Radiator Change

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:46 am

I'm looking to change the radiator and all hoses coming out. I've managed to pick up a cheap new genuine radiator, and as im pretty sure mine hasn't been changed in 20 years, I thought I'd give it a crack!

I'm a total newbie to mechanics so is this something I should be taking on? I read the wiki page on cambelt changes, and although I wouldn't attempt that in a million years, the radiator removal didn't look too bad. Do we have any wiki pages specific to this? Anything I should look out for? And also anything else that's cheap to replace which I may as well do while I'm at it.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:47 am

a new thermostat while your in about it and the rad is a nice easy job to replace really simple.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:53 am

Cheers pal, where's the thermostat kept? (this is how much of a novice I am when it comes to under the bonet)... When I refill new coolant is there anything I should be weary of, or just fill it all in the coolant tank as norm?

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:56 am

just top it up leave the cap off till it overflows put cap on and open up the bleed screw near the stat housing, you will see it if you follow the rad pipe back to it.

heaters on max hot and max blower while you do it and when you get nice hot air from vents jobs a goodun

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:14 am

What pipes are best to change? Obviously there's loads running the cooling system, but I reckon only the three running from the radiator would be the best bet yeah?

How do I change the thermostat? Is that just a screw on, screw off job? Have we any wiki's on here for that?

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:44 am

i think there is a wiki you will need to check though.

just check all the pipes and change any that dont look health or have cracks or look perished.

just unbolt the stat housing and swap a new one in its another easy job.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:09 am

Mitchen wrote: Have we any wiki's on here for that?

Generally there aren't wikis for little jobs, because it really is a case of:

1) Undo bolts
2) Remove unit
3) Refitting is the reversal of removal

However, the coolant replacement and thermostat checking are covered on the Basic Servicing page for each engine. This is the M20 page, since you haven't told us what car you have:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... _Servicing

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:31 am

Good On you...e30 ownership is all about getting stuck in . Changing the rad
is straight forward . If you plan to keep you car for some time I would be tempted to change
all of the front cooling hoses if they are the ordinal ones as they turn brittle over time.

I purchased my cabby as a resto as the top hose split, the ngine cooked itself and goosed the head!!

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:58 am

Cheers guys.

Can someone just confirm this is the thermostat housing with that A representing the bleed screw? If so it looks like it's seen better days! I know removing the front part of the housing to access the stat is simple enough, but how about the rear side. If I was to replace the whole shabang is it just a couple of screws and nuts?

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:29 am

That is indeed the bleed screw, make sure you spray on some penetrating fluid and let it soak in before removal and get a good fit socket onto it.

Replace the thermostat housing is pretty straight forward just remove the pipes and a few bolts, but yours does not look into particularly bad condition.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:48 am

Rtaylor2208 wrote:That is indeed the bleed screw, make sure you spray on some penetrating fluid and let it soak in before removal and get a good fit socket onto it.

Replace the thermostat housing is pretty straight forward just remove the pipes and a few bolts, but yours does not look into particularly bad condition.

Thanks mate. Yeah I made myself a promise when I got the car that when it comes to things I can replace, I would change as many surrounding parts as I could, that way I know they're new and done. This is mostly because I can't do 90% of the jobs and when taking it to a garage, I can't have that same way of thinking without losing equity in my house lol

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:11 pm

Struggling to see what you think is wrong with that 'stat housing, other than the bleed screw looks to have had some attention from other than the correct socket.
The housings have been known to fail, but from the inside out, and only as a result of long term use of inadequate coolant concentration. A new bleed screw, and a once over with a wire brush, and it'll be like new.
Put the cover in an oven and heat it up to a couple of hundred degrees, before clamping the head of the old screw in a vice and rotating the cover by hand if it won't unscrew easily.
Treat the new screw to a good coat of copper grease when you fit it.
The most likely coolant hose to fail on your car is a small one that goes from the back of the cylinder head to the lower heater stub on the bulkhead. Developing defects in the other hoses tend to get spotted and the hoses replaced, but this one is tucked away out of sight and out of mind.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:38 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:Struggling to see what you think is wrong with that 'stat housing

I'm sure it's useable and will do the job for now, but for the sake of £50 from BMW for a fresh one, and the fact it'll be coming off anyway, probably not worth keeping a 24 year old rusty one I'd say.

This hose you speak of, I'll keep an eye out for. Is there any where else to buy replacement hoses other than BMW? ECP have only got one or two, and ebay is just full of generic ones that fit vauxhalls and all sorts

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:37 pm

Aluminium alloy isn't known for rusting (although I've known the studs that hold it on to be partly corroded through). If the coolant has been kept up to strength it won't have corroded internally.
The hose I mentioned is a different size at each end, so BMW only.
Don't assume that ebay prices are less that a BMW dealer. There's loads of E30 parts on there (often second hand ones) that are much cheaper from your local dealer or Cotswold BMW on here.