2001 w 200k miles blew a radiator, 2nd one in 3-4 yrs…shud I do timing belt n water pump too

So…after a cold winter bowhunt I warmed up the ol girl for bout a half hour cuz she hasn’t been blowing heat too good into cab lately…& as I backed up I see the smoke! Hot temp and splatterings of coolant on road! Ugh. Cudnt identify location of leak. This happened on a boat ramp bout 3-4 yrs ago putting in my bassboat w my kid for a Father’s Day tournament…radiator spit a clot! My pal n I installed a new one…leak was at a crease at bottom of radiator…but I think it shud have lasted longer…any correlation w me routinely warming it up for a long time?? And why isn’t truck can heating up after a long warm up?

….we did a timing belt n water pump probably around 100-125k…maybe even less….shud we do another one now since radiator will be out? I been finding myself looking at some newer used ones lately….the 2016-18s guys maybe trading in for the new 2022. But all are Expensive!. Good thing I had my sons 2000 Tundra w 217k as a back up truck to tool around in…he doesn’t get his license til next year! Lol

 

If you've done a DIY water pump replacement before on a 2UZFE, you already know that having the rad out of the way makes the job much easier. When you're doing the maintenance, go ahead and replace the heater hoses while you have the coolant drained. Those are the 1" rubber hoses against the firewall just to the left of the brake fluid reservoir. They're 20 years old, might be the culprit to your heating issue.

 

Great! Thanks!

 

What brand radiator did you use when you replaced it last? Also, have you checked your thermostat? It could be stuck partially open. Timing belt and water pump should be every 90k miles so definitely time for a new one.

 

3-4 years is way too soon for a radiator to fail. Was it an aftermarket part? Regardless, replace it with a Denso unit. Regularly warming up the truck for long periods didn't cause the radiator to fail.

Regarding the lack of heat... there are two potential causes of that:
1) Low coolant level -- which is pretty likely since you're radiator failed. It was probably leaking slowly for a while.
2) Bad thermostat that's stuck open. You should have changed the thermostat when you changed the radiator 3-4 years ago. If you didn't, replace it this time.

The timing belt interval is 90K miles. If you changed it about 100K miles ago, you're due for another change. So yes, change the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner. It comes as a kit.

Oh, and use Toyota coolant -- or equivalent. (like Pentosin, or Zerex Asian, etc.) Don't use green coolant.

 

Clogged heater core? someone could have used the wrong coolant or even a head gasket leak putting oil in the coolant.

Take the rubber heater hoses off of the heater core carefully, cut if stuck, don’t just twist and pull. Is the metal heater core pipe perfectly clear? Sludge? Corrosion?

I’d set up a heater core flush before putting truck back on road. Prestone makes a cooling system flush or you can use, if you have, old dishwasher detergent when they used TSP as an ingredient.

Buy a 12 volt pump at harbor freight, hooks up to a garden hose. Set up hoses and adapters to hook up the pump directly to the heater core and a bucket or your cleaning solution. Mix it hot, even boiling water if you must. The hotter the better. The pump will be ok.

Old clothes washer hoses with one end cut off work well to connect to pump. Then you have think on the fly for the heater hose to pump hose connection. Copper pipe, iron or brass nipples. Stay away from galvanized pipe and nipples — no need to introduce galvanized crap into the system.

Pump the cleaning solution from the bucket, through the core, and back into the bucket. Let it run at least 30 minutes. Then switch the hoses and change the direction of flow through the core and pump again. New solution if it’s super dirty. Reheat the old solution if it wasn’t too bad. In my experience the 2nd direction is where all the crap comes out.

Once done, flush with lots of hot, clean water.

I’ve done this on 2 jeep cherokees with excellent results. Even did this on a john deere wheel loader with a head gasket leak which has oil in the coolant. Used kerosene as cleaning agent on that one.

It takes a little doing, time, and a little money needs to be spent, but well worth it if you have a partially clogged heater core.

 

Wow!! Great info fellas! Thanks!!

 

Be sure and get a new a radiator cap, could be some of your pressure problems

 

To me it sounds like the thermostat was stuck nearly closed if you couldn't get heat into the cabin and it overheated the radiator. If it were stuck open, that wouldn't be the case for the overheating.

Definitely replace the thermostat along with the radiator at a minimum. If you have the time, definitely do the water pump and timing belt.

 

My buddy been working on it and said radiator was holding pressure…so he drove it a bit and that’s when it got hot again and he found a small leak in lower left corner of radiator.

 

I seriously don't think that's the cause of the issue. Are you able to squeeze the upper radiator hose when its hot to feel the coolant flowing? This will tell you if the thermostat opened up or not supposedly.

 

I will ask him Jack. Thanks!

 

Might have to burp the heater core? Check the water cooler oil filter, too.

 

Another method if you're unable to squeeze the upper hose under pressure and release it to feel the coolant flow after the engine is warmed is to feel the lower radiator hose. If it's cold when the engine is up to temp, the thermostat is definitely stuck. The lower hose should be somewhat warm when the thermostat opens around 180 degrees or so and the hot coolant flows through the radiator. Hope that helps.