Sand dunes bent radiator

I kissed the base of a climb a little rough. No visible damage aside from the two front clips of the driver fender flare popped off. The base of my radiator bowed from the center and contacted a clutch fan fin. The bite chewed up a few rows of the radiator but I was able to limp back to camp before it went dry. My bumper stock along with the skid from a TRD OR. That only leaves about a 3-4" gap for sand to penetrate and contact the radiator. Is that sufficient to cause my failure? Keep in mind the un affected AC condenser is before the radiator.

 

Damn I'd be scared of overheating

 

I was too but I had the scangauge watching the temps and it was still gushing after I parked at camp. Lucky I guess.

 

You must have pushed the core support back. The core support is what the rad is mounted to. Can you pull the CS back with a winch or come along?

Rads are cheap and easy to replace. Don't risk blowing a head gasket.

 

Happens to the best of us, glad you made it back to camp before the engine went full milkshake maker on ya

 

Not trying to say it happened but thermostat temp readings only work if there's fluid. If fluid levels are low enough the engine can overheat without temp readings increasing

Also, carry some jb waterweld when you go offroading, pretty compact and comes in handy in a pinch
J-B Weld 8277 Off White 1 Pack

$7 J-B Weld 8277 WaterWeld Epoxy Putty Stick - 2 oz., Off White

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRQ0TW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NJo4BbMDF390X

 

All the HG talk is making me second guess my decision to limp back but hear my logic. I made the call after a quick assessment of the damage. I made the call under the assumption the thermostat output was the top hose and the bottom hose was the uptake. Since the damage was localized to the bottom 5 rows, it would be safe for me to run if I still had coolant leaking. As long as I had uptake of coolant from the bottom hose the system would not be dry. Does this sound correct?