Finishing a coolant overhaul

pics??


it seems that these are always appreciated on diy's.




df

This is what I just posted on my project build thread on Bimmerforums... Shame on me on the water pump, but Im willing to deal with the leaky consequenses if need be.

"Let the mayhem begin! Cooling system overhaul Day 1:

I finally got the parts from AutohausAz. On top of the cooling hose kit
I got new stock behr radiator, expansion tank, cap, and water pump gasket..... More on that in a bit *Hint High School kid on a budget*.

After work today I dove into working on the car around 2PM. I took it extremely slow as to not mess anything up. I got the radiator, and all that relates to it out relatively easy. The water pump put up a fight, but seeing what was underneath was worth it.

... A factory metal BMW unit was in there mated to an aluminum water pump pully. As much as I hate half assing things I only bought the water pump gasket hoping this would happen. I am going to re-use this water pump since its not presenting any problems yet. I was on a tighter budget with this project.

With all of the front components removed I moved on to the more tricky hoses. The rear heater core hoses should be sent to hell onced removed....

Theyre god awful.

^ Me working on the last heater hose.

I took of the windshield cowl and hvac plastic shield to gain better access.

I just ordered a new cowl from TMS since the old one was horrible.
I was trying everything to avoid taking off the intake manifold. As long as re-assembly isnt too different I will have succeeded with that. The 4 point spider hose took some snaking but everything is currently removed. I finished at 8 with an hour long dinner break in between. I also got the lowest rear heater hose installed.

I want to commend fcp Euro on being so thorough with their hose kit. Literally every hose that flows coolant is included minus the 4-point hose. Just get rid of the one Uro heater hose and you're set FCP!!

Doesnt seem like a lot of work today, but I was taking my time and using it as a learning experience. Im a lot more familiar with the engine bay now. More to come tomorrow after school! Its going to be a beautiful week to work on a car. My deadline is MPact.

"

Tonight was frustrating. The little clamps FCP supplied for the coolant hoses that run to the throttle body are really weak. I dont know how tight (or not tight) is good enough, but I cant imagine these hoses holding under the pressure of the cooling system. All of the rear most hoses are in as well as the 4 point hose and the water pump. Tomorrow after school Im going to search for better clamps. Since I go in late Im going to work on it for an hour in the morning. Luckily the hoses that need to be tightened are easily reached with the front main components in place.

You can get hose clamps from any hardware store. No biggie. Great lookin' car, too!

Originally Posted by ZeGerman

You can get hose clamps from any hardware store. No biggie. Great lookin' car, too!

Thanks! Yup, Im going to pick them up tomorrow when I get some oil for the Daily Driver. I just read that those clamps should only be 3 ft-lbs? I dont have a torque wrench that small, but maybe it wasn't the clamps that were the problem. Definitely my fault on that little setback lol. Maybe at this rate it can be bled on wednesday before I go in to work. That way I'll have a few days to test it for any problems before it goes a few hundred miles to MPact.

With hose clamps, you basically just want to snug them down tightly without breaking the plastic collar they're clamping onto. Pretty easy - no torque wrench needed. Just don't over-do it.

Quick question:
Im getting ready to bleed it either today or tomorrow. In the winter only the drivers side has heat... The problem is undiagnosed since it never bothered me. Could it possibly effect the bleeding process?

No, I don't think so. If you are getting heat to the driver side, but not the passenger side, it suggests that your heater core is working fine, so bleeding shouldn't be any more difficult than it normally is (which can be annoying, even under the best circumstances). Not getting heat to one side of the car is symptomatic of flapper doors not opening and closing correctly inside the cabin of the car, and has nothing to do with the actual coolant.

Thats good to hear. Ive always just kept those vents closed since they basically just blow freezing air. The thought just crossed my mind and had me worried. Thanks again.

Dad and Inhave been trying to bleed it for 2 hours. 30 degree temp diff between radiator hoses and heater core hoses. Heat only gets hot at sustained rpms.... Its being so stubborn!!!!

Have you tried elevating the front of the car while bleeding it? Doing so helps the trapped air rise up to the bleeder screw.

Which steps are you undergoing to bleed the system. Maybe we can provide some tips if we know what you're trying. E36 cooling systems can be tricky to bleed, so you just gotta stick with it.

Yup we had it jacked up. The heater was on full settings for everything, jacked up, held the rpms at 1500 with the bleeder screw open. Ot was holding its temp fine it seemed, but I dont know about extended periods of idle. The heater would only stay warm at raised rpms. When it was at idle speed it got cool again. We let it cool overnight and arw giving it 1 last go this morning.

Just wanted to thank everybody for their help. It made it down and back perfectly. bumper to bumper traffic, 90+ mph and all. Unfortunately at those speeds the fan shroud cracked right where it holds the expansion tank. In order to put a new one on Im going to need to bleed it again! .... Should be easier this time though.

Originally Posted by Njohc

Just wanted to thank everybody for their help. It made it down and back perfectly. bumper to bumper traffic, 90+ mph and all. Unfortunately at those speeds the fan shroud cracked right where it holds the expansion tank. In order to put a new one on Im going to need to bleed it again! .... Should be easier this time though.

Cooling system work is definitely easier when you've done it before.

Iv'e been through this multiple times. As I mentioned I have overhauled it twice. About a week after i installed my new aluminum radiator I ran over something on I95 and something went up into the engine and sheared off the fan blades. I think it was a piece of tarp. A chunk of broken fan went into my new radiator so out it all went again! luckily i found a radiator shop that could weld aluminum.

good luck