Hello all, so I just bought my 2001 Lexus GS430 and it has some issues, as with any used car.. The motor mounts and transmission mounts are bad, and the radiator is cracked and needs to be replaced.

So here's the breakdown:
The shop told me that for the radiator that I should just do a radiator kit(from the labor costs it looks like a radiator, top & bottom hoses, thermostat &/or gasket) which is $259 just for parts, the labor costs seems a little high though, at just over $400, which includes a coolant flush(this service does sound justified in this case because of the radiator being new, I know they can have some crap in there from the factory). Is this normal for a radiator replacement?

The parts for the engine and transmission mounts is what really bothered me though... The engine mounts are $189 A PIECE, and the tranny mount is $126, which sounds way overpriced to me. Now, I've heard that you should just buy OEM for mounts, but come on, when I see aftermarket mounts on rockauto for $50-70 a piece, it really makes me wonder... Also the labor costs for those seem fair, so the price of the parts is really what's bothering me.

Has anyone had experience replacing these things and are OEM parts(from the cost it looks like they are) really worth THAT MUCH extra? I plan to keep this car for a long time, so i'll throw down the extra cash if I need to, but the prices for the parts just seem so high compared to aftermarket.

I really appreciate your guys input on this, thanks!

 

new OEM of the mounts are about half that cost you were quoted.

when i replaced my mounts i went aftermarket at rockauto-- which were 1/4 the price you were quoted, FWIW

check sewell for their OEM pricing on the radiator stuff.

 

Labor cost in my area is $80 to $120+ per hour.
You are looking at about 4 hours for labor. Prices do not seem unreasonable.

Ask your shop if they will install your Rockauto parts, most likey you will not get a warranty.

You really don' have other options other than buying your own parts and installing them yourself.

 

Your using aftermarket mounts, which ones? How has your experience been with them? Any weird rattling or clanking from them? And yeah I'm checking the price of the radiator as well. Thanks for the help!

Yeah the labor didn't seem that unreasonable, but the price of the parts sure did! Most of the aftermarket parts i'm looking at do have a warranty though. Thanks for your input!

 

As far as I can understand , all of that you can do very easily . Motor mounts are easily changed and so are the trans . The radiator is also doable and you would save a ton of money . Get the parts yourself and at least do the radiator . That will shave a huge mount of dough from the bill and let the shop do the motor mount and trans that you bought .

 

beck arnley, dea

they've been fine. all 3 of them (OEM) were shot though so it's been great, no issues.

i know at some auto supply stores (autozone, pep boys, etc) they offer lifetime warranty pieces at about OEM price.

 

I would love to do the radiator, but I don't have any experience doing that so without some good instructions, I'm a little lost tbh. Do you know of any decent guides to replacing the radiator? I looked in the sticky and didn't see one. Thanks for the response!
Awesome info, thank you! How many miles do you have on them? And did they look exactly the same as oem?

 

Depending where you are at in az i might be able to help. I work night shift so my schedule might conflict. Send me a pm.

 

The radiator and transmission mounts are easy on this car. Use the search function and you should find some good info. If you are the least bit mechanically inclined and have basic tools you can do those 2. I let a mechanic do my motor mounts. The same mechanic did my timing belt and I bought some of the oem parts myself from Carson or Sewell I think and he used them without fuss.

 

about 7k miles

the aftermarket looked the same as OEM and bolted right up. painless.
soak/blast with PB or your choice of penetrator before removal, and then during/after install with anti seize and you should be fine.

 

Here is some info on replacing the radiator. Hope it helps.

 

I'm in chandler, and yeah it would probably conflict, i work 7-3 during the day
Ah I see, any info on how to do the tranny mount? Do I need to jack up the tranny with a separate jack? Thanks!
Awesome, I will definitely be buying some aftermarket parts.
Yes, that helps tremendously! Do I need any special tools for this job? Also, do you have any info on doing the tranny mount? Thanks again!

 

Just ordered the radiator, so it looks like i'll have a project this weekend

Anyone know how much coolant I need to fill the system? Also, does the radiator need to be flushed out before use? I have used radiators for water cooling my computer before and with those I would run hot water through them for a few minutes to get all the gunk out, is this the same way?

 

make sure you are using the toyota red coolant and not the generic green

 

Well guys, when it rains it pours... I just talked to the shop and they said I will also need a new steering rack..

Would I be okay purchasing a remanufactured unit off rockauto or should I shell out for new? Thanks...