Refilling coolant: just sits in the overflow bottle

[phenryiv1]

I just did an i motor swap in my eta but retained the eta radiator and coolant overflow bottle. I routed the 3/4" overflow hose around the front of the motor (I don't have a mechanical fan) and spliced it in where the i coolant bottle hose is on the driver's side.

Piktarz:

Splice into the eta coolant line:







Routing:



Splice at the "i" connection (the path down from the B25 coolant bottle on the driver's side):




So when I went to refill the coolant, the car is not pulling coolant from the overflow bottle as I let the car run. How long should it take for the coolant do start draining from the overflow tank and into the rest of the cooling system? The bleeder screw is open.

I have not let it run more than about 60 seconds at a time so far. Am I shutting down before the t-stat opens? I don't yet have my gauge cluster back in the car so I was hesitant to let it run for too long.

[peytonracer4]

Is there anything coming out of your bleeder valve? Are you filling the ET to the top? Are you sure your water pump is functioning?

[phenryiv1]

Is there anything coming out of your bleeder valve? Are you filling the ET to the top? Are you sure your water pump is functioning?

Nothing is coming out of the screw.
The water pump is brand new.
The ET is completely full.

How long into the engine running should it take for coolant to start circulating? Can/should I undo the top rad hose and fill the radiator directly then re-start the car?

And massaging the various hoses did not seem to do anything.

[phenryiv1]

Pictures added to Post 1.

[Click]

Are you guys running a spal fan or something to replace the mechanical fan? I feel like you guys are going to overheat without if you're not.

I assume you have the belt on the water pump. I'm pretty sure I ran mine for a good couple minutes while it slowly sucked in coolant so it could be a thermostat issue. You need to get your cluster in so you can monitor the temp, also the alternator doesn't charge without it in. Do you have the heat turned on full on the inside? Also if all else fails you should prolly get an i rad. I would think they have things flowing in certain directions for a reason.

[KVF]

60 seconds is not long enough for t stat to open. Raising the drivers front of the car helps the fluid flow into the system. You can try that and let it run for a few minutes. However, I have no experience with the hose splicing/routing you performed.

[phenryiv1]

Are you guys running a spal fan or something to replace the mechanical fan? I feel like you guys are going to overheat without if you're not.

I assume you have the belt on the water pump. I'm pretty sure I ran mine for a good couple minutes while it slowly sucked in coolant so it could be a thermostat issue. You need to get your cluster in so you can monitor the temp, also the alternator doesn't charge without it in. Do you have the heat turned on full on the inside? Also if all else fails you should prolly get an i rad. I would think they have things flowing in certain directions for a reason.

We have an electric fan (Volvo) to be installed, but it is not in yet. The belt for the water pump is on, but the PS belt is not.

I (literally as you were replying) was re-assembling the cluster for install. I wanted to swap in a 7K tach to go with the B25 and the cluster has been out while I removed unnecessary warning lights, "000000"d the odometer, and found a tach from the proper style cluster.

The "i" radiator was the plan, but when I went too get one yesterday from the only local JY that listed an "i" car, the rad was totally destroyed from when they pulled the motor.

With only 7 days before the first race, we decided to try to work with what we had rather than to sit and do nothing while waiting on parts to arrive.

[phenryiv1]

60 seconds is not long enough for t stat to open. Raising the drivers front of the car helps the fluid flow into the system. You can try that and let it run for a few minutes. However, I have no experience with the hose splicing/routing you performed.

The front is up on 9" ramps at this time.

The routing SHOULD be correct. All of the hoses are connected to the appropriate points between the radiator and the WP, and the eta coolant bottle line connects to the point where the "i" coolant bottle would connect.

Same routing was used in this thread: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...=278121&page=3

I got pics from him about the specific routing but he could not explain the photos (his mechanic did the install, not him).

I plan to do more investigating today.

[lcoleman]

No way you're going to fill it with the way that hose is routed. You might be able to take the upper rad hose and fill it that way, but bleeding is going to be a pain with that setup.

I would wait and use the proper parts. There is nothing "correct" about a cobbled together setup, but it may work.

[jlevie]

Though not ideal, I think you can make this work. Filling the system is, as you found out, going to be a problem, but you can cheat. With the bleed screw open and the engine off, remove the small hose that connects to the top of the radiator at the radiator. Fill the expansion tank and put the cap on. Then blow into the small hose to force coolant from the tank into the engine until fluid is coming from the bleed screw and the top of the radiator. Then close the bleeder and put the hose back on.

Once full you are going to have to run the engine for a while 10-20 minutes to get it up to temperature and have the thermostat open. Even without a gauge you will know when that happens by the top hose & radiator getting hot. Leave the cap off while doing this to avoid a "coolant fountain" if there is air still in the system. Crack the bleeder a few time while warming up the engine to release any air. If the heater is present and connected, set the controls for full hot and turn on the blower. Then bring the engine up to 2500 rpm a few time and crack the bleeder. When full hot air comes from the vents the heater core will have been purged of air.

[phenryiv1]

So the system bled fine today. I removed the overflow bottle fromm the fender and elevated it with the front of the car up about 8". I cracked the bleeder screw and let it bleed and kept adding coolant. After about 20 minutes of adding, elevating repeating, etc. I was bleeding nothing but coolant. Not a perfect so?lution, but it works to do other diagnostics until i get an I radiatior swapped in.

[reelizmpro]

Solve the problem by either installing an upto 87 style water pump or installing an 88-on 325i radiator, hoses and expansion tank. It's not an ETA/i thing...it's an early/late model thing.