Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

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mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by mrscalex »

I'm about to do a service and cooling system overhaul on my 2.2. First time I've done a service in 30 years and of course first time on a Z3 :shock:

So I want to get my shopping list right. So far I've bought:

- Mann oil & air filters
- NGK spark plugs
- Shell Helix Ultra 5w/50
- Behr viscous coupling & thermostat (the OE hopefully)
- Meyle water pump

I know also need:

- The 2 o-rings for the oil filter from the dealer
- Anti-freeze from the dealer

Is there any other parts or jobs under the bonnet that should be on my shopping list so I get the car in a nice known position without going overboard?

- Drive belt (main)? Gates or Meyle?
- Are there some tensioners/pulleys in there somewhere I should be doing?
- Fuel filter?
- Sump plug/washer?

The air con compressor is squealing and I'll get a new drive belt for that if needed when my air con man sorts it. It's likely to be the bearings but he's hoping to free them up. I have a second-hand unit off ebay on standby for the princely sum of £19.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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Southernboy
Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
Posts: 6436

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Johannesburg

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by Southernboy »

Meyle belts, and yes there are belt tensioners - one for each belt - also available from Meyle. The aircon is driven by one of the two belts, so if you're replacing belts, it may be a good time to sort the aircon squeal.
"Normal is overrated"
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Del
Joined: Sat 19 Nov, 2011 18:35
Posts: 2136

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by Del »

Changing the water pump is good preventative maintenance on these cars. For the other pulleys and tensioner, you just have to "take a view". Spin them by hand and if good, they should feel smooth, silent and there should be slight resistance so that it does not carry on rotating. When I refurbed my cooling system (no air-con), my tensioner was spinning and rattling like an old roller skate so I replaced it.
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by mrscalex »

Del wrote:Changing the water pump is good preventative maintenance on these cars. For the other pulleys and tensioner, you just have to "take a view". Spin them by hand and if good, they should feel smooth, silent and there should be slight resistance so that it does not carry on rotating. When I refurbed my cooling system (no air-con), my tensioner was spinning and rattling like an old roller skate so I replaced it.
I think I'm inclined to agree. I was up for replacing both tensioners. Together they are about £75 worth from carparts4less/ECP and are INA which is the OEM. But reading around they are usually good for a very long time and as you say it's just the pulley that wears and can be checked easily. The bills are really mounting up so I'm not so inclined to change any more even though £75 is reasonable enough.

But I will do both drive belts. The OEM is Continental (Contitech) apparently. The air con belt is cheap enough at carparts4less/ECP and is Contitech. The main belt is Dayco and can be had cheaper anyway. I get the impression Dayco is good but not as good as Contitech or Gates which are also freely available and well priced. I understand it's not just about reliability but the better brands are more quite too.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
Alan W
Joined: Thu 20 Jun, 2013 10:56
Posts: 670

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Bexley, Kent UK

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by Alan W »

Hi mrscalex

Its a good preventative job you are doing there.. as you probably know my water pump unexpectedly failed at 58k miles recently and it cost me dear.

My thoughts..

Definitely change the belts and both the tensioners.. and I would also consider new top and bottom hoses.. I thought mine were in really good condition until I compared them to the new ones.. again, its all about peace of mind. Ditto with the tensioners, I thought they were fine until I compared them to the new ones. The hoses aren't cheap and you can only get them from BMW.. but you can get them at a discount price (around £25 each) from that dealer that offers discount to members of the z.org forum.

I found this site very useful and there are guides to other Z3 jobs on there too:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techart ... cement.htm

Just for your info I didn't replace my viscous coupling.. although my fan had destroyed everything in its path surprisingly the coupling was fine.. if you can spin the fan by hand but it feels like there is a little bit of resistance then it should be fine.. if it fails later its not the end of the world and you can just change it

Oh, and do yourself a favour whilst you've got the rad and bits out of the way.. get a 5 litre bottle of brake cleaner fluid and a couple of little stiff brushes and an old toothbrush and use the opportunity to clean and the front of the engine and its nooks and crannies

Good luck and keep us posted on how it progresses..

Alan
1999 facelit Z3 Roadster 2.8 Auto in Cosmos Black aka 'Gloria'
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mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by mrscalex »

Thanks for the advice Alan. Ideally I would replace the hoses (and tensioners) but I'm spending too much money on the car so it might be I have everything off first and take a view based on what I see.

Does the water pump and thermostat come with all required gaskets and o-rings? I've bought Meyle and Behr respectively. Does either part require any blue liquid gasket in addition?
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by mrscalex »

By the way. It's rare the Pelican site gets mentioned on the forum. Which is a shame as I use it frequently and think it's great!

I also found a good video on Bavarian Auto for changing the belts.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
Alan W
Joined: Thu 20 Jun, 2013 10:56
Posts: 670

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Bexley, Kent UK

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by Alan W »

You don't require any gaskets or blue gunge.. the thermostat has a seal on the back which acts as the gasket.. water pump comes with O ring and pump is a tight fit going back in, just make sure you cross tighten the bolts evenly as you nip it up.. a little bit of silicone grease or similar on the o ring will help to tease it in.. I didn't use anything and when I felt how tight it was going back in I was worried that the o ring might get damaged but I appear to have got away with it.

If your tensioners or hoses are bad I have my old hoses and tensioners which are all perfectly serviceable and I was going to put them on eBay for a reasonable price so let me know you are interested.
1999 facelit Z3 Roadster 2.8 Auto in Cosmos Black aka 'Gloria'
Image
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by mrscalex »

Alan W wrote:You don't require any gaskets or blue gunge.. the thermostat has a seal on the back which acts as the gasket.. water pump comes with O ring and pump is a tight fit going back in, just make sure you cross tighten the bolts evenly as you nip it up.. a little bit of silicone grease or similar on the o ring will help to tease it in.. I didn't use anything and when I felt how tight it was going back in I was worried that the o ring might get damaged but I appear to have got away with it.

If your tensioners or hoses are bad I have my old hoses and tensioners which are all perfectly serviceable and I was going to put them on eBay for a reasonable price so let me know you are interested.
Thanks for the info. Always a bit twitchy about getting a good seal on fluid based systems. I'll re-wire a house but I won't change a tap washer :lol:

Appreciate the offer of your parts but if it needs them I guess I should ought to get new ones.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
330indy
Joined: Tue 28 Jun, 2016 06:11
Posts: 6

  Z3 roadster 2.5i

Re: Shopping list for service & cooling system overhaul

Post by 330indy »

If you can get it, install a Stewart water pump. Superior OEM replacement
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