well guys i have an 81 2wd yota pickup and i put a head gasket in it.

now heres the problem. it will operate between 190 and 195 around town all day. on a warm 80degree day. but as soon as you get cruising on the freeway it warms up to about 200-210. and then i let off the gas and let it idle and coast for about 30-45 seconds and it cools right off to 190-195. then i get back on the gas for about 2min or so and its right back at 205-210. then i get back on surface streets and sit in traffic or at red lights. then it goes back to 195-ish.


at first i thought it was a thermostat. but when i went to check it. there was not even one installed. so i put one in it anyways.
any help?

just did a head gasket and thermostat.

 

I would check the clutch fan operation and radiator. Flush the radiator or have it checked at a good radiator shop. When I lived in Florida I had a similar problem with my truck when it was brand new. I ended up having a 4 core radiator installed and never had that problem again in 25 years of driving it. I believe the radiators in 1979-1983 Toyota trucks were undersized or of a poor circulation design. Good luck.

 

thank you. i have a 3 row on my 86 4runner and it stays at a cool 160. thanx again.

 

Is all the air out of the cooling system after the head gasket or thermostat? Mine had really simular patterns when I hadn't burped all the air out after a water pump replacement.

 

yea. im pretty sure all the air was purged. it was bubbling pretty good before i put the radiator cap back on.

 

i put a big three row radiator in it and it solved all of my problems. runs at 190 now. and hasnt gone above it yet.

 

were or out of what veichle can u find 3 or 4 row rad?

 

1986 toyota 4runner sr5 4wd non turbo. use those specs when going to autozone or kragen and it will come up with a 3 row.

 

only the 22RE turbo had a 3 row ...

NON turbo 22R and RE's are only 2 .





just a little story I have to share ..

I had a customer bring his unit into my shop for the same problem .. and after he had replaced all sorts of pieces .. it was still " acting up "

I had listened to his story for about a 1/2 hour .. all the pieces he had replaced and money he had spent , and found out it was the first time the cooling system has had ANYTHING done to it in the last 10 years ..

what actually ended up to be the problem .. was the water pump !!

antifrieeze will turn "acidic" after 4 years , and should be flushed and replaced .. the "coolant" in his system had actually eaten/desinegrated the finns on the waterpump ..thus , not moving the coolant as supose to ..

replaced the waterpump .. and it ran like a champ .





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go to autozone or kragen and use the specs i put up and they will give you a 3 row radiator. i have done it. twice now.

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductL...ype=31&PTSet=A

the radiator in the middle part number cu147 is a 3 row. which is the one i have purchased and works amazing. my truck stays at a cool 160 and the heater and everything still operate like normal.