Cooling System Replacement/Upgrade Recommendations

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Nah, let him find out, he’s all growed up.

[StephenVA]

I am with Snotty on this one. Great minds always think the same. We are humble too!
if the poster thinks, feels, and wants to spend $1000 on aZionsville rad set up with all add on requeried.to install it correctly, let him. It is his money.

the OE rad or one of the OE builders models should provide something to last the ownership of this car. Personally I would install the M5 rad and be done, but that is my opinion.
Added thoughts, I would also only install the BMW fan and a BMW WP PULLEY or the steel one

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Well, what gave me a laugh was, he was gawking at the $549 CSF radiator, then suddenly, he was talking Zionsville!

[traksion]

Well, what gave me a laugh was, he was gawking at the $549 CSF radiator, then suddenly, he was talking Zionsville!

I went with the Behr from FCP, Zionsville rads look nice as do the CSF but their both outa budget for me at this point. But i saved the links if down the road I want to upgrade for now I just want to get my car running, she's been sitting in my driveway for 3 months and hasn't moved. I'd rather drop the grand on turbo parts than a shiny rad if the stock/AF ones do the job fine and if they die well FCP's got that lifetime warranty and a bit of grease never hurt nobody.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

That’s cool man, the Zionsville stuff is art, but out of my budget too. All my cooling bits came in, FCP kicks ass! But I had ordered an Elring valve cover gasket, stupid me, I ordered a regular one for the regular plastic valve covers locally, through one of my suppliers. I was busy juggling work, parts ordering for myself, forgot to get the right gasket for the M56 aluminum valve cover that my silver wagon has in it. So I gotta get that ordered.

[Trevhead]

Speaking of radiator brands… I suspect my Mahle that I just installed four months ago is failing. Bought from FCP so I’ll be covered with replacement, but should I replace with the same?

briefly, symptoms are Low Coolant Warning with no visible loss based on no drips under the car and no change in bobber in expansion tank. But last night, parked and expansion tank cap was hissing and slightly leaking from the cap, and there is some visible coolant spray around the side of the radiator on the drivers side. I’m wondering if a small radiator leak is allowing the coolant to get hot enough to build boil and build up the pressure I heard at the cap. Tank itself does not seem to be the source of any leak, except for seepage from the cap. And it doesn’t seem like that coolant would be getting on the opposite side of the radiator. No overheating.

hijacked thread, sorry. Didn’t seem prudent to start yet another coolant thread.

[shogun]

Was the cap replaced with the new radiator? Maybe the cap is the problem. Symptoms of Bad or Failing Radiator Cap https://studentlesson.com/understand...-pressure-cap/

[StephenVA]

Always replace the cap when doing a 100k cooling system refresh!

[Trevhead]

Affirmative - cap was new along with tank, hoses, rad, fan, fan pulley, water pump... whole nine yards earlier this year.

[StephenVA]

Congratulations

[traksion]

Smooth sailing so far today was able to remove everything, clean and put in the new water pump/pulley, both tensioners, both new belts & drained the block. Bought a new aux fan & ac condenser off eBay today as mine was on it's last leg and still waiting on the rad to get delivered. I have new upper & lower rad hoses but looks like i missed a few when ordering I marked them 1,2,3,4 if yall know the part #'s and if their worth changing or not lmk.

Belts (Medium).jpg

[traksion]

Found the part #'s & ordered off autohauz.

[StephenVA]

While you are in there, pull off the cooling vent tube to the alternator and clean it out of leaves, nuts, and seeds from the rodents. One too many Alts die from no air flow.

[SW530]

Now would be a good time to do some research on OEM parts, not because the guys here are wrong.. they aren't. But because it will satisfy you and show you how to tell which aftermarket supplier is the current OEM supplier. When I did my E34 6-7 years ago it was Behr and when we just did my sons E39 540i it was Behr again. If someone didn't already say, get a water pump with a metal impeller vs. the stock plastic, change the expansion tank, hoses, on the V8's pull and clean the pipes that run under the manifold and change the seals and intake rubbers, and the temp sensors. Basically change everything. Keeping it stock has the added benefit of the car retaining the most value, it was designed with the stock parts and works well with them, and you know everything fits as it should. Pay attention to if the radiator mounts are missing and replace if not in great shape, always change the cap with the same spec as the old one, NO RTV anywhere on any cooling system part, I spray sealer on the gasket so it's held in place and minimizes the risk of a folded gasket corner, change the clutch with an OEM equiv, pully, change the fan blades because they're known to grenade, especially at higher RPM's, and people argue about this... but I use BMW antifreeze and a quality wetting agent like Royal Purple or Redline. And if you have to change hose clamps the BMW clamps imo are way better than the American style.

When refilling the system, some bleed easily, I personally have a Uview Airlift that takes all the pain and worry from refilling the system with zero air pockets. I put my antifreeze, distilled water, wetting agent, in a 5 gallon bucket, the Airlft them puts a vacuum pressure on the entire system and I let it sit there for 30m or so making sure there are no leaks, and then turn the valve and let it refill the system. Works a charm, especially on systems that are hard to bleed.

Do all that and you're good for another 100,000 miles.

[traksion]

Hey Guys,

So I replaced the Aux fan with a cheap *new one from ebay and it had 4 prongs where the original had 3 and it turns on as soon as it gets plugged in even with the car off. I've returned that one and ordered a behr one from FCP euro that one has the same amount of prongs and does NOT turn on as soon as it's plugged in but it doesn't turn on when the AC compressor is on either. I'm going to test this weekend with INPA if i can turn it on manually to make sure it's not defective but wanted to get your insights on this. The ebay one worked so I don't think it's a fuse or electrical issue but the OEM one doesn't turn on when car gets to temp or the ac compressor is on and from what i've read it should turn on any time the AC compressor is running. Any thoughts?

[LongTallTexan]

Green antifreeze? I use G-05.