Would you restore a radiator or buy new?

[huntsonora]

I have a 93 Toyota with a 22re and it has 160,000 miles on it. It's been running just a tad warm lately and the new thermostat didn't make a difference so I'm guessing that the 22 year old radiator has a little build up in it. I'm proactively replacing the water pump because it's inexpensive and I'll be right there when I replace the belts so I figured to replace or recore the radiator at the same time.

So should I have a radiator shop go through the original or just buy new?

 

[thethePete]

Buy new. "Rad shops" are a dying thing. It's not efficient to rebuild a rad anymore. If it's in really good shape you could get it steamed out, but if it's got any corrosion I'd just buy new. They're not too expensive now, and then you don't have to worry about spending money on repairing something that may fail in another month or two anyway.

 

[Robert Bills]

Buy new if your existing radiator has plastic tanks - they are difficult if not impossible to restore/rebuild. If metal tanks, which would be unusual for anything built in the 1990s, then the choice is yours.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Could be build up in the head too on a 22re. I would replace with aftermarket.

 

[Jakes01234]

I have had some rebuilt on cars that had a period correct restoration and it's been years of trouble free use.

 

[derycksan]

Done both, much happier with switching to a new, all aluminum radiator. You can get them pretty affordable too, think i paid 130 at lowrange.

 

[LR Max]

For a DD, yeah I just took it to a rad shop and had them clean it out. It was fine. New T-stat, rad hoses, and rad cap. No issues and kept on going.

However for my truck that gets wheeled and generally abused, I upgraded to an aftermarket radiator with an extra core. Was worth it.

 

[rayra]

Nothing wrong with a hot tanking and rebuild. Unless you have OCD or something.


But as mentioned above, it's a fine opportunity to upgrade to a radiator with more cores, especially if you wheel in a hot climate / the desert southwest.

 

[Kevin M]

Try 1-800-Radiator, i got a new one for my Nissan last year and it has been fine. It even comes with a lifetime warranty and they dropped it off at work a few hours after i called and order it. It has worked out for me so far.

 

[phsycle]

If you buy new, go local. I bought a radiator years ago from an online shop. I received a faulty unit and was going to send it back. Well, found they don't cover shipping AND it would take a week or two to get the exchange done. Ended up trashing it and buying a new one locally.

 

[pappawheely]

I like welded aluminum; no epoxy. I would buy new to get rid of plastic tanks.

 

[huntsonora]

I'm leaning towards just buying OEM at this point

 

[4xdog]

For my 53-year old Triumph TR3, I ditched the new aluminum welded radiator fitted during restoration and went back to a re-cored original. I'm much happier and the car is, too.

For any car in the last twenty to thirty years, I think I'd go with a new rad, probably OEM on my Toyotas, but I'd see what upgrading options are available.

 

[huntsonora]

For my 53-year old Triumph TR3, I ditched the new aluminum welded radiator fitted during restoration and went back to a re-cored original. I'm much happier and the car is, too.

For any car in the last twenty to thirty years, I think I'd go with a new rad, probably OEM on my Toyotas, but I'd see what upgrading options are available.

I can't find anything with great reviews and the original has lasted over 20 years. We'll see, I'm still looking around

 

[herecomestony]

I'd rather buy a new one.