The top tube on the original radiator was torqued by a "too long" upper hose that was installed by my former mechanic. This resulted in the seam giving way ever so slightly. I have been losing a bit of coolant and it took a while to figure out where it was going. I get serious about figuring it out and saw the seepage around the seam.

My 4Runner is a 1994 SR5 V6 model. I got it from the original owner at about 25K miles. It now has just passed 216K.

The original radiator looks fine. I am going to have it repaired, then store it until I need it.

Installation of the new radiator was simple and straightforward. I bought a new radiator cap and installed it after refilling with fresh coolant. 50 miles later, the 1/2" cooling hose on top of the engine (underneath the intake tubes) split and spewed coolant all over the place. I waited until it was done spewing and pulled the cap off. I made it home (about 15 miles) and replaced the hose the next morning. Later that day I did a local torture test. I drove over to Paso Robles in 114 degree heat with the AC blasting. I ran a few errands and had no further issues.

Right at the moment I am equipped with extra hose of each size that I might need, extra clamps, a gallon of premixed coolant, and the tools to do a roadside repair if needed.

The former mechanic was told to replace all of the coolant hoses in 2004. I figured that at ten years old, this was cheap insurance against getting stranded by a split hose. This would have worked, if the work had been done. I was charged for the parts and the labor, but I didn't get all the hoses replaced. The one that split was the original. It was the japanese characters that gave it away. I'll be carefully inspecting the rest of the hoses once the weather cools down a bit and replacing any that look questionable.

I used to fix all my own cars when I was a teenager. I rebuilt VW motors, replaced clutches, U joints, and all kinds of other stuff. As I got older I lost interest in wrenching. Now I am getting back to wrenching a bit and it is pretty satisfying.

The new mechanic that does the major stuff for me is really good. Forum rules prevent me from advertising for them. If anyone in SLO county, CA wants a lead to an excellent mechanic, PM me. The shop is in Grover Beach, CA, right next to Pismo Beach.