well,there goes the rad!

[mickey]

had my 3.0 litre auto for a year now,and the little pin prick holes on the radiator head have done a dot to dot,now i've got a hairline split,and losing coolant on killing the motor.this happens for about 5 minutes,the coolant seeps over and along the little channel at the back,taking the black paint off with it!done the research,and realize through other surfers experiences,that repairs are uneconomical,so time for a new rad.now,a few questions.roughtrax do a new rad for the 3.0 ltre auto,£402.00 inc vat and shipping,but for £243.10,there is the option of a reconditioned one.this seems good value,but is the lifespan going to be worththe hassle of fitting it?should i tell the mechanic to use toyota coolant,or would his standard garage solution be as good?finally,what sor of labour times are we looking at,as there seems to be a lot of bits that need unbolting.any help would be welcome as i daren't drive it,in case the rad fractures and i lose all the coolant,i really dont want the hassle of cracked heads and stuff.

[marky]

If you are going for a recon one, your better off having yours recored etc as it will be the same but cheaper

[mickey]

yeah,thanks marky,i suppose the rebuild is an option,but the off the shelf with next day delivery sounds tempting!i dont pretend to understand much about radiators,and so couldn't get my head around re-cores,assuming that means putting new insides into the existing casing,wouldn't the split still be a problem,as its right on the top,about 6 inches to the left of the filler cap? another concearn was,if i got a new one,would it be made from the same inferior brass that caused the origional to crack,after 10 years but very low mileage?

[Greebo]

If your thinking of getting a genuine Toyota rad......

part no...T16400-67071

Will cost about £370 + vat.

[andy]

If you are going for a recon one, your better off having yours recored etc as it will be the same but cheaper

As Marky say's it's the same but cheaper, had one done 2 months ago and cost me £150, take it in and it's done the same time next day.

[marky]

Recore & Repair to top will be the cheaper option. It will leave you more cash for the SURF toyshop. Winch, Tyres etc

[Hilux]

rad

Hi if its only the top that has gone just get that "Brazed" l have had several done and no problems after.

[mickey]

follow up

right,just in cas anyone's in the same situation,here is a follow up on the radiator situation...read on the forum here that someone made a temporary repair with araldite,thought i'd give it a go.at first it seemed fine,but after a week it had gone sticky,and i was able to peel it off.used plastic padding leak stop,a two part compound that worked a treat,but,the radiator started losing coolant even though the repair was dry.oh no,methinks,i've heard this tale before!thankfully it was another leak,at the back of the radiator,not too obvious as the fan was dispersing the fluid.anyway,ordered a recon from roughtrax,which came today,looks like new!apparantly they weld new top tanks into them as well as cores.i've now got two weeks to return mine.had a quick look,and decided i may tackle the fit myself,doesn't look too daunting.........question,is it worth buying the toyota coolant,if not,what do i use?