Radiator Nightmare!

Having a right nightmare trying to find a new radiator for my 1991 3L (2.8D) Cruising Cabin - I have found the part number on toyodiy, but no places in the UK seem to be able to tell me which is the right radiator. Also when my reg is used as a reference the van is coming up as a 2.4, which it isn't. When doing a manual vehicle search, the only rads available for a 2.8D are manual transmission, mine is an auto....can anyone offer any help or point me in the right direction?
Cheers

I'm thinking that there shouldn't be a difference between a radiator for a manual and auto. Hopefully one of the other more knowledgable guys will jump in though.
Interestingly enough the cam belt is the same on the 2.4 and 2.8, so it could also extend to the radiators as well.

toldsimply wrote:

I'm thinking that there shouldn't be a difference between a radiator for a manual and auto.  Hopefully one of the other more knowledgable guys will jump in though.
Interestingly enough the cam belt is the same on the 2.4 and 2.8, so it could also extend to the radiators as well.

Cool, cheers for that

Put the part number in Ebay.

And put the part number in Toyodiy cross reference, then you know in which other types it used. 2.4 2.8 manual or auto, you will know.

Auto radiators have a cooling loop for the auto transmission.

If this is missing you will not be able to cool your transmission so you would need to fit an after-market transmission cooler (which has some advantages anyway if done well).

The other option is to find a place that re-cores radiators and see if they will re-core it for you.

Hi Again,
Been a while but I am hoping that I may have located a radiator for my van - I have cross referenced the part numbers and I think that I have found the right one, however even though the part number is right, the same radiator on Ebay says manual transmission and my van is auto - I know GPW stated that there may be a 'cooling loop' missing for auto-transmission - is this on the diagram of parts I have linked below?
https://jp-carparts.com/toyota/partlist.php?maker=toyota&type=711140&cartype=77&fig=1603

This is the Radiator (my van is 1991 Custom mk 3 3L (2779cc) auto)...can I anyone advise further? Also if it is the right one, anyone got any idea how much I could reasonably expect to pay in the UK for removal of old one and replace with new one and coolant system flush and replace?
https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/nrf-7890124.html

Thanks in advance

Not sure, I can't see any lines.. perhaps you can contact Onlinecarparts to ask them?

If you are having a garage fit it anyway perhaps you can find one or two and see how they seem and what they quote. It would be usual in that case for THEM to source the part rather than you TBH, they may be used to that type of thing.

Thanks again GPW - none of the garages I have approached will get involved with ordering the part - when my reg is put into a part finder service it is coming up as a 2.4D manual, when it is the 3L auto.
That's why I have been sourcing it myself. Bit of a pain, but hopefully I will get it up and running.
Really appreciate your advice...as always

That's a shame.

If you do get one without the automatic cooler you can always have a separate cooler fitted to do that, there are some advantages in going that way anyway. Any place that does 'Japspeed' type mods will be used to converting auto cooling to a separate radiator so you may which to find a garage like that and chat to them.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=japspeed+fitters+UK

I.e. Leverage the Japanese modding scene to your benefit.. plus they are more into getting rare parts from Japan!

Tokyojoe, your Hiace looks identical to mine which is the same year and auto 2.8D. I had my radiator replaced by Natrad which is an Australia wide company. They never suggested there was any problem in sourcing one. I wasn't aware that they have a combined auto cooler but am sure this would have been mentioned if the replacement didn't include that. Don't know if this gives you any leads to chase up or if the cost of freight makes other methods more economical.
https://natrad.com.au/

Looking at the AT cooler pipes this should give a clue as to where it may be

https://jp-carparts.com/toyota/partlist.php?maker=toyota&type=711140&cartype=77&fig=3514

It only shows pipes, not the cooler itself, but may help in locating the cooling element (radiator or separate cooler or just pipes).

Many thanks guys, I'll keep the board updated of any progress as it may someone in the future

It seems like that the radiators are specific to the automatic version. I checked the parts system, and you can see that part numbers for radiators of the manual versions are used in all kinds of manual versions (2.4, 2.8 etc) but never the automatic version. And the other way around for radiator part numbers of automatic version.

So the partnumber you are looking for should be 16400-54870, but I assume that 16400-54871 and 2 also fit (because they are for automatics with later model years but same engine etc)

It's a shame, because in Netherlands, I got the one for our manual version the next day (normal parts distrubtion system of garages)

So I think you have three options:
- try to find original online with number 16400-54870
- have it refurbished by a radiator company, they may be able to work with automatic oil cooler, maybe not
- fit the radiator of manual version and put a universal oilcooler in front of the radiator, and connect automatic gearbox oil lines to that oil cooler

Thanks H! That first number matches the OEM number on the site, so I may as well go for it
Cheers everyone.

It matches which site? The onlinecarparts.co.uk site has a different number which seems to be for the manual version!

Hiace4wd wrote:

It matches which site? The onlinecarparts.co.uk site has a different number which seems to be for the manual version!

I was told that the B in that part number should read as an 8....obviously not then
Thanks again

If I enter that part number 16400-5B741 in the parts system, I only get manual versions.
Converting B to 8 in part numbers is common I think, but with 16400-58741 I don't find anything.

The original part number for your Hiace is 16400-54870, close but different.

As said, I only see part numbers for manual version radiators with all other manual versions, and automatic versions only used in other automatic versions. So to me it sounds like it comes with that oil cooler.
Did you already have a look under the car and see if there are any pipes going into the lower side of the radiator? Probably from behind. I don't think you have 4x4, so it should be easier for you to make a picture from the rear of the radiator. It is above the solid beam which is the frame where the suspension is attached to.

In this picture you can see oil cooler lines from automatic gearbox to somehwere in front of the engine (where the radiator is), not sure yet where it is going.



So I think if you follow these lines, you might see them go into the radiator? Or a seperate oil cooler mounted near radiator?

Perhaps you can see it when you open the engine compartment and look through the fan. Or as said before, from under the car.
It can be useful to make pictures with your phone with flash enabled.

Do not know if it helps but my 3ltr 1KZTE auto has 2 rads one vertical one horizontal plus a separate trans oil cooler.

Thanks again, I am gonna get underneath and see if I can take some half decent photos of it

Damn you guys, this thread is a bad omen as I just found out our radiator has developed a leak about half-way down the right-hand side as viewed from the front of the van. We have already sourced a replacement from a wrecker who has been good for us before, should arrive in the next day or so. What I came on here for tonight was to see if anyone has any tricks for the removal / replacement as our mechanic and I looked today and it looks a real mission due to what else will have to come off to get to it (really don't want to disconnect the air-con pipes and lose all the expensive gas again, but they seem to be right across directly beneath the radiator).

Edit: search found me a detailed instruction kindly posted by another user so I've copied it and will show it to my mechanic.

That's a shame, yes a bit cramped getting it out, report back if you have more questions.
My experience is detailed in my re-plumbing thread

We're still awaiting the replacement radiator; the wrecker tested the one they thought was good and found it had a hole too so they were going around all the vans on their yard looking for another one. They do have plenty to choose from, so hopefully something will come in a few days. I found a print the Toyota people here did for me when I wanted to flush the cooling system, it shows all the parts and their fixings so what I found on here and that print should help considerably. The mechanic is fully booked up until the end of the month so it will be a while before it is fixed, but Carole has decided that she will do one last trip in it (if it doesn't develop some other fault!) and then quit it as it is always suffering some sort of breakdown added to the ongoing damage caused by hitting things on the very low mouldings. When that happens I'll bow out from this forum gracefully.

You may find a radiator specialist somewhere that can re-core the original if needed, it's a bit of a dying trade but they used to be very useful.

Will be a shame to see you go but there's a point of diminishing returns with all things after a while, sometimes it's cheaper and easier to start afresh, even with brand new quality campers as they lose very little over time and everything is new and warranted.

I must admit I've ended up doing a great deal more on mine than I ever thought I would and that was pretty standard LOL. I think it's in the nature of the 'hobby'.

Have you or your friend any plans of a replacement type/make/model?

Heard today that they found us a good radiator and it was couriered today (coming from a town about 1.5 hours' drive away so knowing the standard of couriers here now we should see it in a couple of days or so unless one of them needs a radiator). The original seems to have rusted at the side so I'm not sure if it is actually the core that has failed, anyway we'll see when it's out and maybe we can get something for it from a scrap dealer or something to offset part of the cost of the replacement.
My housemate Carole has dreams of something just a little larger so we can make it more user-friendly. She doesn't have much money and hasn't won the Lotto so it's going to be a case of having nothing for a while, saving up, and watching closely for any bargain that may come along. She has learnt a lot from this and won't rush in so quickly without doing her homework.
As an idea she likes the size of the Toyota Coaster but I think all those are as old as the Hiace or even older so the same reliability issues will occur, though at least something like that will have some ground clearance so the damage from driveways and speed bumps won't happen.
What we'd really like is something that hasn't already been partly converted so she can design the layout herself; she's had an offer of carpentry work from another motor-homer who has built several, I can do all the electrical and electronics (although if she wants mains wiring too I have some sparkie mates to call on for that as I'm not a registered electrician) and someone else as yet unknown can do the plumbing as I don't want to go there for a second time.
Unfortunately I'm no mechanic and don't have that kind of tools and workshop so we're dependent on paying external people for that work and it doesn't come cheap.