BimmerFest BMW Forum banner

Coolant system overhaul-Need help!

1K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  johnnygraphic 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all-I just finished a cooling system overhaul and have a few questions.

1) Yesterday, I replaced the upper radiator hose and the expansion tank (among other stuff). On the upper radiator hose, there are 2 places for the hose to attach to-the radiator and the expansion tank. I was able to get the hose attached to the radiator, but the smaller hose that attaches to the expansion tank didn't seem to go on all the way. The metal retaining clip keeps popping back up about half way. Since I didn't prefit these pieces, not sure if it's a defect or what. I checked it against the old and the hose goes on easily and the clip goes down nice and snug. I don't want it blowing off under pressure. Q: Is this o.k.?

2) The expansion tank-I did all I could to get this sucker on the bracket. It looked like it needed about an 1/8 of an inch extra to go. I was able to get the metal clip on, but not sure how far down it should go. Q: Is this o.k.?

So far, no leaks, but want to make sure as I'm a real novice at this sort of thing. HELP!

I'll try to post pics once I resize them.

Thank you for all of your help!!!

Johnny
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Here are a few pics. The first is the bottom of the expansion tank showing the gap between the tank and the bottom of the bracket. The next two show the retaining clip. It is about 2 mm's from being all the way down.

Thanks again.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Take a tin coffee can (or similar container) and pour some boiling water into it (about 5 or 6 inches deep)....stick the end of the hose in the can, and leave it for about 5 minutes....this should make it a little more flexible, and hopefully, should go on easier.
 
#4 ·
Thanks Fastbob, that was fast! Great idea! I already have the car back together and so far no leaks yet. If I can't get it back on with the car at temp, I'll have to remove it and give it a try.

Any thoughts on the expansion tank? Does it look ok or am I being paranoid?
 
#5 ·
O.K. Now I've got leaks!! Started the car, began bleeding the system. The heater is blowing consistently hot, so that's good. But, I had a nice puddle under the car. At first I thought it was from coolant coming out the bleeder screw. So far, it seems like it's coming from the bottom of the expansion tank...maybe. Any other place it could be coming from? It seems to be on the drivers side of the car so far.

Anybody? Really need help on this one!!!

Thanks in advance!!!
 
#6 ·
WHat I do is take a jackstand and place it under the expansion tank braket and then tap the top of the tank (gently with a rubber mallet or cover it in a towel or something) and it should seat all the way. Some prefer to remove the braket altogether and work on it on a bench.

To get the upper radiator hose seated (I suspect this is the leak, not the bottom of the expansion tank) use a screwdriver and put it between the radiator support and the tank so you can push it forward some to fully seat the smaller opening. Once you get that clip in all the way, the leaks will go away.

Good luck.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks Smolk!!! I didn't see how that bracket was held onto the radiator. I'm going to jack it up and remove the shield/shroud underneath and have a closer look to see if I can tell where it's coming from.

If I need to, I'll have to take it apart again (ugh) and give that a try. Will let you all know how things turn out.

Johnny
 
#9 ·
Not redundant at all. Me thinks me is a dummy. This is the one thing I didn't do...err. Only did the o-ring/gaskets.

At this point, if they're leaking, they're lubed. So, need to make sure they're seated all the way.

Johnny
 
#10 ·
What I used to pop the upper hose into the radiator / expansion tank was I hit it with a rubber mallet, right at the hard plastic corner bend part. I don't think I had to hit it hard at all, it just popped right in with a slight whack. Make sure to support the tank and radiator so they don't just get pushed back. Good luck!
 
#11 ·
Thanks! It just seems to go against normal logic to whack at plastic bits. The exact same parts that fail!

Johnny
 
#14 ·
Thank you to everybody for their help! It turns out that everything is fine. What I thought was a coolant leak was just from bleeding the system. A WHOLE LOT of coolant came out of that bleeder screw!

I wound up taking the splash guard off, cleaning everything and then driving it around again. No leaks!

So, for what it's worth, the coolant system DIY is somewhat straightforward to complete. Only a couple of oddball things that seem to run counter intuitive to 'German engineering'. Ex: Bleeding the system involves letting coolant flow all over the place. Weird.

Following all of the DIY's on here and the tricks of the trade made it so much easier! Thanks to everybody who contribute on this forum and take the time to document all of their work!

:thumbup:

Johnny
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top