Which radiator? Milner, Roughtrax, eBay?

[lord_flashart]

Hi, my radiator developed a crack a year ago and I soldered it and until yesterday it was fine. It definately needs replacing now but where is a good place to get one?

Generally people shy away from eBay but is there really any reason? I can get a new radiator for £100 delivered from eBay, an aluminium one for £135+VAT+Carriage also from eBay or pay either £130+VAT+Carriage from Milner's or even £165+VAT+Carriage from Roughtrax!

Should I pay the extra or even opt for the aluminium one?

Has anyone used an aluminium one? If so what are the benefits?
(I am assuming it has the same number of cores and is a direct replacement other than the material).

This week I really need the truck back as my daughter starts child care and without it I'm stuck so I will be ordering either Sunday 14th or Monday 15th at the latest so quick answers with reasons would be very much appreciated!!

Thanks in advance,


Ray.

[Albannach]

Roughtrax

[Albannach]

Shit, you want reasons as well as advice...

Em, I have a roughtrax one (I think), it's nice and cool and black.

[MattF]

Shit, you want reasons as well as advice...

Em, I have a roughtrax one (I think), it's nice and cool and black.

Milner's have supplied a few rads to members on here which have literally fallen apart, so they generally tend to be avoided for radiators.

[BUSHWHACKER]

I bought a Roughtrax rad for my 2.4. It's now cooling a 4.0 V8 with no problem.

[Maverick]

I will be changing mine in the next 12 months, as the repair patches are showing signs of age. I wouldn't touch ebay with something so seriously important to the well being of my truck. As said there has been some cases where the Milners ones have failed to last their warrenty period. So I'll be stumping up the case for a roughtrax one. Oh and at the same time finally getting around to fitting a transmission cooler, to help it out a bit.

[danielsprague]

The problem with cheap rads are the top and bottom tanks, they're made from very thin brass which can rot through in a few months... So it's false economy to go for the cheapo option...

The most economic option, if the top and bottom tanks are OK on your old rad, is to have it recored; thus you keep the original quality tanks. When the top and bottom tanks are off, any damage can be repaired from both sides.

Daniel

[BioHazard]

roughtrax or toyota ........

[lord_flashart]

OK, Roughtrax it is!

Thanks, guys, I guess you get what you pay for really does apply here!

----

Right, just been onto Roughtrax's website to order the bits but which coolant do I need? Red or Green? There is no explaination for either of them!

I had a look on the forum and only found one post which didn't give me a definitive answer. I have a red Esso sticker on my radiator shroud which is faded so I don't know if that's trying to tell me to use red stuff or if it's just a red sticker?!

Google has loads of info on not using the red stuff and how it's really poisonous but it is available in Halfords and most retailers so I'm stuck!

I won't be mixing Green and Red as there was standard blue stuff in there when I last MOT'd it and as most of it leaked out on the way home and it was topped up with plain water before it all leaked out again so I am now considering that a flushed system!


Thanks,


Ray.

[Albannach]

Don't mix colours, so if there's Green in there, don't use the Red unless you flush the cooling system first.

[lord_flashart]

OK, so as I am changing the radiator and the system is just plain water and flushed right now I can just use either then?

[Albannach]

Yep. I use the Red stuff from Halfords. But then I like living on the edge!