Limping home with a leaking radiator - options?

Chapter 2 in the overheating bad radiator Saga:

I finally found the leak! Which is a good thing. I have 1200 miles to go highway driving to get it back to the Seattle area where a new radiator awaits.

If you were going to dump something down the radiator to get you over the hump, what would be your choice? Which aftermarket product, (if any) would you stay away from? Which ones would you consider?

 

I would changed the radiator in the parking lot.

 

Don't put leak stop stuff in, it can cause problems.

Where exactly is it leaking from?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...for-a-temp-fix-and-then-backup-to-oem.498820/

I'd probably buy one if you can get one on sale at a parts store.

 

keep topping off with antifreeze or water till you get to a safe destination to get fixed, FYI if it needs a new radiator I highly recommend an OEM Toyota one on my truck I replaced it with an aftermarket(Chinese) cheaper cost one and it didn't cool as effectively as an OEM one that I paid more for to replace it.

 

https://itstillruns.com/use-eggs-stop-radiator-leak-5660837.html
Check this out.

 

The problem is with doing this is you don't know how much coolant has been lost as your driving. The leak is only going to get bigger and relying on the temp gauge to know when its time to over is a bad idea. The radiators can be swapped out pretty quick in these trucks

 

Alumiseal stopleak powder if it is in the fins, once you get home, a complete chemical flush BEFORE you install the new radiator. Otherwise, install a new one before you hit the road back home...

 

+1 for the parking lot change. Frieberger and Finnegan from Roadkill will salute you.

 

Having changed four radiators in parking lots I can successfully say I thought about roadkill every time haha. I've changed so many part in parking lots. Did a whole intake manifold and upper plenum on a Mopar 318 once in the rain. Good times. OP git er done in the lot, it's an easy job anyway.

 

New denso radiator in the parking lot, stop leak can block internal passages in the engine then it won't cool right and your fucked

 

Nothing but coolant and water. Any product designed to stop a leak is going to find other passages to block off eventually. I would buy a radiator and swap it in a parking lot. If that wasn't possible I'd pay a shop to do it. I'd rather not over heat and cause more damage on a long trip.

 

My choice is to change it the $100.00 or so dollars is much better then taking out the engine .

Just think if it failed in the middle of nowhere compared to changing it in a parking lot

When you get home spend the money for a good radiator

Now if you were 20 miles from home different story .

Now if this was one of my vehicles I would just solder the leak and refill it having all copper and brass radiators for just there reason

 

yes I guess you would have to pull over every few miles and check it, and use the overflow resovoir to top it off. I would just keep filling the resovoir, probably get u home/garage

 

Wow, driving that far on a radiator leak.... you have balls.

I would have pulled into an autozone parking lot and changed it.

 

I like that show, watched all their Vids on YOUTUBE

 

Lucky me, they had a radiator that would fit it was actually in stock at in Steamboat Springs Colorado! I changed it out!

Many thanks to everyone chimed in with a helpful suggestion.

 

Me too.

 

Awesome man. Have a safe rest of the trip!

 

Jb weld. I drove over a year with a Jb radiator. Dry the entire time.