Top Timing Cover - Missing mount point

[_r2h]

Doing a timing belt/water pump/everything else up front on my M20. Noticed a long time ago that the metal coolant tube on the front of the motor just seemed to be held in place by the hoses and comes really close to the clutch fan. Did some searching today to find other timing covers have a bolt hole in it that mine does not have. Is there different timing cover for different years? I'd like to find a proper part so my coolant tube isn't flopping around.

Here is a picture of the bolt hole in question.

Thanks. :D

[Click]

Metal coolant tube of def attached to the engine by bolts. Don't have any pics of it though.

[jeffnhiscars]

Doing a timing belt/water pump/everything else up front on my M20. Noticed a long time ago that the metal coolant tube on the front of the motor just seemed to be held in place by the hoses and comes really close to the clutch fan. Did some searching today to find other timing covers have a bolt hole in it that mine does not have. Is there different timing cover for different years? I'd like to find a proper part so my coolant tube isn't flopping around.

Here is a picture of the bolt hole in question.

Thanks. :D

I just reinstalled the metal tube on my 89 Cabrio today so yes, that boss should be threaded. However, I did the TB on our 87 325i recently and it did not have the metal tube. The car is not here for me to look at but realoem shows an upper timing cover for it that has a logo in that spot rather than a threaded boss.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1423&mospid=47322&btnr=11_0405&hg=11&fg=10

Note: realoem shows the same pic for my 89 cover but it has the threaded boss so dont go by the pics.

The other end of the tube bolts thru a tab on the water pump. Since you dont mention the year of your car no way to know how it was built, but I suspect you have a stripped thread rather than a retrofit. I'd tap it and drill out the mounting hole in the tube if you have to or get a JY cover.

[_r2h]

Sorry, I have a 4/87 325i. My front timing cover has a logo on it, I assume where later models added the threaded boss?

[jlevie]

Your 87 never had the mount points for the cross-over tube. The radiator, water pump, and expansion tank on an 87 and earlier don't use that tube. Someone changed out those parts to the later (from 9/87) configuration. To use the later style you need to replace the upper timing cover with the later production part.

[_r2h]

What would my best option option be, if I were going to swap to a single output water pump and an m42 radiator. Would it be possible to delete that particular tube and go with a different hose? or is keeping the tube a better option and pick up a timing cover with the threaded boss.