Options/Diagnosis of blown head gasket in 1995 Toyota Landcruiser?

Question

I have a 1995 Toyota Landcruiser, and it is overheating when I take it on the highway (not in town.) At some point the engine released (radiator fluid? muddy water?) though I was not there for the event. It is not leaking and no white smoke from the exhaust. There is no noticable leak internally. Mechanic has flushed three times, and now removing to "clean" and see if the bottom of the radiator a)can get water flow and b)has a crack or blown head gasket. Says I may need new radiator if cant clean. First, what do these symptoms indicate? Next, how much should it cost for new radiator? Last, is there a way to repair a radiator? I'm not a mechanic, and feeling slightly vulnerable to the specialists. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Answer 1

If it's a diesel engine, the oil cooler may be leaking. Another possibility is the Auto tranny cooler in the rad. Have the oil anilized to determine which type of fluid. A lot cheaper than tearing the engine down.

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Answer 2

I would be skeptical about the 60k or 100k+ figures on these engines. It is just another used engine and but for the head gasket leak yours is as good or better. I would get the best price on the gasket job with milling the surfaces and also a specific figure just to remove the head for inspection. If the head is cracked you might want to bail. The other alternative would be to get a different car. If it were a brand new engine, okay, but these engines are an unknown--most likely to the mechanic as well. When they start coming down in price based on the quality of the engine, you'd better run because you can get an entire engine at a picknpull or other junkyard for only a few hundred dollars. Which is exactly what they will do, pocketing nearly the entire $2500-3000. It all depends on just how good the engine was before the gasket. Did it burn oil? You keep saying how dependable it was--but they're all dependable before they break down!

Answer 3

The symptoms of a blown head gasket are:
Blue white exhaust smoke discoloured oil on the dipstick, (creamy coloured) but the acid test is:
Take off the oil filler cap and look at the underside of it. If it has Grey / white sludge on it. then you have a blown head gasket

Answer 4

the rad is 13 yrs old...get a new one...shop around prices vary widely... reasions for overheating in somewhat of order[lol]....bad thermostate,bad waterpump,bad hoses [old soft ones flattem at high pressure]... using plane water...[use 50/50 coolant],,,, engine out of tune...[bad timeing or misfire makes heat],,,,blown headgasget or cracked head / block... after 13 yrs of not changing coolant waterpump may have no impeller left!