Re: bmw-digest V9 #1335

["Demetre Koumanakos" <demetre@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>If you had an E30-M20 that was overheating, and you'd already discovered
>the broken (closed) thermostat and replaced it, and flushed the radiator
>(and noted the good flow through it), and changed the coolant, carefully
>bleeding the system, and checked out the auxiliary (electric) fan and
>its sensors, and it still ran hot, and then you noticed that the fan
>(with the viscous coupling) turned about as easily when the engine was
>hot as it did when it was cold, the next thing you'd do is replace that
>fan (or coupling), leaving the last possible culprit, the water pump,
>for last if the replacement fan (or coupling) didn't cure the problem,
>right?

>Why do these things (viscous couplings) go bad?  Is it stupid to try to
>find one in a junkyard?  Why does my Bentley manual say (paraphrasing)
>"Don't lay the fan down on its side?"  Does the stuff ooze out if you
>do?  If I have one shipped to me, how can it possibly not spend at least
>some time on its side during transit?

I had the same problem, during this past summer the temperature reached
record highs in Greece, my E30/318 overheated because of a faulty fan clutch
which in turn made a small plastic Y collar to break (that was the only
thing
my mechanic "forgot" to change from under the hood during an engine
replacement",
my old girl lost all its coolant and I was lucky enough to be near a BMW
shop
to have the her repaired. I had the clutch replaced 3 times the past two
years,
which my wallet did not like, in Greece we can't just get the clutch but
we have to replace the fan with the clutch.
Next time I'll just get rid of the mechanical fan and have an aftermarket
electrical fan
installed, it will be much cheaper to maintain...

Demetre

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