fenbrancis

Hi all,

I am new to this forum and to this truck so bear with me.

It is a 1982 22r with 88k original miles and two owners. It has not been rebuilt, but has meticulous maintenaince by original owner but no records of maintenance from second owner who had it for the last 15k miles. I don't see any mention of any changes to radiator, hoses, or thermostat.

When I bought the truck, I drove it 6 hours home with no issue, I have been driving it around town and have even taken it on an 8 hour trip with no issues. However, the last week or so I have noticed the temperature start to creep higher and higher and then finally this morning when I started it, after warming up for about five minutes it slowly crept into the red.

I plan to replace radiator, hoses, thermostat, and water pump. Is there any way to test my actual thermometer gauge on the dash as well? If not is there a safe way to measure the temperature of coolant to see if I am in an okay range but my gauge is off.

In all of this I have read alot of different things on thermostats, from the manual for 82 22r's I see to ALWAYS run a 160 degree but also seeing online people saying run a 180 or even 190. Can anyone provide insight on what would be best?

Thanks again!

toyoda addict

I don't trust the stock temp gauge and like to know actual temps. I run a mechanical gauge in all my trucks. I like this one https://www.summitracing.com/search/...tometer%205732.

CSF 2314 is a nice radiator for 79-83 trucks.

I've never used a thermostat less than 180* in any 20R,22R, or 22RE. I suspect If you go to Toyota they will sell you a 190*. I recommend sticking with an oem thermostat, 180, 190, or Toyota also makes a 190* dual stage thermostat for the 22R/RE (part 90916-03070).

2ToyGuy

Yes, definitely replace the things you're planning on. You can check the actual temp with a remote thermometer. One you can point and see what the temp of where it's pointed at. Point it at the thermostat housing, and see what the thermometer reads compared to what the gauge in the truck reads. You can get them at Harbor Freight and so on.

If it were me, I'd get a Toyota 2-stage thermostat. They reduce/eliminate th climb up to hot then drop down to normal problem Toyotas have. They are 190° F thermostats, IIRC. The hotter th engine runs, within safety margins, the more efficient it will be. The gauge in the truck should read right about 1/2 of it's throw once it's all nice and warmed up. With a normal tstat, the truck will climp up to nearly, or into, the red, then drop down to 1/2. It may search up and down around 1/2 a few times before it settles.

You can Look down into the radiator, and see if the down tubes are clogged up with gunk. Especially if the PO had been using the cheap green coolant, and/or non-distilled water. Also, take a look down into the radiator when the truck is warmed up, and verify the flow of the coolant around the system. Be careful, as the truck warms up the water level will rise a great deal, and over-flow the radiator before the tstat opens. You may need to add some coolant/water once the tstat to be able to see the flow of coolant. Be careful, as the water flowing through the radiator will be HOT.

Take a look at the weep hole of the water pump. If it has a consistent leak, replace the water pump asap. It's bad, and may not be pushing as much coolant, if any, as it should.

Finally, ensure the fan clutch is functioning properly. It should make a "whooooshing" sound when you first start up, for 1/2 to 1 minute. The it should go nearly silent until the water gets good and warm, then start whooshing again, pushing much more air through the radiator and back over the engine. If it doesn't do any of this stuff, bad fan clutch. It will cause over heating very easily. It's a fairly cheap and easy to replace item. Consider replacing it before anything else for an overheating problem.

Good luck!
Pat☺