87xjmike

i came from jeep 4.0's that run at 220 on the reg, it was just a refreshing change.
And please explain to me why toyota specific coolant is red if these trucks came with the green? And etheline glycol is in both the red and green. Its the corrosion resistant additives that is added to the yota red that we need.

Discombobulated

Yup!!!!!!!

benja455

"Toyota Red" didn't come out until 1996, if I recall correctly...someone else can back me up on that date...but feel free to check a FSM or speak to an older Toyota Tech, they will tell you the same thing.

Green 88

About a week ago I installed a radiator designed for a 1995 4Runner with a V6 into my 1988 4Runner that has a 22RE. The radiator in my '88 was shot and my brother-in-law had a brand new radiator for his '95 in storage so that's what I used.
The V6 radiator did bolt in however it wouldn't allow my hood to shut. I had to drill holes into the radiator's side brackets to lower the radiator mounting a half inch which was enough to allow the hood to shut. The stock '88 hoses fit just fine on the '95 radiator. The only non-stock hardware I used has one 8mm nut to hold the radiator shroud on.

87creamyota

Hey man what year and model is that v6 radiator you are using?

Blueman

This thread amazes me. Cooling the engine isn't that tough, and Toyota engineers didn't just slap this truck together. If it's not cooling under even the harshest conditions, something is broken.

I've driven from the SF Bay Area to the Black Rock Desert in mine with >170k miles and loaded until it's deep on its haunches (approx 1200lb) and have never seen the gauge budge above nominal while crossing the Sierras at the maximum speed it would do with temps in the mid 90's. And that was with a 2-core radiator, but now I have the 3-core CSF 2306 as discussed in other threads. I've towed 2100lb boats with this truck in the upper 90's on flat-ish ground, and never seen it overheat.

I do wonder how much of this is driver technique, and not keeping the RPMs up. Or maybe running it low on coolant.
I don't think it's due to the wrong mix of coolant as the specific heat of the 50/50 mix isn't that much different than straight water.
And if your radiator cap is leaking (not holding pressure), you're going to boil off coolant, so you'd notice that.
Maybe people aren't running distilled water in their cooling systems, and getting build-up of deposits. You are running distilled water, aren't you???
And that idea of adding an electric fan? Driving down the highway it's about ram air, not air from the fan. From all the threads I've read about adding electric fans, I've not seen a success story or where it outperformed the Toyota-designed system.

The only time I've had the temperature climb out of regulation was when the alternator belt broke, so the water pump wasn't spinning. I give the truck a pass on that one.

2ToyGuy

I lived in Yuma, Az. for a long time. Nearly 30 years. 120° was the common temp in the HOT season, 100° in the not-as-hot season. Some call it "winter", but that word is a joke in Yuma.

Anywho, I had an hour drive to work each day. And yes, uphill all the way. Not steep, but noticable. Naturally, an hour drive back.
Due to the drive, I put a 3 core radiator in both my trucks. I did take the 4Runner off-roading in the desert pretty often.

I never once had an overheat, except the time my "friend" threw the water pump belt on the 4Runner. Did he replace it with the spare in the back, using the tools I had right beside it? Naaahhhh. He drove it till it went into the red, stopped to let it cool down, drove it till it overheated, rinse, repeat. All the way back to my house. Cracked the head. Never let a "friend" drive your truck!
Happened to me once since I moved up here to Oregon. I stopped and fixed it, kept right on to where I had to go. I change the belts and hoses every year, along with the other tune-up "stuff". Plugs, wires, distro cap, etc etc. I put the "stuff" I take off in the back, and throw way the previous items. That way I always have a "known good" replacement if something in the collection, like a belt, fails when I'm away from home. As it did.

Other than that, I've never had an overheat, not even going pretty slow up a steep hillside when 'wheelin in the 'Runner. Yeah, in 110° temperature. With the wife, five kids, 2 5 gal water jugs, etc etc. AC blasting.
Point is, if everything's working right, these trucks just don't overheat. I've never been caught in traffic for any length of time, though, so I can't speak to that situation. I've found that clean water, and a good fan clutch are two very important things in the system. A properly operating thermostat, too. I never did have any trouble with the factory two core radiators, I just felt better with a 3 core in them. I did put "water wetter" in the pickup a few times. Seems to get air stuck when changing coolant/water more than the 4Runner, for some reason. Even when I burp them the same. Why, I dunno...

Pat☺