Simon's take on: 'Mess Under the Intake'

[MattBimmer]

Okay did the rubber hammer trick o ring a
Seated well and I have the same 1 to 2 mm gap between the flange and the block like several other people have had (read this in different thread). Just for the hell of I I took RTV and smoothed it all around the flange just in case the part was to fail. I did use Blunttech so the part is definitely a good one.

Now I am just curious as I finish the last two hoses, who has ran an oil catch can from PCV to throttle body. I saw someone using a small fuel filter and I was interested at how well that worked.

[Simon S]

speaking of the coolant pipe..

i suggest that for the block pipe you purchase BMW OEM only. there seems to be issues with other brands not having proper molds for this part causing them to leak.

I'll second this. It's a really cheap part, don't "cheap out" on an aftermarket one.

DAMMIT !!
Just want to reiterate the importance of going with OE coolant pipe (p/n 11531714738 ).

Look at what the f@%k I even said:

Agreed. This particular part is quality-sensitive indeed.

* Another reason to deal with Blunt Tech - you get hooked up with the good shit *

I’ll be a son of a bitch to notice a small pool of coolant on my engine block right under the pipe area a week ago as I type this. Kept an eye on it and noted ¼ to ½ cup loss of coolant after taking short drives.

Just spent an hour going through an inch and a half of project receipts. Found the part included with a miscellaneous BMA order I had placed. It had a manufacturer designation of “APA”. The price was $11.50. The real fucker is that I also found a blunttech estimate with what I presume to be the OE part for $16.41. This was in the fall of 2009, I was totally strapped at the time, and I didn’t know any better.

Nutshell: the aftermarket coolant pipe started leaking after an estimated 5 to 6K miles, it’s the middle of winter, and I’m pissed (at myself mostly).


(a trick for installing it more-easily is to smear a small amount of engine oil on the [new] pipe O-ring before fitting it)

[MattBimmer]

I smacked it down and as I tightened down my bolts it popped out and then I tried using the bolts to pull it in and it snapped a bolt. Headed to lowes in the morning to try and find a new bolt

[jntar]

Okay that's what I was gonna try but I just really didn't wanna crack it and then have to order another lol. Did you do that with the bolts already in and lightly tightened down?

I dont remember 100% but I do believe that I did have the farthest bolt barely threaded. It should work either way.

[N2MYE30]

Ive never owned a 4 banger bmw but if I did, this tread would be in my favorites bookmark. Simons threads are always so informative.

[MattBimmer]

Okay that's what I was gonna try but I just really didn't wanna crack it and then have to order another lol. Did you do that with the bolts already in and lightly tightened down?

[jntar]

I am putting my new plastic core for the coolant in and the plastic isn't seating onto the block the rubber gasket won't let it go any further what should I do?

I had to lightly tap mine with a rubber mallet after cleaning up the block area that it fit into. It finally went in securely.

[MattBimmer]

I am putting my new plastic core for the coolant in and the plastic isn't seating onto the block the rubber gasket won't let it go any further what should I do?

[roguetoaster]

Ah, thought you were past that step. I guess I should never assume. Glad you figured it, and hope yours came off without breaking as they are prone to doing. I still wonder why you guys are removing the wiring in front of the area to be worked on unless it is just to degunk as you can easily work around it.

[MattBimmer]

^ sorry mine doesn't appear to have nuts on it, but it looks like black plastic knob on the back of the alternator. I am trying to be able to pull the wiring harness up and out of the way like Simon did in his write up. Did some more today this thing is absolutely filthy from the foam underneath the good falling down overtime and dirtying everything up
Edit: looked at Simons pics and there is just a cover I am missing to pop off. I am sorry, mine is just covered in gunk couldn't see that!

[roguetoaster]

Started tearing this stuff apart. Unfortunately it's a real mess inside. For the harness input on the alternator do I just yank it off or is there a special trick? I don't wanna screw up my harness disconnecting.

This is not a difficult project and you really need to relax a bit about it. For my alternator harness there were two layers of nuts and it may at first appear that you have all of them, but look again after you remove the top wires from the mounting stud. If you are just doing the mess deletion you don't need to touch the alternator, but I am assuming you are planning a general clean up, if so you can simply bag and tape closed any areas you don't want getting wet.

Further, relax, everything will go fine, and if something does go wrong you can fix it easily enough, after all the M42 is a supremely simple car to wrench on.

[Mr.SWISS]

I did this for a friend that just bought a 91 318 vert that would die as soon as you touched the gas and let off. Had to replace the 2 3 way hoses that wrap over the u shaped heater pipe and the hose that runs to ICV, hose to front of VC and small 1" hose to intake/tb.

charged him $100 parts and labor. He was stoked to drive it.

[MattBimmer]

Started tearing this stuff apart. Unfortunately it's a real mess inside. For the harness input on the alternator do I just yank it off or is there a special trick? I don't wanna screw up my harness disconnecting.

[MattBimmer]

Ha I gotcha I know I am being annoying as shit and I realized that about the when I actually started order stuff. And your right the majority of ny questions are cause I am trying to peek at it around upper intake anyways. Parts are ordered and hopefully all goes well. Thanks for this write up and all the help though.

[Simon S]

sorry.. didn't mean to be abrasive there.. I'm fuckin wacked out with anxiety lately..

Dude - you'll be fine.