water pump

[joe maniqz]

i have an m50 92 525i just found out that my water pump is leaking...BMA quoted me $45 for the replacement...mechanic quoted me $250 for parts and labor...is it easy to replace water pumps?...or is it easier to just let my mechanic do it...do i need to replace the thremostat to?...thanks, a bunch and hey, happy halloween.

[joe maniqz]

come on guys...i got 8 viewers and no reply...i'm sure someone out there has their say on this matter.

[Kalevera]

Do the work yourself, get a Hepu or Graf, not a Geba. Be sure to get an aluminum tstat housing and new tstat if the car still has a plastic housing.

It's an easy job with some basic tools and a bit of confidence. I talk about the procedure all the time, as do others -- do a search, big baby.

best, whit

[Oger]

Well Joe

Ive never done it on an M50 motor, but I've changed a few water pumps in my time.............. Generally it is a piece of piss (just make sure that the pump you buy has a gasket kit as well)........... and yuo might as well replace the fan belt while yuo are in there. Also have a look at the cooling fan on your engine. If it is mounted on the water pump, make sure you take it off before removing the pump, otherwise you wont have any resistance to turn the spanner against. If you have an electric fan, whoop for joy and sing a little song.

Hope this helps

Oger

ps when re-filling the cooling system, you ought to fill it as much as possible, and then run the engine (at idle) for a few mins until the thermostat opens. Then squeeze all the hoses to dislodge any air, and top up the water as nescessary.

[joe maniqz]

Well Joe

Ive never done it on an M50 motor, but I've changed a few water pumps in my time.............. Generally it is a piece of piss (just make sure that the pump you buy has a gasket kit as well)........... and yuo might as well replace the fan belt while yuo are in there. Also have a look at the cooling fan on your engine. If it is mounted on the water pump, make sure you take it off before removing the pump, otherwise you wont have any resistance to turn the spanner against. If you have an electric fan, whoop for joy and sing a little song.

Hope this helps

Oger

ps when re-filling the cooling system, you ought to fill it as much as possible, and then run the engine (at idle) for a few mins until the thermostat opens. Then squeeze all the hoses to dislodge any air, and top up the water as nescessary.

thanks for the info.

[Scott C]

Sadly, I have gotten to the point that I can do the pump replacement in about 4 hours.... Listen to what the experienced folks have said about the pump manufacturer...
And you will need to pay close attention to bleeding procedures which you will find when you do the search that has already been suggested :)

You may choose to replace hoses while you are at it - there is one that is very unique hidden under the intake that has multiple taps that was quite marginal on my car.



Good luck!
Scott

[ArtemLepilov]

ps when re-filling the cooling system, you ought to fill it as much as possible, and then run the engine (at idle) for a few mins until the thermostat opens. Then squeeze all the hoses to dislodge any air, and top up the water as nescessary.

Perfect! everyone said bleed and all and you described exactly waht it meant! Thank you :D

I will need to flush my coolant sometime next year probably i will know how to do it now :)

[Mendozart]

How good are you with tools and such? Personally this was the easiest water pump I've ever replaced, and I've done chevys and toyotas. I have the same model as yours. The m50's are also alot easier to bleed than the m20's. Go for it!

[Gayle]

come on guys...i got 8 viewers and no reply...i'm sure someone out there has their say on this matter.


You might also want to read the stickey for newbies about posting. It has information about not expecting instant answers as this is an international board spanning many time zones and doing a search before asking stuff that has been addressed many times. Don't mean to be mean with this advice. Just trying to let you know how things work here so you have a positive experience on this board.

[granit_silber]

i have an m50 92 525i just found out that my water pump is leaking...BMA quoted me $45 for the replacement...mechanic quoted me $250 for parts and labor...is it easy to replace water pumps?...or is it easier to just let my mechanic do it...do i need to replace the thremostat to?...thanks, a bunch and hey, happy halloween.

Joe,

Here's a list of tools that will help you out:
10mm socket
13mm socket
8mm hex socket (looks like an allen key stuffed into a socket)
32mm headset wrench (purchase from a bike store)
2 m6 bolts (hint: the two that hold you fuel rail cover)
ratchet
torque wrench
paint scraper (for the old paper gasket)
a flat blade screwdriver
some teflon tape (for the radiator drain plug)

The water pump is pretty easy to replace (even for a numbnuts like me)
While you're in there go ahead and change the t-stat. Make sure to completely scrape all of the old paper gasket off the housing and block before re-installing.
Last bit of advice, when you pry the dust-cover off of the tensioner pulley don't push against the side of the pulley for leverage. It's plastic and will break. However, if you break it Advance Autoparts has a replacement that's 1/2 the price of bmw part and it has the same bearings in it.

have fun!
-ashley

[Dave M]

Don't know if anyone else was able to remove the fan clutch on a M50 without 32mm bike tool (and I was a bike mechanic for 10 years and have the tool), but I've found plenty of room for an adjustable wrench (tisk,tisk, I know).

Before you go to Parktool.com, jam an adjustable in there for fun to see :)

Dave M