Should I replace this ?

I also cleaned off the residue from the top where it was leaking and took it for a drive so it was full warmed up and had no fresh coolant leaking out from the top . Hmm. My cap appears to be fine, it looks pretty new actually. Will drive it later for a longer amount of time so I'll check it then and see if anything is leaking out

 

Do you have a 5 speed or an auto? trans coolers are only on the autos... There would be two smaller hoses coming out near the bottom of the radiator.

Some people have reported the trans fluid and coolant mixing (pink milkshake) because of an internal failure. So a lot of people will replace the rad with a 5speed (it's smaller), and use an external aux trans cooler.

 

It's likely a slow leak so you won't notice a bunch of residue all that quickly. But all that pink residue (I assume you have the pink coolant) came from somewhere. I'd go ahead and replace the rad.

 

Mine is an automatic . I think I have located the transmission cooler lines now. I just disconnect those and plug them correct?

 

So when I disconnect the cooler lines I just let them hang and drip out or what ? I thought I saw you have to plug them to keep tranny fluid from pouring out

 

You can pinch them with a clamp or something too, but yeah, that's basically it.

Just check the trans fluid level when you're done, and top off if needed.

 

Pressure test showed no leaks in those and by looking at them they look pretty good to me. Just wanted to see your thoughts on if I should just replace them while I'm in there or just leave them for now ? I guess if needed it wouldn't be hard to change them out down the road if they start to wear

 

I just replaced my radiator 2 days ago; it's 22 5/8" between tanks for my 2001 V6 Automatic Prerunner.

I opted to drain and refill my transmission fluid since it was somewhat dark. Drained 3 quarts, so I replaced 3 quarts.

Will be doing that again on my next days off to ensure I've cycled through the old transmission fluid.





Oh and when you swap your radiator out, you don't have to take apart your shroud -

 

The line that connects to the radiator on the passenger side will have a little bit of fluid leaking out; cap off the radiator with the cap that comes with the new radiator. As you can see, I put a small cork on the tube end.

The line that connects to the radiator on the driver side is where you'll need to clamp shut, or capture approximately 1-2 quarts of fluid.



As you can see, the long line is the one that connects to the driver side. Shorter one is near the drain cock.

 

When you take those cooler hoses loose, you need the materials readily at hand, in order to avoid a big transmission-fluid-on-the-floor mess. I used wire nuts to plug the hoses and vacuum caps on the radiator nipples.

 

Might be a dumb question but when and why do I have to plug the radiator nipple ? Just when il removing it to prevent shit from pouring out of it ? Haha

 

A little vapor leaking out the cap is normal, replace the cap though. They go bad

Your radiator itself is probably fine, I wouldn’t replace it

 

Actually (I could be wrong about this) but I believe that cap is designed to release some vapor when a certain pressure is reached.

First thing I would do is replace the cap. So you can isolate if the issue If your cap is defective, or you’re building too high pressure in your system. If you replace the cap and it’s still leaking vapor (because your system is under higher pressure) then I’d check your cooling system as it may be running a little warm. Thermostat comes to mind

e/ Better yet see if you can get one of those cheap ob2 data scanners so u can read coolant temp on the fly - this can help determine if your system is running too warm

 

seconded. this is on my list to do and I'm not having any leakage issues yet. These trucks are older and things degrade over time. What's a hundo bucks for a new radiator and part of a day to replace?

 

If I've ever doubted a radiator, I replace it. I've had good luck with the cheap ones from autozone or oriellys. Most guys will recommend to spend more.

 

I dont think it's my cap the small gasket inside looks good and overall its seems to be fine. There is no coolant coming out of where the cap fits. Its definitely the top of the radiator where the there is sort of a seam if that makes sense . As I said before I wiped it all clean and drove for awhile and it started leaking out the top of the radiator itself . Took a bit to show leakage so I'm assuming it's a slow leak but will probably replace the whole thing for peace of mind . Thanks again for your comments y'all

 

What kind of coolant do I need? And how much should I get to refill ? Probably will look to order it online and I honestly have no idea how much it takes normally to fill the whole system thanks again

 

I went with the pink stuff, premixed from my Toyota dealership.

Also bought the transmission fluid from them.

 

Zerex Red (Toyota, Lexus, Scion) has appeared at Walmart for $11.97 a gallon. I bought 3 gallons this week.

 

Assuming this is the same stuff pictured above ? Just want to be 100% sure Haha! Thanks