delays are these days? (ordered it 4 days ago, still hasn't shipped).

Once replaced, do you recommend that I hang onto the original radiator? Are the new OEM radiators made to the same quality as the original ones, or is there a chance I might want to eventually re-core the original one and pop it back in down the road (once I find my local Old Radiator Guy™).

Thanks for everyone's helpful advice and input.

 

[Advrider639]

Just to harp on what @Pighead had to say... I found an old school radiator shop near by and those guys are true mechanics. Amazing the knowledge and skills they have. It's an art form.

I would hang on to your origional radiator... go a head and get it repaired... Just don't throw it away.

 

[Casey E]

I ended up ordering a new OEM radiator from City Racer (thanks for the tip, @Casey E). Incidentally, does anyone know how long their shipping delays are these days? (ordered it 4 days ago, still hasn't shipped).

Once replaced, do you recommend that I hang onto the original radiator? Are the new OEM radiators made to the same quality as the original ones, or is there a chance I might want to eventually re-core the original one and pop it back in down the road (once I find my local Old Radiator Guy™).

Thanks for everyone's helpful advice and input.

Roger is on this forum but I don’t remember his screen name, hopefully someone can point you in correct direction. His stuff usually ships fast, but the key is he makes sure it’s packed correctly.

 

[Turkleton]

Roger is on this forum but I don’t remember his screen name, hopefully someone can point you in correct direction. His stuff usually ships fast, but the key is he makes sure it’s packed correctly.

After my post, I found info in their FAQ that they "strive to process most orders within 3 business days." I'm probably still within that window, so all is good. Just anxious to get this rig back on the road.

 

[JohnnyC]

Where abouts in Maine are you?

@Racer65 is CityRacer ... great guy and dependable

 

[Turkleton]

Where abouts in Maine are you?

@Racer65 is CityRacer ... great guy and dependable

I'm in Brunswick, ME. Glad to know @Racer65 is a member here (and my new radiator is now en route ). Something tells me this won't be my last order from CityRacer.

 

[JohnnyC]

I can only look at Rogers things and cry

Poor house lol

I am up in wells untill August... Brunswick is nice been looking around Bath ... dramascotta? For when retirement happens .... got a long way off lol