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How to make your own BMW special cooling system & drive belt counterhold tools

215K views 150 replies 42 participants last post by  Eedy 
#1 · (Edited)
Are these Bentley-specified special tools really needed for an overhaul of the BMW 525i E39 cooling system and belt-drive components?
1. cooling fan counterhold tool BMW 11 5 030 (I6) & BMW 11 5 040 (V8) [Note: This tool is described with many names!]
2. cooling fan 32 mm wrench (BMW 11 5 040)
3. 24mm hollow thin socket alternator pulley nut removal tool (BMW 12 7 100)

Does anyone have a drawing of the (1) water-pump-pully-counterhold tool dimensions?

REFERENCES:
Bentley pages 020-16, 110-2, 121-2, 170-15, & 170-23.
http://www.samstagsales.com/bmwtools.htm
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/catalog/shopcart/BE39/POR_BE39_TOLtol_pg3.htm
http://www.germanpartsonline.com/bm...cylinder-engines-m50-m52-m52tu-m54-from-1992/
http://www.magnum1.com/BMW-740/740_Pages/Maintenance-Pages/Water-Pump-740.html



 

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#39 ·
I'm still looking for a good supplier for the 32mm wrench (preferably 32mm on one side and 36mm on the other) ...

I think the price ($130) on this wrench below shows that the real 'striking wrench' needs to be a box wrench (and not an open-end wrench) ...

 

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#40 ·
You can't use a BOX WRENCH! You can't get it over the nut!

Note that the BMW tool is marked with the additive effect of the tool: 30 Nm at the torque wrench relates to 40 Nm at the nut. Those Krauts think of everything.
 
#41 · (Edited)
You can't use a BOX WRENCH! You can't get it over the nut!
Oh. Well. That solves that then. It has to be an open-ended wrench.

Nm at the torque wrench relates to 40 Nm at the nut
I was wondering what those numbers meant. But what is the welded on hole for? Is there a special BMW torque wrench that gets bolted onto the end of that wrench?

I'm confused HOW you'd get ANY torque wrench on that end (all my torque wrenches are 3/8" or 1/2" square tips)...

 
#47 · (Edited)
First off, this is a thread about how to make your own tools; so, one reasonably would expect a detailed discussion on how to make your own tool irrespective of the price.

Secondly, if you think you can get the two-piece wrench set shipped to your door for $20 on Ebay, then you're either a financial whiz kid or you know something the rest of us don't know (shipping alone, for the Ebay bids I looked at, were $15, and tax in California is 10%).

Please let us in on the secret.
 
#46 ·
Great work depicting how to build one of these tools for the cooling system--I'm adding this little tip
though--once you finish all the work your doing--have available in your list of itmes at hand a can
of Dry Teflon Spay Wax--this can be purchased at Lowes. When putting the fan back on the water pump
spray some of the lube on the water pump nut and also on the nut on the fan. When you get it back on and then tightened, the next time you remove the fan, you can just use the wrench--there will be no need
for the tool anymore.
 
#49 ·
spray some of the lube on the water pump nut and also on the nut on the fan.
Hi Poolman,
As always, thanks for the added information and hints (we all learn from each other here).

I'm curious why use the wax when anti-seize is designed for this purpose?
 
#51 · (Edited)
BTW, if anyone can get the two-piece wrench set shipped to their door for $20, please let me in on the secret because I can't find it at anywhere near that final price (which, by necessity, includes 10% tax and as high as $15 shipping on Ebay).
 
#55 · (Edited)
Wow.

You guys amaze me.

What DO you use for CAD tools; and what was the problem with the original semicircular cut?
 

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#56 ·
Hi bluebee:
I use a free software to do the CAD and which name is sketchUP.
It's simple for a novice just like me.
You can download the software from google.
http://www.google.com/sketchup/download/
And make this tool just need a driller and a 4" disc grinder.
The problem of the original semicircular cut is that it couldn't be match to the center of water pump pulley.
It is because the gap of red circle is not deep enough .
You can compare below picture to it's modified type,and you'll see where is the difference of them.
 
#58 ·
The problem of the original semicircular cut is ... the semicircular gap shown by the red circle is not deep enough
Very interesting Eric Chang ... thanks for cluing us in that the semicircle needs to be a bit deeper than what is shown in the original Google SketchUP CAD diagrams.

I, for one, never made the tool because I ended up buying mine from EBAY so that I could measure the dimensions of both the I6 and V8 for others to benefit (I took one for the team!). :)

Anyway, I'm happy to report I never needed the BFH (big fine hammer) to remove my fan pulley. Simply scissoring the fan clutch nuts 32mm wrench with the I6 side of the fan hub bolt counterhold tool released my viscous fan (and I'm not all that strong).

Details in this alternator removal thread.

 

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#57 ·
3. alternator pulley nut removal tool (BMW 12 7 100)
For cross reference, here is a picture of that "forgotten tool", which was listed in the original post.

From post #80 of this thread, it seems most people don't buy this specific tool to remove the alternator pulley (if their new/rebuilt alternator doesn't come with the pulley attached).

Most people just use an air impact wrench and a 24 mm thin-walled socket.

 
#59 ·
I also haven't needed the tool on my 540. I've always used a big adjustable wrench set to 32mm, a hammer, and my left hand holding the pulley in place. That's it.
 
#61 · (Edited)
I made this tool from scratch using a 1/4" thick steel bar... At the end i barely used it.

i sprayed the fan clutch nut with WD-40 24 hours in advance... then i came back a day later & sprayed it every 15-30 min for like a hour or two. then i got my handy dandy avg size hammer combined with 32mm wrench and tried this method:



worked like a charm :drink:

 
#62 ·
I bought this set of special tool on ebay when working on my cooling fan last year. After many days trying several different ways (dead blow hammer, PB blaster, WD-40 ... ), I almost broke 1 of the 4 water pump mounting hex bolts.

But then I drove the car to a local auto shop and they removed it for me for $20. I didn't see the tool they used but they told me it's a type of air impact wrench. This method is cheap and much safer for a tough clutch nut. I guess the fan clutch on my car was not removed for many years before that (bought in summer 2009). I put on anti seize compound to ease future removal.
 
#67 ·
Hi mmm635:
I saw the tool picture and application form here:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/catalog/shopcart/BE39/POR_BE39_TOLtol_pg3.htm
and here
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/62405-bmw-115030-tool.html
Yes,I know BMW service manual Page 170-12 was wrote "11 5 050 for M50/M60 engine".
Because I just could find 11 5 030 cad form google from you,so I think that is 11 5 030 really also could application M50(According to the www.pelicanparts.com)?
And after I make a prototype according to your cad,I found the difference between your cad and others.

So I make a modified type like 11 5 030 on other pictures,and then I find that it's really 11 5 030 can work with E34 M50.

I am sorry for let you feel I claim your cad,I should use "Question".
Mmm.because my english is not good as you,sometime,it is maybe look like impolite,forgive me and I'll try to be better.
 
#73 · (Edited)
To keep the combined knowledge and experience of this group in one thread, please see this Fudman/Hooray! post where the first home-made counterhold tool broke due (most likely) to the steel and thickness used.

Here's the post mortem tribal knowledge learned:

"My original fan clutch "tool" was jury rigged from the flat metal bar stock that was used to lock my tool chest. It was a few mm thick and of relatively soft steel. I had the shop boys at work drill the holes for me and figured it was strong enough. NOT! The small section between the curved arc cutout and the oval hole snapped as soon as we torqued the 32mm wrench. Sorry, no picture as I left the "tool" at the machine shop.


Plan B was to borrow Chris' (Neversaynever) tool but he wasn't home. Plan C was to modify an old section of garage door holder I had saved after installing a new garage door opener. This piece of flat stock was about 3X thicker and of harder steel. We were very lucky to find a machinest willing to do the work on a late SAT AM. The machinest drilled the holes and I carved out the arc using a grinder. Now this one is a TOOL. There is NO WAY this tool will break."


 
#74 · (Edited)
To continue with the lessons learned, apparently 1.5mm is too thin.
(For comparison, mine are 3/8ths inch thick.)

"Fudman fabricated his own using the dims posted here on a thread, it was 1.5mm thick stamped steel (pretty light duty), the 2nd revision started life as the hardened steel bar stock from a garage door opener (that part with all the holes drilled in it that the door quick disconnect attaches to), it was much closer to the 4mm thickness of those "beautiful" tools in your photo (need me some of those), have you used them yet for your cooling system or VANOS? ... and yes geezer, us east coast nuts are VERY hard to crack and on the equipment!"


 
#75 ·
Hi Bluebee,

Just a side note. That small font size (size 1), is not cool. There is a reason people don't read the small print in contracts. It's because they are small print.

I simply skip all the small print in your resent posts. I guess you put it in so small because it is not that important. :dunno:

(By the way, since you've wondered before what is the use for a PM. This is one I would have rather send you a PM for, instead of advertising my voice for all to see.)

I mean this in the most respectful way.

mw
 
#77 · (Edited)
I guess you put it in so small because it is not that important.
Oh no! It was actually very important. I just wanted it to be clear it was a verbatim quote of a paragraph or two. I just "fixed" it by bringing the font back up to a size 2, italicizing it, and blue'ifying the text so that it stands out as an important quote.

Thank you very much for pointing that out!
(As for the PM thing, I guess it has a purpose in a public forum.)

Note: Here's a smaller pic of the tool dimensions previously posted:

 
#79 ·
This is a good idea. I think, for example, Fudman's tool didn't have the curved cutout deep enough.

The dimensions on Michel's otherwise wonderful diagram don't seem to show 'exactly' how the curve should go (e.g., the distance from the curve to the holes is not shown).

So, it seems to be some stiff cardboard would be perfect as a doublecheck.
 
#82 ·

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#83 ·
1.25" = 31.75 mm

32 mm = 1.2598"

Close enough me thinks.... :thumbup:
 
#88 ·
#84 ·
Thanks to the technical drawings here, I was able to use 1/4" thick plate and plasma cut these on my CNC table... They worked great. Took about 10 minutes and I used some scrap plate I had laying around. I got video of it on the camera. Will get that up eventually if anyone is interested.
 
#87 ·
I got video of it on the camera.
I just saw your post for the first time, as I had not seen it before.

What a WONDERFUL job you did there on these tools! I like the hand cutouts for your fingers too!

We're glad the drawings helped you out!

I'd love to see the video as I can't imagine how CNC machining works.

BTW, can your CNC file format be posted here for others to use?

 
#86 · (Edited)
I had to make this tool to do it. Mine wasn't perfect, but it worked.
We're very glad it worked for you. We'd love to see a picture of your results, as it gives us courage to do it ourselves.

It won't be anywhere near as pretty as what my store-bought tool looks like, but the satisfaction of doing it yourself is worth the effort!

BTW, here are some pictures of the tools in operation.

This first pic is my store-bought tools in place on my M54 engine (2002 BMW 525i). Notice the tool only fits over one set of the four bolts because they are in a rectangle, not a square.



For others to get an idea, here's how the two tools work in conjunction with each other on the BMW E39 engines.


Here's another shot of the two tools working together on an E39.


And, yet another (different style tool but the same effect) shot on an E39.


And this shows how thin the tools must be to both fit in place.
 

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#89 ·
As yet another cross reference, here is a thread which I had not known about previously where the measurement of the BMW fan clutch nut counterhold tool are listed for the purpose of making them yourself.

- DIY BMW tool thread

In that thread, they cover the making of a bunch of tools:
- Rtab removal tool
- Upper timing chain locking tool
- Flywheel locking tool
- Cylinder head bolt removal tool
- Cam locking nut tool
- Fan clutch removal tool <===== the topic of this post
 

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