Radiator Head Gasket

[ejs]

Driving and notice temperature going up, pull over and all the water leaked out of radiator. Testing radiator with that blue chemical fluid you put over radiator cap and it turns green (I guess yellow would have been real bad) which means there is some CO2 leaking in from head gasket.

Looking for leak, radiator seemed fine, but I when I pour water in it just pours out. Leak is from very bottom near the drain plugs. I assume there is a crack as won't hold water at all although I can't see the crack.

Q: I don't want to replace the head gasket and do a valve job. If I just replace the radiator how much time do I buy? Nothing in oil, no milky color inside oil cap, nothing on dipstick. No white smoke when I run it.

Where do you find the cheapest radiators, is this an auto zone item or should I try radiator shops. I have to do this myself as can only drive about 3 miles without overheating and that is just asking to screw it up. I guess I can call Carson Toyota to see what they will ship one for.

The last year I noticed some white smoke out of the right exhaust on start up, it goes away after it warms up.

Am I wasting my time thinking I should just replace the radiator? If I can get one cheap enough it seems easy enough to do.

[jzz30]

figure out if its really the radiator leaking. if it is change it! its not that hard to do

[Elmer Catalan]

On my 95 SC400 that has 170,000 miles, I had a coolant leak in the engine compartment in June 2007. I thought it's the water pump, so I ordered all the parts from www.ToyotaAndLexusParts.com (water pump, timing belt, Ignition wire set, RH & LH Idler Pulley, RH & LH Rotors, RH & LH Distributor Caps, Thermostat, Thermostat Gasket, 2 Water Pipe O-rings, Upper Radiator Hose, Lower Radiator Hose, and Timing Belt Tensioner.

After 3 weekends of removing and installing these parts, and changing coolant and engine oil, I completed it on 7/31/07.

When I started warming up the car, I noticed slow coolant leak running down the fins of the Radiator. I did not notice any leak from the new Upper & Lower Radiator hoses.

Can anybody help if the Radiator needs to be replaced, or this is a sympton of a Head Gasket leak.

Thanks.

Elmer

[lenore]

water down the radiator fins is not an indication of head gasket. See if it drys out and then check coolant level. If it doesnt dry out either the upper hose is not quite tight or something on the radiator is cracked or broken. Sometimes the radiators have a plastic inlet and outlet. overtightening the clamps on the hoses can break them when they are old. If that happens then the radiator has to be replaced. good luck.

[ejs]

Took the radiator out, real easy like everyone says. Went to a radiator shop who charged me $50 to clean and weld it. I didn't think you could weld aluminium but it is fixed. Put it back in without antifreeze as I wanted to see if I had a head gasket problem. Car runs fine.

I did look on the internet and it looks like $175 shipped for radiator if you look around. I didn't need to go that route.

I guess I still have the potential for a head gasket blowing out in the future, but so far good to go. Just won't take long trips. That test for the head gasket where the blue fluid turned green put some worry in me the car was shot, will see what happens. Drives like it did before. No signs of head gasket problems other than some white smoke on the right side when it is cold that goes away after a minute as it warms up.

[Elmer Catalan]

Before removing the 2 Transmission hoses to the SC400 radiator, does someone has any suggestion on what to use as a plug to the hoses? Do I plug the 2 hoses, and the 2 open areas in the Radiator? Thanks for any help.

Elmer

[jzz30]

you can get some rubber hose and shove a bolt on one end and just slip the other end over the trans line or you can just connect the 2 with a long piece of hose.

[drewtiss]

On my 95 SC400 that has 170,000 miles, I had a coolant leak in the engine compartment in June 2007. I thought it's the water pump, so I ordered all the parts from www.ToyotaAndLexusParts.com (water pump, timing belt, Ignition wire set, RH & LH Idler Pulley, RH & LH Rotors, RH & LH Distributor Caps, Thermostat, Thermostat Gasket, 2 Water Pipe O-rings, Upper Radiator Hose, Lower Radiator Hose, and Timing Belt Tensioner.

After 3 weekends of removing and installing these parts, and changing coolant and engine oil, I completed it on 7/31/07.

When I started warming up the car, I noticed slow coolant leak running down the fins of the Radiator. I did not notice any leak from the new Upper & Lower Radiator hoses.

Can anybody help if the Radiator needs to be replaced, or this is a sympton of a head gasket leak.

Thanks.

Elmer

I am planning to rebuild my old project too. I want to start at my old head gaskets & some coolant though have one question to ask. For how long did you get the Thermostat Gasket & the 2 Water Pipe O-rings work together?