Cooling a 325

[brian325i]

I have an e30 325 1987 drift car, dtripped caged and welded diff, no v/fan just electric.i took out thermostat, car still over heats.Any way of curing this, put on another fan? ps it likes understeering, possible cure?

help appreciated , and needed to compete against all the jap scrap

[northloop]

Would the overheating not point towards a head gasket issue?

With regard to the understeering, what sort of ARB's are you using? If they are uprated and adjustable play about with the settings till you find what you are looking for.

[JimmyC]

My first port of call would be a new rad, I had over heating issues last year, did everything you've said- bar leccy fan, in the end it was the rad

Buy a new, not second hand aircon/tropical rad, and it will run nice and cool

[march109]

I have an e30 325 1987 drift car, dtripped caged and welded diff, no v/fan just electric.i took out thermostat, car still over heats.Any way of curing this, put on another fan? ps it likes understeering, possible cure?

help appreciated , and needed to compete against all the jap scrap

If its over heating whilst your drifting, have you considered the fact that the rad is at the front and normal driving forces cool air through it and into your engine bay, helping cooling.

Whilst your going sideways this doeasn't happen, I know drifters who combat this by cutting slats in the side wings or by raising the bonnet two inches so theres a gap and securing it down safely.

[brian325i]

@ march ...i wish i was going too sideways for front air intake but im only a novice so that isnt my problem ha ha

@jimmy c...i got my rad reconditioned, where would i get a tropical fan and what exactly is it? From an imported car from spain or something, where temp is alot higher

@ northloop standard arb..for now...and i am fearing it is the headgasket but i dunno cause no oil/water mix, no mayo, no smelly exhaust fumes or smoke..

Would the fact i have taken out thermostat be part of prob or should it run cooler bcoz of that

[march109]

Would the fact i have taken out thermostat be part of prob or should it run cooler bcoz of that

Try running it with the thermostat in!!

Its there for a reason!

[ed325i]

I would try and remove the middle out of the thermostat and fit the outer part so the flow of the water is restricted, as the water could be flowing to fast. I used to do this on my race mini.

[brian325i]

ed ...that sounds like an idea..and well worth a try..i will do this and update after my next drift day which is the 24th of this month..thanks..

is it common for corrosion to build up and restrict the flow around the engine..ie not the rbber piping but around engine itself..if so could that be part of problem?

[brian325i]

heard that if i cut the coil off the thermostat it will circulate the water via the rad and block not just either or..is this true does anyone know
kind of like what ed said above but supposed to circulte different route instead of just slowing it down

[Taffy]

As mentioned (South African) radiator is the way to go, expensive but sorted our overheating issues out, its also worth boxing in the rad, alot of air never touches it so boxing in really maximises the air intake

[BMW_YARD]

Taffy , JimmyC you got the part number for the tropical AC rad?

[brian325i]

wat he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[handpaper]

From the bmwfans ETK, part # is 17 11 1 712 850

http://bmwfans.info/original/E30/4-T/32 ... l-17_0005/

The page doesn't mention that it's SA spec, only that it's for cars with aircon.....
Further browsing confirms it - it's the radiator fitted to manual m20-engined cars with aircon:

http://bmwfans.info/original/E30/2-T/32 ... l-17_0005/

Your dealer should be able to get one, but at what cost?

[ric325i]

[quote="brian325i"]ed ...that sounds like an idea..and well worth a try..i will do this and update after my next drift day which is the 24th of this month..thanks..

got to ask how did the drifting go? did you still over heat and are you planning a tropical rad?