1989 22R engine 4x4 overheating

First, is the fluid in the radiator a true 50/50? Filling the resevoir with anything other than 50/50 will shift the balance in the direction of the added fluid, and the most efficient cooling requires

A new radiator for this vehicle should be less than $150.

As for the thermostat, just because the upper hose is hot doesn't mean that the thermostat is fully >My 1989 4x4 began to overheat a couple of months ago. It developed

The fluid is 50/50 so that shouldn't be a problem and the thermostat is new. I'll try running the engine without the thermostat to see if I have a defective unit. If that doesn't work, I suppose the next step is the radiator.

Thanks for the > First, is the fluid in the radiator a true 50/50? Filling the

Before you drop a ton of money on this, try power flushing the entire system. Get one of those add-on kits that you can hook your heater hose up to your garden hose & have at it. You'll be surprised how much glop you can blow out of there. I've fixed more than one overheating problem this way. If it doesn't work and you end up with a new heater cose & radiator anyway, at least you can maintin them better with a flush system in place, and they only cost about $10.

Cheers, - Jeff G

me wrote:

Is the thermostat an OEM part? There have been problems with some of the aftermarket thermostats that don't open right even when new.

On the off chance that it's the early signs of a blown head gasket, have someone run a combustion-gases-in-coolant test on your car - before you chase a ghost through the cooling system that turns out to be caused by a blown head gasket. It's quick and easy, and cheap.

If that checks out, getting the radiator boiled and rodded out (or a brand new radiator if you can find a good deal) is the next step.

Some cars are using cheap aluminum radiators with crimped-on plastic tanks, they're disposable - if they get clogged or leaky trash them and buy new, it costs more to fix them than to replace them.

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I echo what Bruce said. I replaced my radiator about two years ago (89' 22re 4x4) because of overheating. I went to a local shop and he had radiators on the shelf that he "boiled" out himself. These were factory radiators he refurbished. I gave him mine, he gave me an oem refurb. He said the plastic ones were junk. No more overheating.

I agree. I've read some of the other posts. My '84 was overheating due to a blown head gasket. I hope it is your radiator because the head gasket route means milling the head. Your truck is age younger than mine, but what's the milage? I just got through rebuilding the entire engine, cooling system, ac/heat and driveline. I had to do it over a period of two years, but the truck just finally wore out. If I had the money to buy another I would have, but I never dreamed that I would have had to do this. It all started with a blown head gasket.

To check your radiator, run the engine until it heats up. turn the engine off, and use your hand to feel all over the fin surface of the radiator. If you feel cooler spots, it is clogged and needs replacement. Replacement radiators are cheap for these trucks. Good luck

Thanks all for the input. I replaced the radiator and everything is running fine. Once I removed it, I could tell that the bottom had some pretty serious corrosion. I'll keep an eye on the head gasket as suggested.

I also agree about being careful about after market parts such as the thermostat. When I first tested and replaced it, the part from PepBoys was a piece o'crap that didn't fit. After returning it, the $18 I spent at the Toyota dealership for a true part was worth the peace of mind.

cheers.