Need new radiator advice

Hello anybody have any recommendations on radiator types? Brand? Plastic casing / aluminum, all aluminum, three core? All that stuff. Any specific brands that you recommend for the 3.0 V6. And yes.. I only use Toyota brand red long life. Thanks and cheers!

 

This may not be a popular opinion. I like using the plastic radiator, (tyc brand)with an aluminum core in my truck with Toyota pink coolant from zyrex. Let me explain. The copper ones (oem) have never lasted in this truck, gone through 3 of them. Idk why, just my experience. So far the radiator I have has held up wonderfully for 2 years. I’ve noticed that the pink stuff makes my engine run cooler, which for a 3vze is good. The pink coolant does better with aluminum than the red. So to me it seems like it’s better for the heads and the water pump. You do not want a 3 core radiator. You have an automatic. So it can run “too cold” with a triple core, which will make it to where it won’t shift into overdrive. There’s a coolant temp sensor that tells the transmission when to shift so running your cooling system too cold is not ideal, which is why I like my setup. Slightly cooler than “normal” operating temp, warm enough to shift into over drive, and to me, a little bit more reliable. So I guess the moral of the story, don’t get a copper oem one, don’t get a triple core aluminum radiator. I think a single core aluminum radiator with plastic or aluminum tanks will do you just fine.

 

That’s some great info, thank you! Those TYC rads are priced right too.. I’ll check them out. Thx again!

 

I used Champion Aluminum 3 row core.
https://www.championradiators.com/Toyota--4Runner-radiator 1988-1995
But no pink coolant for me ....... I'm running Evans waterless coolant. Not saying that the "too cool" issue is not possible, but hasn't even been close to a factor on mine. After what I went through to clean my block and heater core it's the only way to go.

 

Curious, how many miles on your original ? That’s pretty good if it’s the original, I’d go with the same if it were me.

 

94k.. realistically, the crack is so small and barely seeping out coolant, I could probably go another 10,000 on it.

 

Probably, but then again?

 

The plastic caps are BS go with an all aluminum radiator. They are lighter than copper have no stupid seams or plastic that will crack and fail with enough thermal cycles. I put in a two row aluminum G-Plus brand from eBay. It comes with a 1.3 Bar radiator cap. I slapped a Ø-16" inch Zirgo electric fan on the back of it and pitched the OEM clutch fan and use a 185° Derral thermal switch and relay threaded into the drain pet cock to regulate the air flow at traffic lights and slow running off-road. If you have a properly operating thermostat you can put a three row in and you will not have a problem with over cooling anything. The fan only ever is needed after I hit lights coming off the freeway or when I am in low range doing steep hills in hot weather. Temp gauge never goes past half way ever. Looks really cool too.
O'Reilly Green Universal Coolant with Distilled water and some Redline water wetter.

 

I have a 2005 runner and am on the original radiator with 150,000 miles. Never had an overheat.

I purchased a "sunbelt" for backup with a lifetime warantee.

$93 Sunbelt Radiator For 03-09 Toyota 4Runner 4.0L 07-14 Toyota FJ Cruiser 4.0L 2580

Amazon.com: Sunbelt Radiator For Toyota 4Runner FJ Cruiser 2580 Drop in Fitment: Automotive