Do I really hate BMW right now...

[LuisGT]

And all the plastic crap they use for the cooling system

Replacing the 2 plastic engine hoses has been a pain... aside from all the time I've spent searching for the huge leak...

[adjmcloon]

Good Lord, which hoses were you replacing?

[LuisGT]

The 2 plastic hoses that run on the side of the engine under the Intake manifold It's impossible to get to them without dismantling half the engine...

[pleiades]

Do both of them plug into the block behind the water pump? Where were they leaking? At the O-ring end? Looks like this is a job that begs you to also replace the manifold gaskets, CCV, etc. "while you're there."

[LuisGT]

Yes... one plugs behind the thermostat and the other behind the water pump housing... I don't know exactly where they where leaking... but the plastic was so deteriorated it was left stuck inside the holes and looked like a poor job at a seal attempt (looked exactly like hardened sealant)

Sad thing is... I replaced the CCV a year ago without removing the intake... and it was a bitch to do it... and this is going to be the second time I replace the oil filter housing gasket... and the thermostat seal...

[TriniSpeC]

damn now that is a tear down

[ElleShooTiger]

Damn, the I6 engines sure do have a lot of plastic parts in some hard-to-reach places! I really wish BMW would have put in a quick-connector or a separate harness for the transmission wiring, it'd be 1000 times easier to remove our intakes!

[pleiades]

Yes... one plugs behind the thermostat and the other behind the water pump housing... I don't know exactly where they where leaking... but the plastic was so deteriorated it was left stuck inside the holes and looked like a poor job at a seal attempt (looked exactly like hardened sealant) ..l...

My car has the same plastic pipes but I think these were metal on the earlier six-cyl. e39s. Bummer. Mine are probably time bombs by now, so I think this is yet another preventive job I'll have to just dive into and gain some peace of mind.... And of all the water pipes and hoses, wouldn't you know these two are the most expensive....

[maigo]

Cricket that's a lot if work. If you don't mind, please link to a diagram on realoem to show us which hoses.

PS: Careful with the F connector for the two vacuum hoses on your intake boot.
Mine snapped like a crayon when I was replacing the alternator.

[SwiftSmooth528]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...38&hg=11&fg=35

[carlos1212]

I'm doing the exact job have been working on it today/tomorrow.
but u took way too much off lol
all I did was remove a manifold nuts, 16mm nut at bottom, and dissconect all electrical sensors up front

[LuisGT]

You can't reach the front nut with a ratchet if you leave the oil filter housing on... and considering how half the tube end was left in the engine, I had to flush out all the debris with a hose after I had to chisel it with a flat head screwdriver...

[antsE39]

Yes... one plugs behind the thermostat and the other behind the water pump housing... I don't know exactly where they where leaking... but the plastic was so deteriorated it was left stuck inside the holes and looked like a poor job at a seal attempt (looked exactly like hardened sealant)

Sad thing is... I replaced the CCV a year ago without removing the intake... and it was a bitch to do it... and this is going to be the second time I replace the oil filter housing gasket... and the thermostat seal...

I would rather remove the intake manifold so much easier.

[pleiades]

I'm doing the exact job have been working on it today/tomorrow.
but u took way too much off lol
all I did was remove a manifold nuts, 16mm nut at bottom, and dissconect all electrical sensors up front

I would appreciate any pics of this job if you are talking about an M52TU or M54 engine.

Some say it's do-able without removing the manifold but I don't see how I would be able to get to those pipes, let alone work on them, without removing the alternator, OFH, and intake manifold. Also, the ends of these pipes apparently just break off in the block when you try to remove them, leaving the extra work of cleaning all that frozen, corroded plastic crap out. Gotta have room to do the job.

[SwiftSmooth528]

The heater pipe situation is insane. I have a small leak that lets a couple drops of coolant drip down on the steering rack every time it's driven and the heater pipe is the most likely culprit.

Very bad design; that rubber/plastic just cooks in there. Just plain stupid. There should be threaded metal tubes or some other system at the connection points so the job doesn't have to be such a PITA. Those pipes should be attached with clamps.

Somebody like Turner Motorsports should've made an aftermarket improvement on this by now. Anybody know?

[aspensilver540]

it could be worse, you could have a 6 inch water pump bolt snap 5 inches into the lower timing cover case requiring you to remove jesus bolt on 540I (my problem, quietly sobbing)

[wthensler]

Yes, they are metal on the early e39 sixes. Mine is a 10/96 build date, with 307,000 miles and never replaced those hoses. Cool pic, I admire your perseverance.

[SwiftSmooth528]

it could be worse, you could have a 6 inch water pump bolt snap 5 inches into the lower timing cover case requiring you to remove jesus bolt on 540I (my problem, quietly sobbing)

Sorry to hear about that, but really, when one is in the midst of a problem like LuisGT, does it ever help them for someone else to chime in and say, "Hey, it could be worse, for instance like MY problem"?

No... it never helps them.

For instance, if you created a thread to talk about your problem and somebody posted, "Hey, it could be worse, your car could have been hit by a crazy bank robber fleeing in Kia Spectra and both cars exploded and burned to the ground (my problem, quietly sobbing), would that be helpful?

[LuisGT]

Really... just how much plastic does this car have... I was in the middle or reassembling the intake manifold just to find the suction pump broke in half perfectly at the seam Should have had this done by today as I start classes again tommorow

Seriously... I've never had so much go wrong in the 4 years I've had the car... guess driving close to 6K miles in a month and a half was a bit much for the poor girl... and this is just the tip of the iceberg with all the other, less important at the moment, crap I have to fix/replace

I'm doing the exact job have been working on it today/tomorrow.
but u took way too much off lol
all I did was remove a manifold nuts, 16mm nut at bottom, and dissconect all electrical sensors up front

I don't know how you're gonna do it without removing the OFH... The OFH is completely in the way of the lines

[pleiades]

LuisGT, I appreciate these pics. No consolation to the hell you are going through right now. On the brighter side, you will have renewed trust in your ride once done.

Did the new O-rings require any kind of lubrication other than coolant? When I eventually do this job, I'll probably be worried about breaking the new plastic too.

[LuisGT]

Surprisingly, it is quite easy to install the pipes, I used very little force and just a bit of water on the O rings. The pipes come with a dual O ring setup ( the old ones broke at the second O ring section, so basically all of the pipe that gets inserted broke in the engine )

[champaign777]

Coolant overhaul on M54 is such an easy task ... looks like not for everyone

I remember when i replaced my Intake manifold i spent full week on this crap

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1376457

GL !

[edjack]

Get a Honda - problem solved.

[Jason5driver]

Coolant overhaul on M54 is such an easy task ... looks like not for everyone

I remember when i replaced my Intake manifold i spent full week on this crap

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1376457

GL !

So, you replaced these plastic pipes...?

[champaign777]

no

i think the OP will be the first one to replace them on M54

normally they never fail :