ohio4runner4x4

The dreaded tranny cooler in the radiator failure = strawberry milkshake finally caught up to me! The shop that flushed it after the "incident" said it could go 5 miles or 5000 miles....Made it 10k miles and almost 2 years after he said/did it.
It was shifting real funny and bucking a bit at stop lights. Tranny buddy dropped the pan today and it's full of rust and ugly, ugly fluid. He says it's done! Really hurts to drop big cash in it......but the 4R is in excellent shape, paid for and the wifey loves it!!!
Only $2500 and I'll be good as new.........OUCH!

dallison

replace the radiator and flush the trans like hell, it may be fine.

PismoJoe

wow 2,500???? thats steep. I would agree with you dallison, but he drove it 10k after seeing signs of milkshake, I would bet its TOASTY in that tranny....

Qyota

Get a donor tranny from a low-mileage salvage T4R...have it put in by a tranny shop. I did this and the bill was less than $1200 total...including a 1 year parts and labor warranty. Donor trans had 78K on it.

mt_goat

X2...that's what I'd do, except I'd put it in myself. But first drop the pan and make sure its not full of rust too.

BTW...while the tranny is out would be a good time to replace the rear main seal.

Guys get rid of those factory radiator ATF coolers, now! Those that have had this problem, I'd complain like hell to whoever will listen. There really should be a recall on those faulty coolers. Even the cheap made-in-China aftermarket radiators seem to be better than the OEM with this problem.

This is mainly a problem with the newer trucks, you hardly ever see this problem come up in the 86-95 trucks & 4Runners section. Toyota started making stuff cheaper along the way to its goal of global domination. They are basically just another US auto company now. Very sad

Mauzer

BLAPHEMER!!!!!



J/k...I just wanted to use the term "blasphemer". It is sad but they are paying the price now with all these recalls, kinda like the downfall of GM

hross14

Ron Davis Radiator----

It seems like everything I/we buy these days is just trash.......WTF

DailyDrive

10 years has always been a normal lifetime for a radiator. Having the trans fluid in the rad was a bad idea, but expecting the rad to be a lifetime item is kind of a stretch.

mt_goat

Well that's true, I guess the problem is the ATF coolers go before the radiator part. So shame on Toyota for making the radiators too good LOL.

I'd rather have a 15 year ATF cooler in a 10 year radiator than a 10 year ATF cooler in a 15 year radiator.

J2F42C

I have a Koyo radiator that is going in hopefully before the end of the month along with new hoses and a cap. It is made in Indonesia, and looks to be well made. I have had good luck with Koyo in Hondas and Acuras. A Ron Davis radiator would be nice but for that $$$....not quite.

As much as the radiator is a problem, Daily Drive is right in saying that most radiators, their hoses, and even the cap do have a certain working timeline of ten years before needing replacement. Also, sensors like the ECT, MAF, O2, and TPS along with the PCV and VC gaskets should be replaced with time. What got me mad was my leaking rear axle seals costing me $$$ and aggrivation. Also,this was my first starter replacement.

I believe it was the Asian Financial Crisis of the late 90s that killed Japanese quality control. Remember the cheap, cheap gas back then due to the strong dollar? My GF's father worked for Sony America back then and he said QC and R&D budgets for the whole company were slashed by over 1/2 during that time so I would imagine Toyota was not immune to such financial distress. And I do not think that there is as much of a concerted effort with most big companies today for good QC measures in Japan, China, here and in other countries as there was back then.Just my 2 cents.

FogRunner

Even if you put in a brand new radiator I wouldn't use the transmission cooler it in just because of whats at risk. Aftermarket coolers are cheap and easy to install.

Also you can use the transcooler tank in the bottom of your new radiator as a heat exchanger for heating shower water when camping

FOG

mt_goat

Yeah I agree and good idea for hot water in the woods.

J2F42C

That is an ingenious idea to get hot water there FOG. I lived through a hurricane's aftermath as well but was not displaced like yourself. I hope Galveston and the like are making a gradual recovery but it takes years to fully recoup.

I have, it looks to be, a small hairline crack around the filler neck of my OEM radiator, but after a pressure test, everything read fine. Still, since I have the Koyo, safe is better than stuck somewhere spilling coolant on the side of the road. I am running a B&M 70264 straight from the tranny now so no milkshake for me. It is interesting how B&M oriented its LPD vs. Tru Cool even though Long makes both. After my trip to hot as hell Columbia SC in June(100F+ daily), I will decide whether to include the Koyo ATF cooler in the loop to cool the tranny or not....

zeik

Mine milkshaked around 65k about 2yrs ago and I replaced the rad and flushed everything silly (ran about 10 gal of trans fluid through it until it was perfect) and I'm at 101k now and still good for the most part (only a slight shift hesitation now when cold).

I figured that I could flush it myself and be sure that it was clean vs. a garage - I just ran it with the lines off - output to a bucket and input was in a fresh jug of fluid. Then I dropped the pan and cleaned it and changed the filter.

I didn't bother with Lucas or any additive either, just fresh fluid when refilling it - and it did take pretty much full fluid spec when I did.

It's worth a shot - $100 vs $1k+. For your nasty case I'd Lucas it too.

mt_goat

That's good

samster0077

Damn, thanks for the comment.. I just got a 97 and will check that out tonight. The fluid looked old, but not milky like water was in it.. Will make sure I don't have a trans cooler tonight, and make plans to change it if I do.

mooseT

Good to hear. I just had the milkshake on Saturday, drained everything and pickup up/installed radiator yesterday, and will try to get the flushing finished today. I was planning to flush with around 30 qt, but it is good to know that you had to use closer to 40 qt before getting perfect fluid back out. ATF doesn't seem expensive for just drain/fill, but when doing 30 - 40 qt flush it starts to burn holes in your wallet.

Team420

I had this issue about 2 yrs ago, and 30k miles ago...lol

I pulled the rig out, popped the plugs, turned it over a few times, then pooped the plugs back in, and fired her up, then drove her home(about 10 mi or so). After that I immediately went to the parts store, and bought 10gal(two 5 gallon buckets) of tranny fluid, and started flushing the heck outta it, I'd say it took about 3/4 of the first bucket before I stopped seeing the strawberry milkshake, another 1/2 bucket after that, then drove it for 2weeks and flushed again with the rest of the fluid I had left.... the tranny had about 265k miles on it then, and has 295k on it now.....

I should mention, I also dropped the pan, and pulled the valve body out to make sure there was no grit in it, and did the same with all the solenoids.....

gpcollen1

You had the milkshake and flushed it twice with a total of 2 gallons?? 2 gallons would not even be a single complete flush.

Team420

ya, sorry...meant 10 gal.... 2 five gal buckets...I fixed it.