AndyG

After doing much reading up and receiving input from the fine folks here at ClubLexus, I realized changing out the radiator on a 1995 Lexus ES300 isn't a complicated job, really, it's just tedious. No more tedious I thought than say changing the brakes really though. You don't have to dig deep into the engine or remove many bolts/hoses to get the job done. I'd say the draining and flushing is about the messiest part and even that is easily manageable if you've got the right equipment.


Backstory:
About a week ago, after a very cold spell, I drove the ES and noticed steam coming from the engine, which is hardly ever good and upon further inspection I found there was a leak somewhere around the top of the radiator and upper hose. It wasn't a major leak, but I knew I would rather get it fixed before it got worse and I was stranded somewhere. I looked into what all is entailed in a coolant system for this model Lexus and you've basically got this:

- Upper hose coming from the engine that goes to the upper portion of the radiator
- The radiator itself which is metallic at it's core with a plastic upper and lower section.
- Lower hose at the bottom of the radiator going back to the engine.
- Thermostat at the engine where this lower hose connects.
- There are also two plugs where the oil lines connect to the radiator you will need to disconnect/reconnect

And that's the gist. I knew the leak was in the upper area, I just could never track down where exactly and decided to take it into a shop for a coolant system check which ran around $45. This place told me it was a combination of the upper hose, radiator, lower hose, and thermostat and they would gladly replace it all for a meager $850. O_O

I said thank you for the test and left with at least the knowledge that it was *not* the engine leaking coolant, which is well worth my $45 peace of mind.

When I got home from the mechanic, I decided to take one more look in bright light at the system and noticed some hairline cracks on the front end of the radiator, just behind (or in front, depending on how you're looking) where the upper hose connects:



I could press this area and watch the fluid coming out of the cracks. I knew then I found the culprit and I would be doing the work myself which I much preferred.


Getting ready:
I first checked eBay and a few other sources for a radiator and found the pricing to average around $130. I checked my local AutoZone (most reputable joint in the area) and found one with a lifetime warranty (lol) for around $115 and it was all they stocked. I looked it over and it had all the correct fittings, looked to be built well, and settled on this radiator.

I also decided here that while it is recommended to change out the lower hose and thermostat, I would not be doing that during this project due to a few reasons. I know many will chide me perhaps, but trust, I do plan on replacing the lower hose and thermo in due time, I just need to look more into that. I mainly needed an immediate fix for this radiator and the upper hose while I was at it.

With this plan, I purchased the radiator, the upper hose, the coolant itself, new clamps, and other misc items and the parts I needed all together cost around $170 total.




Getting to work:
First, let's look at some of the old radiator/upper hose setup:



You can easily see the old radiator up front and the upper hose on the left hand side connecting the radiator to the engine.

The first thing I had to do was remove the plastic lower protecting "shield" under the car to access the radiator and lower hoses.



There are 8-12 bolts of various types connecting this plastic shield to the undercarriage. Once this is off, you can set it all aside and we'll just put it right back on when we're completley done.

Next, I drained the old radiator and let me tell you, this stuff was NASTY, nasty, nasty. I removed the plug completely and removed the coolant cap also and this stuff flowed out like crazy.



In this shot, we're underneath looking up at the radiator:



Notice the drain hole and to the left of it, you'll see one of the tubes for the oil cooling. I did not get a good shot of the lower hose, but you will need to unclamp that hose and drain whatever is left into the container as well as the two oil hoses and allow whatever they may have to drain (it shouldn't be much).

After the old radiator is drained, let's get that top hose off.



Look at that metal tube the hose connected to.. Farking nasty, guys. That's years of buildup that needs to be scraped off and cleaned before the new hose touches it.

Here's a shot of that upper hose removed, I'm pointing out where it connected:



Ok, so the system is as drained as it can be, there's no hoses connected to the radiator, and it's now time to remove the radiator from the vehicle. The first thing I did was remove the retaining bolts on top of the radiator:



There are two of these bolts and the plastic retaining pieces just come right off. Once this happens, the radiator/fan assembly is easy to move about.

Next, we'll want to detatch the fan assembly by removing 6 bolts that hold it to the radiator. Here's two of them, there's three on top, and three on the bottom of the radiator.



Once you remove those bolts, you can remove the entire radiator fairly easily:



Nasty. I didn't get many pictures of it all going back together, but you simply reverse the process and here you are:



New radiator in, new upper hose, lower hose and oil hoses reconnected, all bolts back on, I left the plastic protector underneath off still as we need to flush the system and more still.





Once it's all back together, you will want to flush the system with water or a coolant system flush solution if you choose. Simply fill up the system, start up the car and run it until it's heated up, and then run the heater on high for 5-10 minutes. This is a great opportunity to check for leaks and tighten anything needed. I was amazed to find no leaks, nothing forgotten.

After running it for 5-10 minutes and verifying all is well, let the engine cool down and drain that mess out of the radiator once more. This is why I left that plastic shield off until you get done flushing it. Drain it all out, close that drain valve, and put that plastic shield on underneath the car, we're almost done.

I filled the radiator back up with a premixed 50/50 solution while it was still on stands and then once it thought it was full, I lowered it down and filled it even more as well as the resevoir. I then ran the engine in the garage and checked again for leaks (none). Noticed the temp gauge never got above slightly over middle and it was time for a test drive to Jack in the Box. It made it just fine and when I got back home I checked once again for leaks from the oil hoses or the coolant system. No leaks still. So far, great success.

Final Thoughts:

I got started on this project around 7:30 at night and was done by 10:30 and that includes jacking the car up and getting it on stands, putting together a new creeper board I bought, doing the initial drain, all of the main work, flushing the system, and then refilling it with new coolant. I worked alone and had my fingers crossed. It all worked out so easily, I coudln't be happier and I ended up saving myself anywhere from around $400-600 depending on which mechanics estimate I got.

If you're in DFW and need to change out the radiator on your ES, I'd be more than happy to help. Here at my home with all the equipment I have or your place if it's near.



Here's where folks reply and point out my mistakes so we can all learn. Overall, the process went smooth and although I did not change the lower hose and thermostat, doing so will be a matter of learning where they are located and how to easily get to them, flushing the system once more (it could probably use it), and changing them out. It seems to be about 1/3 of the job this was to take care of that and I will get that another day.

Thanks for reading!

Maine92ES

Excellent write-up and picts. Thank you!

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I removed the radiator from my '92, and now I'm in a quandary about what kind to replace it with. I actually bought a $130 model from Advance Auto, but took it back due to bad threads on one of the fittings. The manufacturer was Proliant (?), whose web site does not function. This all gave me a sour taste, making me wonder if I should step up to a better product from another vendor. But what would that be?

Here are the options I'm considering:
- Advance Auto, again, "ReadyRad" $95 (through judicious couponing)
- Napa, $150 Spectra
- Napa, $250 Altrom

But I'm open. Advice?

Cheers.

AndyG

I replaced mine with a Spectra brand although other folks may have a certain brand they recommend. Wish I could help more and good luck!

Jeremy-KY

This is just what I needed, love this forum!!

PCH

nice writeup!

The upper radiator hose on my '96 ES300 gave out recently & I had to change it as well.
The part was only $16 bucks at pep boys. Mine has 188k miles on it.

The radiator change looks like a worthwhile changeover.

dmight

cracks in the upper radiator tank are all so common on Toyota cars after they get some miles on them. I've had two Camry and now the ES300, all three had those almost exact cracks in the same area. I got all three radiator replacements at Advance Auto at decent prices. The Camry were like 120 each, the ES was 145. All were heavier duty than OE. In and out less than an hour.
I notice most shops (dealers and indies) usually recommend changing hoses and thermostats when doing most any type of cooling system work. It's sort of a cover their butt thing and add-on sales, plus they're right there where the other parts are. I've found it good, cheap insurance to usually change out the hoses and clamps when doing radiators and the thermostat is a give-me just for the peace of mind and it happens to be one of the most neglected items on an engine. they do go bad.
Very nice write up and pictures! Nice addition to the knowledge base here.

motwell

I just changed mine out today. I used the Spectra from AutoZone. I was planning to replace upper and lower hoses, but after taking them of saw that they were supple and pliable, and decided to use them again. I had a little difficulty lining up the holes on the new radiator to the fan shroud, so I am glad that I had a friend helping to position the radiator from above while I was under the car. It took me about 4 hours total, but the great majority of time was waiting for the draining before and after and waiting for the car to attain running temp and then cool . Thanks for the great pics and description above. It really helped me decide to do this myself.

StNick

You did a really good post.

I have the same cracks on my radiator, and I'm going to do it my self as well. After all the videos, and posts I have looked at. They say since you are draining your radiator you would be wise to replace your thermostat, and bad hoses. $+$+$

Also my wife continued to drive the car for a month putting only water in it as needed, so what other damage may have occured after overheating 2 times? Heater core? Water pump? Timing belt?