When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The coolant in my 94 pickup has not been flushed for 15+ years. Now it is very rusty and I believe there is a leak in the radiator or elsewhere because there is no pressure in the system. I would like to replace the radiator and flush the system. Would it be better to flush the system before or after replacing the parts? Would people advise replacing the water pump, thermostat and hoses at the same time but maybe not the heater core since it still provides heat? What would I look for in terms of getting a good quality replacement? When searching on ebay for the year / model, there is quite a variety as shown below, but am thinking maybe one of the two outlined toward the bottom may be a recent?
My $0.02... Buy the radiator cleaner Prestone branded at any autoparts place or Walmart. Follow the instructions. "Flush" the crud into the "old" radiator. Log on rockauto.com, search for your vehicle. I bought a Spectra premium for my '89. PLastic and aluminum. That's how they are nowadays. You can buy a traditional brass and copper if you must. I wouldn't see the point. OE radiator on my '08 Corolla has 195,000 miles/16 years on it. Don't even think about the heater core if its been working fine and doesn't leak. The other stuff: "If it aint broke; don't fix it" unless you'll be driving around in the boondocks and don't have a buddy to come rescue you.
I bought the plastic radiator, I’m on number 3, I think, since 2011……so needless to say the next purchase will be something that will last and it won’t be plastic.
Last edited by Discombobulated; Jun 11, 2024 at 06:44 PM.
Reminds me no pressure in the system when hot. If the system passes a pressure test, could this imply the pump is compromised?
This initial diagnosis may be important in choosing the parts that need replacing?
Is there an easier way to diagnose the pump specifically?
I bought my last radiator from my local Advance Auto, and it was a Spectra Premium with a life time warranty. Been installed for over seven years now. If it goes bad, I will just take the bad one back to Advance, and get a new one under warranty.
Last edited by snippits; Jun 12, 2024 at 02:03 AM.
as i understand it, the system is designed to bleed off pressure when hot, sending coolant into the external reservoir, then sucking it back into the radiator as the engine cools off?
Originally Posted by jdfnnl
If the system passes a pressure test, could this imply the pump is compromised?
no, a radiator pressure test is looking for leaks, it's not a pump test... the pump should have a weep hole in the casting, underneath the shaft, if it's leaking you definitely need to replace the pump.
beyond that, i've read that the impeller in the pump can get rusty and erode, which would lower efficiency and send junk into the system, but i've never experienced that... coolant also lubricates the water pump bearing? replacing the pump might be a good idea.
your first problem is that there will most likely be crud in the deep pockets of the cooling system, aka bottom of the block, bottom of the radiator, etc... that junk doesn't get flushed out easily, i'd say follow the suggestions here and get the flush kit, use it, then drive the vehicle for bit before tearing into it.
Log on rockauto.com, search for your vehicle. I bought a Spectra premium for my '89. PLastic and aluminum. That's how they are nowadays.
i did that, ran one of those plastic radiators for 10 years in a hard-sprung solid axle swap street crawler that i drove all over the place, it worked well.
rad4runner has a big thread out here somewhere on radiators, it's a good idea to read it before purchasing.
I’ve only seen one Toyota waterpump where the impellers eroded away. And I’ve seen some pretty horrible cooling systems over the years.
Toyota has a fantastic oem plastic tank radiator vendor. Aftermarket, not so much. But they are cheap.
There's a company called CSF, I believe, that makes all aluminum, 3 row, radiators for the 1st gen, and other gens as well, Toyota 4Runners. So far I've got a 3 row, all aluminum, radiator in my pickup since about 1990 or so. Still working like a dream. I don't have the faintest idea who made it. I got it from a local radiator shop in Yuma, Az. BUT! if a no-name radiator, from a no-name shop in Yuma, has lasted me this long, can you imagine how long a good quality radiator, from a name brand like CSF, will last?
The one I had in my 87 4Runner lasted until a few years ago, when it blew the top tank off, which is STILL a good long life. It was the same 3 row, all aluminum as my pick up's, from the same shop in Yuma. I got them because I had a 60 mile run, all highway speed, to work, and home each day. In Yuma, that's in 110° F, on average, temps each day. So I wanted, not necessarily needed but wanted a radiator that could handle the engine's cooling needs, with or without the AC running. I frequently used the 2-55 air conditioning system, especially once I was really well adapted to Yuma temps. In fact, I finally pulled the AC belts off both my 87, 22R series engines. I just didn't feel like wasting the gas on the AC.
Point is, I strongly recommend the CSF radiators for the 4Runners. They fit perfectly, even the 3 row ones. Just drain the system, pull the OEM radiator, and shroud off, slide the new one and the shroud back on, fill it with coolant, and burp it, and away you go. 4 bolts, 10mm heads. The shroud is critical to keep the cooling system functioning properly. Including the little strip on the bottom of the fan area. That matters.
a possible explanation for those corroded water pump impellers:
"Electrolysis is the likely culprit when "fail again so soon" is for real, and new heater cores/radiators quickly start leaking. Electrolysis eats away metal in the cooling system and the relatively thin walls of heater cores and radiators are the first to fail. There are two primary causes for electrolysis; acidic coolant and bad grounds. An inexpensive multimeter can be used to diagnose both." https://www.rockauto.com/Newsletter/....html#tomStory
Jun 11, 2024 | 11:48 AM
