Cooling system refurbishment

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jacko
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Cooling system refurbishment

Post by jacko »

I'm getting ready to "go thru" the cooling system on my 89 with auto.
Texas gets hot and the car has (sort of) AC. Needle stays mid-range except when idling or on high speed runs. Goal is reliability.

Suggestions on brands for replacement parts? Radiator/water pump/clutch/thermostat/hoses and belts.
Jack
Arlington, Texas. USA

1989 635csi
Automatic
jacko
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Post by jacko »

...
or any upgrades?
Jack
Arlington, Texas. USA

1989 635csi
Automatic
Noct
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Post by Noct »

Others can advise how to do a proper overhaul. I wonder if you or I would benefit from someones idea to use an e30 part (auxiliary fan switch) instead of oem. He said there are 2 auxiliary fan switches 91degree and 99 degree. Ditch the 99, put the 91 there and use the e30... maybe 83degree switch.

This sounds to me like something you do last if you have done everything else to get the cooling system running nice and you feel like you just gotta give it some extra help.

I've gone through 2 fan clutches in less than 2 years, so I don't know what the heck is up with my cooling system... The other thing people debate is which thermostat to use... I think there's 3 options and the oem one is 75. You can find threads here regarding that and for most people the stock is in their opinion the best way to go. They say the car runs better when a bit hot or it's better for the engine maybe. I do a lot of short runs so I'm not sure if stock is best for me or the warmer one. Right now I'm concerned about getting my cracked drive belt replaced. :shock:
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Post by JoelR »

I would recommend NOT using Gates hoses for this. I had fitment issues with a Gates hose on the lower radiator. (Water pump pulley tore a hole in it, so I replaced it with BMW hose that fit correctly.)
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Pod
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Re: Cooling system refurbishment

Post by Pod »

jacko wrote:I'm getting ready to "go thru" the cooling system on my 89 with auto.
Texas gets hot and the car has (sort of) AC. Needle stays mid-range except when idling or on high speed runs. Goal is reliability.

Suggestions on brands for replacement parts? Radiator/water pump/clutch/thermostat/hoses and belts.
Replace your fan & coupling with an electric fan?
jacko
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Post by jacko »

Aside from all aluminum radiators, do Nissans seem to be holding up better than Behr replacement radiators?
Jack
Arlington, Texas. USA

1989 635csi
Automatic
Chris Wright

Post by Chris Wright »

Fan Clutch:
Beher fan clutches are known to have failures of new clutches. The Sachs is a better clutch, less failures and it supposedly comes on sooner also:
viewtopic.php?t=19819&postdays=0&postor ... h&start=15
Noct
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Post by Noct »

I bought the Sachs-Fichtel last time. What do you make of this one...

http://www.autohausaz.com/pn/11521466000

It's cheaper, but perhaps because it's a new product.
Noct
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Post by Noct »

I guess the Borg Warner fan clutch is probably made in China. They do a good job of making themselves sound good on their website at least.

I'm torn between buying this or saving money with a used fan clutch and taking my chances... feels like same difference. I wonder what kind of mileage our fan clutches average.
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Da_Hose
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Post by Da_Hose »

I bought a fan clutch from Napa (IIRC) because they had it in stock and I needed it NOW. Seems to be working just fine a year later and it has a lifetime warranty. We'll see how it survives.

I remember buying it for about $70m, but I just checked and the price it's $107 now.

Jose
1987 M6 - My dream car
jacko
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Post by jacko »

Except for parts that involve a lot of labor to install.... lifetime warranty parts make a lot of sense for those of us planning to keep our cars.
Jack
Arlington, Texas. USA

1989 635csi
Automatic
euro24

Post by euro24 »

jacko wrote:Except for parts that involve a lot of labor to install.... lifetime warranty parts make a lot of sense for those of us planning to keep our cars.
If the part is super easy to access and own't break anything else if it fails, I'll opt for the cheaper version. If the part is mission-critical and/or hard to install (e.g., oil pump), I'll get an OE BMW part.
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Post by Noct »

Last time I mentioned shop rates, someone said Find a New Mechanic!!! There don't seem to be any good options, my indie shops are the best... even the "socially responsible, replete with do gooders bay area".

2 shops in Sf are telling me .7 hrs for changing the fan clutch and the other .8 hrs. When I changed it once with a buddy it felt more like 30 min and that was with the trouble he had with corrosion on the threads and whatever arthritis or what not he's got going on. We didn't change the belts but I'm not sure how much longer that takes.

don't mean to hijack the thread.
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slofut
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Post by slofut »

Noct wrote:Last time I mentioned shop rates, someone said Find a New Mechanic!!! There don't seem to be any good options, my indie shops are the best... even the "socially responsible, replete with do gooders bay area".

2 shops in Sf are telling me .7 hrs for changing the fan clutch and the other .8 hrs. When I changed it once with a buddy it felt more like 30 min and that was with the trouble he had with corrosion on the threads and whatever arthritis or what not he's got going on. We didn't change the belts but I'm not sure how much longer that takes.

don't mean to hijack the thread.
Me personally, I'd damn sure plan on an hour. It's been a while since I changed an e24 but I remember it being tight in there.
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dwcains
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Post by dwcains »

I've never had to pay for service, but I can't imagine any decent shop wanting to do even a small job and charge less than a full hour's labor. Both estimates sound pretty reasonable to me, even if it's a 20-minute job.
euro24

Post by euro24 »

slofut wrote:
Noct wrote:Last time I mentioned shop rates, someone said Find a New Mechanic!!! There don't seem to be any good options, my indie shops are the best... even the "socially responsible, replete with do gooders bay area".

2 shops in Sf are telling me .7 hrs for changing the fan clutch and the other .8 hrs. When I changed it once with a buddy it felt more like 30 min and that was with the trouble he had with corrosion on the threads and whatever arthritis or what not he's got going on. We didn't change the belts but I'm not sure how much longer that takes.

don't mean to hijack the thread.
Me personally, I'd damn sure plan on an hour. It's been a while since I changed an e24 but I remember it being tight in there.
lolwut?

With a 36mm wrench and the pulley holder, I can get my fan clutch out of the car, off and back on the fan, and back in the car in under 10 minutes.
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jps635
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Post by jps635 »

With a 36mm wrench and the pulley holder, I can get my fan clutch out of the car, off and back on the fan, and back in the car in under 10 minutes.
Same. Just buy the spanner OR use a good quality narrow head crescent. Just remember is LH thread.

With regard to overhauling or upgrading the cooling system I 'm not sure I have upgraded mine but certainly have modified it. All the A/C gone and I followed Gaz's lead and installed a 16" Davies Craig thermatic pusher fan. Have set up so can manually switch on plus a 2nd switch which runs through an adjustable timer, so can run for say 90 secs after stopping with ign off.

So far all good.

Chris
'85 635csi JPS (RA2-66)
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sansouci
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Post by sansouci »

Buy the two wrenches on ebay to remove the clutch a 5 minute job. Spend 10 minutes cleaning the fan blades. Use the lower temp stat. That takes half an hour to drain the rad, pull the old one clean the mating surface, install the new, refill and test for leaks. Time includes at least 1 beer. You may have to pull the upper rad hose to get the fan shroud out of the way.
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