sbagdon

We pulled the first air-intake hose for a timing-belt job, the securing bolt screws in to a boss on the top of the radiator. In a classic error that was almost comical, we put the bolt back in, then drove it all the way down... we like putting nuts/bolts back were they came from, so we don't lose them. Only issue is... the bolt that was holding the air intake pipe down was long enough, that, when the air intake isolater wasn't part of the equation, the bolt screwed right down in to the radiator. Oops.

Amazingly, with the bolt in the boss and driven in to the radiator, the car drove fine, there was no steam or overheating, and we didn't realized it until after the test-drive, to put that last air intake pipe back (interestingly, the factory manual says to fill the coolant and test the engine for leaks, which for us involved a highway test-drive, then you put on the last air pipe...)... when we pulled the bolt it burped out some coolant (it had been sitting about 15min, so it had cooled down enough to not go geyser), the radiator was full, and the overflow bottled hadn't moved. So it seemed to run ok, which again is... almost comical.

So, not familiar with these style of radiators, so not sure if it's fixable. The top appears to be composite, no metal, so is this a common-mistake, that it's a basic-fix for a good radiator shop? Or is this type of error catastrophic, and it's time for a new radiator...?

Thx.

shwalker07

I would just buy a Denso radiator from RockAuto if yours is leaking. I would not chance a repair even though they usually do sell top, core and bottom pieces of radiators separately at the dealer.

TrueGS300

Usually if you damage a plastic side tank, it's done for and should be replaced. But if it's a very small hole you can probably get away with some "JB plastic weld" and fill it in and make a good size glob over it. Then with the right bolt over it after it dries, it would help to hold it in place. I've done crazier things.

sbagdon

Thanks, that's about where I was at. It actually appears to be holding pressure, just not something we'd want to take out for too far. We covered the threads with coolant sealant (that was used on the radiator housing), then tightened it a bit and let it cure, so we can drive it around for quick-trips and emergencies, yet still can't believe the factory would put in a bolt that when fully threaded in, would puncture the radiator.

Oddly, our local chains are starting to become competitive with Rockauto, when balancing shipping costs, and time. Only issue is, new radiators are actually rather fairly priced, yet they don't appear to include all the sensors. Research shows that the radiator is common between the GS3/GS4 '98-'05, so we'll wait for the next donor car to appear at our preferred pick-and-pull, then grab the radiator, all the hoses, sensors, harness leads, etc, all at once.

Thanks.

captainva

iTrader: (1)

A new radiator is around $100 and you can just swap a few things over. Why would you go used at that price?

sbagdon

The local yard has good quality, and there's concerns that while trying to transfer over the sensors, something will break. Depends on our mood... might buy the additiona salvage radiator for the parts,then go with a new, to be sure we have all the parts we need, to do the complete repair. At 21yrs and 200k+ miles, you have to bring a little extra to every repair..

firelizard

iTrader: (1)

There is a procedure for replacing the end tanks but a new rad is so cheap, it's hardly worth it.

shwalker07

I do prefer new myself but sometimes the junkyard vehicles will have newer replacement parts on them. Some of those common items I see all the time are radiators, starters, a/c compressors, aftermarket radios and alternators.

sbagdon

Agreed. And for some reason, seem to recall that you can only rebuild them 2x, and should use a bunch of SSTs to split and reassemble the tank... seem to remember reading that while doing the prep for the timing belt.

Will probably wait for a '98-'05 GS3/GS4 parts car to come up, grab all the lines and sensors, and then decide if going with a new one or not. Thx!

sbagdon

That's the other side of it... the part you get might not be that old... it's sad how many cars come in, with a few parts that look a few-months or thousand-miles old, then they went and totaled their cars. Early winter is also a good (pardon the irony) time for cars with bashed-in front-ends and almost-new snow-tires... people get snow-tires, then drive way past the snow-tire capability. Yet even then, still prefer to keep an eye out for oem/oem-quality... even after 20yrs, Toyota/Lexus parts are still good.

Checking, it appears this radiator was used on the '98-'05 GS300, and '98-'00 GS400... not sure why the GS400 got a different radiator in '01.