Bleeding help. Non standard engine change

Bleeding help. Non standard engine change

Author
Discussion

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
Old one had failed, and was plastic..

New one was metal..

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
A couple more thoughts..

I'm wondering if I have got enough coolant mixed in.. does adding coolant add thickness to the water?.. on the basis that I'm emptying the system every other day it seemed a bit pointless / wasteful.

It's probably very weak coolant %.

I'm reading on bimmer forums people experiencing similar issues, basically saying blow into header tank with bleed nipple open.

Surely this is basically the same as one of these coolant pressure testing kits?....

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
... although, Wil a pressure bleeding test think work? The header tank has an overflow etc.. won't the air just escape via that?


d_a_n1979

8,096 posts

71 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
What about using an OEM BMW header tank?

There's clearly an issue somewhere that's stopping flow of coolant.

Doesn't matter if its just water, it should still flow...

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
I think the OEM 5 series header is to the side of the rad.. really wouldn't work in a defender.

This arrangement is how the OEM m52's were, or at least not a million miles away..


Evoluzione

10,345 posts

242 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
Jesus wept ffs buy a bloody pressure testing kit or else a vac type for a few quid and do it properly instead of sitting there just talking about it every day.
You ask for advice then ignore the answers!

aka_kerrly

12,416 posts

209 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
Evoluzione said:
Jesus wept ffs buy a bloody pressure testing kit or else a vac type for a few quid and do it properly instead of sitting there just talking about it every day.
You ask for advice then ignore the answers!
I still can't help but wonder if the guy actually has enough coolant in it. My E39 would take around 10litres,. I would use a 5l of neat coolant and 5l pre mix and nearly all of it would be used allowing for tiny bit of spillage/overflow whilst bleeding..

I really want to see an image of this guy's truck with the front end up at a 45° angle so the rad is higher than the back end of the block!!!

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
I've lost track of the exact quantity of fluid in the system..

I wouldn't have thought I'd managed to get 10L in, maybe 6L at a guess. Surely that's my point if there's a big airlock which I'm trying to shift.

I've ordered a pressure bleeder so will see how it goes

smn159

12,448 posts

216 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
tommobot said:
... although, Wil a pressure bleeding test think work? The header tank has an overflow etc.. won't the air just escape via that?

That overflow shouldn't be open to the air, surely? Doesn't it feed into the bottom hose / radiator?

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
As per factory M52... It was the same on my 200tdi..


smn159

12,448 posts

216 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
Ah, OK, it's the one from the cap which only opens under pressure

d_a_n1979

8,096 posts

71 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
tommobot said:
I've lost track of the exact quantity of fluid in the system..

I wouldn't have thought I'd managed to get 10L in, maybe 6L at a guess. Surely that's my point if there's a big airlock which I'm trying to shift.

I've ordered a pressure bleeder so will see how it goes
Why don't you drain it, measure what fluid was in there and then refill?

As said; the M52/54 cooling systems on the BMWs take 10 litres

normalbloke

7,401 posts

218 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
smn159 said:
tommobot said:
... although, Wil a pressure bleeding test think work? The header tank has an overflow etc.. won't the air just escape via that?

That overflow shouldn't be open to the air, surely? Doesn't it feed into the bottom hose / radiator?
Yes it should.

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
quotequote all
So armed with a vacuum refill kit and a pump test kit, I still haven't got this sorted.

I'm fully prepared for being told Ive been stupid.

The vacuum refill, works as it should... Holds a vacuum of about 23 whatever the gauge measures.. all the pipes collapse and refill with coolant. Tried this, still airlock.

So tried again.. drained system somewhat vacuum, refill and then vacuum refill again. Better. Managed to get heat back to heater, and it seemed like bottom hose got warm...

Took it for a spin down the road.. rose up to 120c..

Pump thing doesn't seem to make much difference.

I'm thinking airlock Infront of stat?... water temp Infront of stat was measured at mid 70c...

I've got an aluminium thermostat housing, with 2 extra bleed screws but the chap welded the boss on right Infront of one of the bolts.

Could it be water pump???.

Don't think I'm being catastrophically stupid..

Novexx

346 posts

73 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
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tommobot said:
Could it be water pump???.
Yes.

You mentioned that the new pump had a metal impeller - this doesn't mean that it's impossible for it to fail / lose drive.

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
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Did you say you ran it with the stat removed and it flowed properly and heated the radiator?

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Sunday 18th October 2020
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I ran it without the stat, but couldn't get a decent seal on the stat housing so it was leaking like crazy.. but it was flowing accross the rad with it in..

I'll maybe have another look tomorrow at the stat, but I'm definitely luring towards removing and inspecting water pump..

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Sunday 18th October 2020
quotequote all
tommobot said:
it was flowing accross the rad with it in.
Doesn't prove the pump is perfect, but presumably it's doing at least something.

How does hot coolant get in and out of the stat housing when the stat is closed? Is the a bypass from the top of the engine, or does it rely on a heater hose, flow through the header tank and so on?

Andy RV

303 posts

129 months

Sunday 18th October 2020
quotequote all
Did you put enough coolant in?

tommobot

Original Poster:

641 posts

206 months

Sunday 18th October 2020
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
Doesn't prove the pump is perfect, but presumably it's doing at least something.

How does hot coolant get in and out of the stat housing when the stat is closed? Is the a bypass from the top of the engine, or does it rely on a heater hose, flow through the header tank and so on?
There a small hole in the stat housing that should allow water Infront of the stat back into the hose leaving the engine towards the top hose.

I can't guarantee that I've got enough coolant, but header is pretty much full, rad is full.. water present at all other hoses but there's either a pocket of air... Or dodgy water pump..