Radiator has a hairline crack in the plastic. Ordered a new one from rocka uto.com (Denso, about $70) and I thought maybe now's a good time to replace the rubber transmission oil hose to the radiator as well (almost 135,000 m iles, 1999 after all).
Now I'm stuck trying to figure out what diameter of hose to get. CarQuest says they sell 5/16-inch and 3/8-inch diameter hose, Gates brand. I didn't think 1/16 of an inch would be all that big of a deal but the cashier insi sts that it should be snug and not too tight.
So, what diameter is it? It blows my mind that it's not a metric size, but oh well.
Well, it most likely was a metric size if the car was made outside the USA. But could well be locally supplied inch measured hose for USA made cars. With something like rubber hose, they would be close enough.
But, I can't tell what size you should use. You might want to try to see what is printed on the existing hose before you take it off. They usually have the size printed every so often along with brand name, etc.
Gates does make very high quality rubber products.
Something like this, just take the old one into the parts store and they will cut one off the same length. Probably best to use a real auto parts store for something like this and not let the kid at autobone guess at what it is and what he's doing. If you have screw type hose clamps don't over tighten... tight enough to hold forever but not so tight you damage the new hose.
You might want to check the motor mounts and dog bone to make sure the engine isn't moving to much when accelerating or stopping. Radiators.. one of those things, some last the life of the vehicle, a lot of them get clogged up on the inside, some start leaking, they are usually easy to change. I once drilled a couple of holes at the end of a crack on one on an old chevy with the plastic tanks, then ruffed the area up with a hand grinder and gooped it all good with JB Weld. It was supposed to be temp thing but it was still on the car holding pressure when I sold it a couple of years later.
I called the dealer for specs on the pressure rating on the cap. They didn 't know, but want $26 for a new radiator cap. They also didn't know the di ameter of the oil hoses, but want some $56 for the two hoses. But at least they told me the cracks are likely not caused by a bad radiator cap.
I would do the JB Weld thing but it seems the bottom part of the rad is toa st too. Might as well just replace the thing.
dn't know, but want $26 for a new radiator cap. They also didn't know the diameter of the oil hoses, but want some $56 for the two hoses. But at lea st they told me the cracks are likely not caused by a bad radiator cap.
oast too. Might as well just replace the thing.
I replaced the dog bone when I did the timing belt last month.
I removed the radiator (it was easier to just leave the fans on the old rad iator, although it was a little heavy to lift out with the fans attached, w ith few places to securely grab.
The radiator cap said 88 kPa. I believe that's about 12.8 psi. Eagerly aw aiting the new radiator in the mail tomorrow.
With a tape measure, the inner diameter of the tube seems closer to 3/8" th an 5/16". I cut the tube in half and measured the diameter there, since th e part that mounted onto the metal pieces probably stretched the diameter o ut some.
didn't know, but want $26 for a new radiator cap. They also didn't know th e diameter of the oil hoses, but want some $56 for the two hoses. But at l east they told me the cracks are likely not caused by a bad radiator cap.
toast too. Might as well just replace the thing.
adiator, although it was a little heavy to lift out with the fans attached, with few places to securely grab.
awaiting the new radiator in the mail tomorrow.
than 5/16". I cut the tube in half and measured the diameter there, since the part that mounted onto the metal pieces probably stretched the diameter out some.
All done! Only tough part was putting the fans back on. On the bottom of the fans there are (about 1/4-inch diameter) pegs that go through holes on the bottom part of the rad, but there were also some smaller pegs (1/8-inch or so in diameter?), and there weren't any appropriate holes on the rad. Rather than try and drill holes on the rad I just took some wire cutters an d cut the smaller pegs off. Fans fit fine, finally. =D
Three feet of 3/8" A/T oil tubing did the trick. One hose was 16 inches lo ng; the other hose was about one foot. Salesman said my old tubing swelled considerably. Oh, and the new rad had the brass fittings already installe d on the rad for the A/T hose, so I didn't take them out or put any plumbin g tape on the fittings (except for the coolant temperature sensor; I put pl umbing tape on that one.)
I kept the old radiator cap, just because I don't want to be rushed choosin g a new cap.
So far so good! Topped off a little bit of coolant after driving in to wor k, but everything seems to hold up well.
You just voided the radiator warranty by not putting a new cap on. And there is no "choice" of caps. You go to any auto parts store, tell them the year. make, model, engine, of the car, and they hand you the right one. Should cost about ten bucks.
a "source" for common sense? It'll be covered under "incorrect installation" and "failure to follow manufacturer's recommendations".
And it's taught in every cooling system class you could ever attend. All hoses, thermostat, radiator cap, water pump, and coolant must be in like-new condition, or you'll fall-on-your-face if you make a warranty claim on a radiator failure.
I have not once, ever, tested a radiator cap that was over a year old, and found it to be up-to it's stated pressure rating. The labor-time to even test a cap exceeds the cost of a new one....and that's if you even have the tools which are easily over $100 to begin with.
here's a nice article on the subject of radiator caps:
I have not yet taken the time to go to above site, and I do indeed appreciate all the advice found here.
But I just recently had (at dealer) the 60,000 mile servicing, so that is the 12th servicing I have had on a 2007 Camry. I do not recall that the dealer has ever changed the cap. That seems somewhat inconsistent with the advice.
yes, people doing things incorrectly is always inconsistent with honest advice.
But to review, you can spend $100 on the tools and test it yourself, and find out it's bad, or you can pay a shop $50 and find out it's bad, or you can buy a new cap for $10.
Or better yet, just drive around with a bad cap, and hope that you won't ever have a problem. You know?... like people with bald tires that have never crashed, so they think people telling them to buy new tires are ripping them off.
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