<E28 M5> Radiator Repair or Replace?

[Pearson-Franks Family <pearsonf@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Rick!

There are those who will advise you on various repairs to your
radiator.  Mickey-mouse inserts in the collar of the neck you
broke off and the like.  Don't listen!  Buy a new radiator, and
I am sure you can beat the $700 price.  Try BavAuto or Steve D'G;
either will be 'way under that.

Why, you may ask?  Let me turn the question around:  "Why did the
neck break?"  Answer:  the plastic our wonderful manufacturer speced
ages badly in the underhood environment.  If you have been cruising
the Digest for a bit, there is a recent thread about repairing the 8mm
nipple that feeds back to the expansion tank as well.  The tank plastic
ages and gets brittle.  Why bother repairing it if that will only
lull you into driving somewhere far away from real help . . . . . ?

Further, when I had a radiator problem, I called all over the country
looking for a radiator shop that would rebuild these - my local shop
declined the attempt; many others turned me down; only one in town
would risk it, and they warned me that they could not guarantee success.
The reason stated was the bent tab method to secure the tanks to the
aluminum core - they were designed to be bent once, and cyling them
two more times frequently broke them.  There is a Roundel advertiser
(who I just don't recall at the moment) who _does_ rebuild these, but
it still sounds chancy to me.  You decide  ;~)

Just my experience, Larry F.

>Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 22:37:26 -0800 (PST)
>From: rkoo@domain.elided
>Subject: <E28 M5> Radiator Repair or Replace?
>
>Hey Everyone-
>
>I could really use the help of the assembled Bimmer wisdom yet again.
>About two weeks after having finally gotten around to changing all the
>coolant hoses on my '88 M5, I went out to the garage tonight to find that
>the Millenium Falcon had made a mess on the floor. Turns out that the
>entire upper radiator hose barb/nipple has cracked off, apparently (and
>thankfully) after I parked the car. I guess maybe I tightened that hose
>clamp with a wee bit too much gusto, or the ten year old plastic was just
>a bit too crispy.
>
>I've heard that I can have this aluminum/plastic radiator flushed,
>cleaned, and the plastic tanks replaced for much less than the ~ $600 an
>OEM replacement runs. I was asking around at the time because the radiator
>had already had a slow leak at the passenger side tank seam. What are your
>opinions on going this route? Can I get some recommendations for a
>radiator shop that does good work in the South Bay (CA)? Or would it just
>be better to eat the cost of the new radiator?
>
>Oh well, at least now I've got an excuse to get in there and change those
>leaking oil cooler hoses....
>
>Thanks for the help!
>
>Rick Koo
>CCA #160743
>'88 M5 (171k mi and showing it)
>
>

Larry Franks
Issaquah, Washington
'86 535i x 2
'83 245 GLT (Swedish iron)

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