Radiator replacement issues.. Help me please

[Muddassir]

Now that I removed the old radiator. I have these issues..

- bottom 4 bolts of fan are super rusted. They aren't comming off.
- there are two additional slots that are pointed out in the pictures, are there in the old one, but not in the new one.. how would I handle that?


Whoever gave me the advice of DIY, better come here and tell me about all this.. it waisted my 7 hours already.I couldn't sleep.. I have to go to work too.. I would be better off getting it done by mechanic..For them, it is only 1.3 hour job.

[Muddassir]

[eyeball96]

Try some PB Blaster, on those rusted bolts...spray it on, Take a nap!...It'll loosen them up!
Try to chill alittle! I found the more frustrated I get the more I fuck up!

[BadChicken]

if the bolts break off at the bottom of the fan, just replace the bolts, not that difficult. Then loosen the 2 hose attachments and transfer them to the new radiator

[Muddassir]

Thanx BadChicken

Well, one bolt broke easily, one on the other fan came off.. I had to break the plastic near the other 2 bolts.

And sorry about those two small pieces of pipes. They were in the box of new radiator. I installed it, I used super glue near the broken connections of fan..

[Muddassir]

One thing I wanna ask now is, why did radiator only flushed 3 litres of water? why not 6? Right now I just filled it with water, I will drain it later to fill coolant.


I can't find the drain plug on the engine yet. Any ideas?

And one more interesting thing. My previous coolant was green color, but the liquid that was in the 2 small hoses was pink color.. How is that possible?

[RningOnFumes]

That drain plug is near the outlet end of the coolant. I'm not sure of it. But if you did the thermometer the easier way to flush the engine is to run your hose from one hole out the other and reverse it.

Don't worry about the coolant color, as long as you've flushed the old/ different stuff out, you'll be good. You didn't get Toyota red?

Um.....the two smaller hoses is Oil!...don't touch that with water or coolant. I forget which, it's either engine or tranny oil into the radiator to get cooled.

[toyomoho]

The red arrows in your photo of the old radiator point to the inlet and outlet of the transmission radiator cooler. These fittings are part of the radiator and I don’t think can be removed. The new radiator is most likely setup for both an auto and manual trans. As such the transmission oil cooler holes may be temporarily plugged. These are the two items you are pointing at on the photo of the new radiator. Did you install the two pieces of pipe into the holes on the new radiator at these locations?

If you have bolts holding the fan setup to the old radiator that will not come out and you cannot wait. Use a drill or just break off the head. A hardware store selling metric bolts will have something that will work. These are just standard metric bolts.

The radiator may only hold 3 quarts because the rest ends up in the engine block.

When you install the coolant sensor into the new radiator, don’t tighten it too hard or you might crack the plastic on the radiator. Use a little Teflon tape or joint compound if you have some.

Coolant comes in all colors, red, green, yellow, clear. The red coolant is most likely the original Toyota. The engine drain plug can be in a very difficult place to get to and take out. I suggest you pass on this. Just flush out the engine block with water the best you can. Most likely much of it has already drained out. Worse case, substitute water for coolant when filling the radiator, run the car and let it flush itself. Then drain out the system and put in the coolant. The is no need to bleed the coolant system.

[Muddassir]

Thanx toyomoho. I already wrote that I found out the connectors in the box of new radiator, so I plugged them in. Both fans are 3 quarter installed perfectly, and one quaarter broken. I just used super glue there.

And Rning on Fumes, are you sure it is a transmission oil? I think I would have to agree with toyomoho that it can be old coolant, that usually dont flow much if you dont use heater, so thats why it is still in origional color. But still I am now in doubt as it look like transmission oil.

And yes, I tighten the colant sensor too hard, but I didn't heat any cracking noise.

[RningOnFumes]

yes. Haynes manual confirms that it's oil form the tranny.

[toyomoho]

Let’s back up. Transmission fluid is also Red! Take some of this fluid in your hand and smell it. If it smells like oil and feels oily, it is transmission oil. The Toyota brand coolant that originally came with the car at time of manufacture is also Red. This fluid feels like water, smells somewhat sweet.

If this fluid came out of the two small lower pipes on the old radiator it is most likely transmission oil.

The transmission cooler has a separate system within the radiator itself. Only transmission fluid flows through the transmission cooler portion of the radiator through the two small pipes. Transmission fluid goes into one of the pipes (you attached them to the radiator) and out the other. Inside the radiator there are tubes where the coolant flows next to the coolant in the radiator (but never mixes with it). The transmission fluid then gives off some of its heat to the coolant to lower its temperature.

Much as air going over the radiator fins cools the radiator coolant without mixing with the coolant fluid. The radiator coolant cools the temperature of the transmission oil without mixing with it.

Don’t put coolant into the transmission cooler tubes.

When you reinstall the radiator, just reattach the two hoses from the transmission to the pipes on the radiator in the same location you took them off. This should be obvious, as when the radiator is installed, the hoses should end up next to the appropriate pipe on the radiator. Once everything is buttoned up on this job, check the trans fluid level. It may or may not required topping off. Don’t over fill.

One more thing, if your new radiator does not have them, move any radiator mount pads from the old to new radiator. These would be little pads at the bottom left and right sides of the radiator. I think I see them on the old one, but not the new, but?

You are almost done; the hard part should be over. Good job.

[BadChicken]

Yeah don't mess with those lines just hook them back up and leave them alone, their for the transmission. You'll have to check your fluid level when your all done cuz I'm sure you lost a little bit when you disconnected them. One of the easiest ways to flush the cooling system is to remove the thermostat and use a garden hose to push water through the system and out of the hoses onto the ground

[Muddassir]

well, the new one is sitting nicely without lower pads, buthere is a litle space abot 1 to 2 milimeter between the upper mount and the radiator, by which radiator can move from its position upto 3 milimeters. not more then that. I am thinking it as a non issue.

the trasnmission fluid that flushed was in very small amount. I drove the car on highway for about 20 minutes, and it was totally smooth., so I dont think I need to top up any transmission fluid.

[Muddassir]

I think I dont need much flushing, as it only has water for the time being. I will check few days and if there isn't any problem, I will flush half of the water and will fill the coolant. One morething my brother told me, it should be exactly 50-50 mix.. and there is a tool available that can ell exactly how much percentage is water and how much is coolant. And it should be inexpensive. I'll buy that.

[RningOnFumes]

You're using distilled water right?