I shouldn't complain, really. The first one did last 189,000 miles. But it had a small leak when I bought the truck, so I replaced it with another OEM radiator. Within two years, that one was starting to leak. It's a very slow leak. Maybe I've had to add coolant twice in the last 3 years. But it's clearly red-stained all along the top, and now I see some red drips on my oil pan. It's not leaking bad, but a slow leak suddenly turning into a fast leak is always on my mind.

Anybody else have issues with these plastic radiators? Anyone find a good, non-OEM replacement that doesn't leak? Or have I just had bad luck?

 

Must be a Toyota rad thing, seen them leak like that on Corolla's aswell. You can take it to a radiator shop and have them crimp the end tank to core, but it would have been better to do that before the crusty stuff formed, I've had them recrimp new rads aswell before install. I used whatever aftermarket premium rad was available on both my 4r's never a problem.

 

Thanks. Well I guess since the last time I replaced mine, Toyota stopped selling them. Or the company who built them for Toyota stopped making them, and I guess being old trucks, Toyota didn't bother finding another supplier. I'll check mine over really closely. If it's still just seeping around the top seam, I won't worry about it. Will need to find out why there's coolant on my oil pan...I don't see drips anywhere else. The local car wash uses pink-dyed soap for their pre-soak, so maybe that's all it is...

Anyway, I see a Koyorad on rockauto that looks decent enough, in case I decide to replace it.

 

I hate plastic on truck.
Try checking if CSF, based in Rancho Cucamonga, CA has bopper-brass for your generation.

 

Thank you. My grandfather used to work for that corporation. I remember him getting me a radiator for an old truck of mine, long ago. I prefer high quality, but man. It's either cheap crap, or super-expensive deluxe when it comes to radiators, apparently. Their site isn't very user friendly, but I don't see that they offer a copper-brass model for my truck. They do offer the typical aluminum-plastic model, though the model they say fits, other sites say doesn't fit.