I need to replace the radiator on my 96 corolla DX wagon (1.8L engine, AT with overdrive switch, AC). I have a new radiator on order at my local Toyota dealership as I wasn't satisfied with local after market options.
I've done drain and refills before but was wondering since I'm going to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses at the same time (as precaution), do I need to do anything special to "burp" the radiator once I've finished the job? When I've done drain and refills before, I simply fill the radiator using a large funnel, very slowly so as not to entrain air pockets. Then, I start the engine with the radiator cap off, heat to max temp and fan on high and rags around the top of the fill hole to catch any overflow. I let the engine warm up to the point the fans come on and heat is flowing in the car. I rev the engine a few times, shut it down, check levels when cold, and watch it over the next few days. I have never removed the coolant drain plug on the engine during any of my jobs. I tried to do this once but the bolt seems to have been tightened at the factory by Hercules.
Will my technique be sufficient for this job? I've read some folks talk about putting the car at an elevation (front end up) but my technique has always seemed to work for me. Are there any coolant bleeder valves that need to be opened? Again, I'm just not sure if there is anything else I might need to do since I'm removing upper and lower hoses and figure this might have the potential to capture extra air pockets.
Finally, how much AT fluid is likely to be trapped in the radiator? Will a lot drain out once I remove the two AT hoses from the radiator? I suppose I should have some Toyota AT fluid on hand to top off the AT fluid.
Any advice appreciated. I'm going to attempt this job myself unless you all say I might want consider going to the dealer for the install. I was just hoping to avoid risking driving the car (the radiator has pinhole leaks and fluid is spritzing out, and last time I used a tow truck but my insurance didn't end up covering the bill.
I have a new radiator on order at my local Toyota dealership as I wasn't satisfied with local after market options.
I've done drain and refills before but was wondering since I'm going to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses at the same time (as precaution), do I need to do anything special to "burp" the radiator once I've finished the job? Finally, how much AT fluid is likely to be trapped in the radiator? Will a lot drain out once I remove the two AT hoses from the radiator? I suppose I should have some Toyota AT fluid on hand to top off the AT fluid.
"burp"
Don't worry bout the air. Once you dump one gallon of coolant in there, top off with water. Start engine with cap off. Add water as necessary. It will work itself out.
And last, you won't loose any fluid really from the oil cooler lines. I wouldn't worry about that. In fact, it's just one short metal tube that runs from one end to the other hidden in the lower part of the radiator
Oh, and if you don't mind me askin, how much was that radiator??? Honestly aftermarket would have been sufficient.
change the thermostat, upper, and lower hose with the radiator.
yes, head on full hot but fan on low. run the engine until the upper hose gets hot and you can see coolant flowing through the radiator. hold a fast idle while filling the radiator and put the cap on, let it idle and it will build pressure right away. wait for the cooling fans to cycle on and then off, let it cool over night. top coolant resivoir as needed in the morning and check the level in the raditor. should be OK.
Just a quick update my new radiator is in the car and "burped". I talked with some master Nissan mechanics at my dealership and they confirmed that idling the car with the cap off until the fans kick in is a good approach. Putting the car on a slight incline (like a driveway) also helps. You can see bubbles in the radiator neck from time to time while the car is warming up. I put the cap on, let it cool down, and then topped it off and the reservoir a bit afterwards. Everything is working fine.
By the way ... for those faced with the decision of going with a Harrison radiator or the Nippon Denso, go with the Nippon. The ND radiator I ordered from the dealer had a leaky petcock valve so I had them order a new Harrison for me instead (I had a Harrison in the car in the first place). It turns out Harrison radiators are made in Mexico and was very poorly made compared to the ND I had ordered in the first place. The dealer gave me a different o-ring for the petcock on the ND and it seals up just fine now. The ND radiators are made in Japan and you the difference in quality is night and day. Plus, the ND radiators come with a new OEM radiator cap!
Thanks to everyone for their replies to my message.
Toyotas are nowhere near as bad as some Japanese cars when it comes to removing air from cooling systems. Bottom line is you just have to pay attentions to the coolant as you heat cycle the car a few times. eventually the coolant level will stabilize.
Thanks will for the quality comparison. The recent replacements I have gotten were all as good as or better than the OEM one it replaced. Toyota was the first to use plastic end tanks that split, so a replacement with metal tanks is a good idea if you plan on keeping your ride on the road for a while.
Just a quick update my new radiator is in the car and "burped". I talked with some master Nissan mechanics at my dealership and they confirmed that idling the car with the cap off until the fans kick in is a good approach. Putting the car on a slight incline (like a driveway) also helps. You can see bubbles in the radiator neck from time to time while the car is warming up. I put the cap on, let it cool down, and then topped it off and the reservoir a bit afterwards. Everything is working fine.
By the way ... for those faced with the decision of going with a Harrison radiator or the Nippon Denso, go with the Nippon. The ND radiator I ordered from the dealer had a leaky petcock valve so I had them order a new Harrison for me instead (I had a Harrison in the car in the first place). It turns out Harrison radiators are made in Mexico and was very poorly made compared to the ND I had ordered in the first place. The dealer gave me a different o-ring for the petcock on the ND and it seals up just fine now. The ND radiators are made in Japan and you the difference in quality is night and day. Plus, the ND radiators come with a new OEM radiator cap!
Thanks to everyone for their replies to my message.
Hehe, glad you recognise the ND quality (or DENSO as it is now, no Nippon, I work for them). However I wish I had that much money to shell out, most of the time I have to go aftermarket
Maybe when I start my new position I will afford to remain loyal.
But as you say, build quality of aftermarket rarely compares to ND/D stuff, hence the price tag.
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I wanted to buy the Harrison radiator in the first place (since this is what was in the car from the factory) and actually felt like I was making a compromise in quality. They told me there were two radiators for that year and either would work - the Harrison or the Denso. However, the Harrison was another $50 more than the Denso (and the Denso was very expensive!). So I went with the Denso. When the petcock valve leaked, I was so disappointed and was glad when they told me they would swap out the Denso for the Harrison - and for the same price. But the fit and finish of the Harrison was so inferior I decided to try their suggestion of replacing the O-ring on the already installed Denso. It was like the little boy with his finger in the dam but I managed to unscrew the petcock, slip on the O-ring, and screw it back in without losing too much of my new coolant. So far so good and the parts counter guys promised to take care of me if any problems arise (under the one year parts warranty). I should have taken pictures of the two radiators for the board. I looked up Harrison radiators and read they are one of the most established companies in the USA. I suspect they started outsourcing the work to Mexico.
By the way, I have the factory service manual for my car. It says the Denso radiator can be completely rebuilt and has a huge exploded parts diagram. It also says the Harrison can not be rebuilt. It's not like I would ever attempt to rebuild the Denso, but I think this also speaks to the quality. Plus, the Denso radiator came with a new radiator cap. Nice touch! I have read that this is an often overlooked item to be periodically replaced! My car is so happy now with its new radiator, fresh transfusion of Toyota red coolant, new hoses, and radiator cap! Good luck at Denso - I think you are working at a great company!
Clean the o-ring groove with a Q-tip and solvent. Make sure there are no leftover fragments of the old o-ring stuck in there. Sorry about the poor picture quality here.
Install the new o-ring. Toyota was nice enough to put some nubs on the o-ring to hold it in place. Make sure those nubs are seated in the o-ring groove so it doesn't fall out during re-assembly
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