Fan Shroud

[Bimmer93]

Hope someone can give my a quick class. Today I replaced my radiator on my 93 525I, M50. When I attempted to remove the fan shroud it cracked in half, My question is do I really need a to replace it? Is it there to increase cooling perfomance or is it just there to protect the fan from road objects?

[athflying79]

I would think it has more to do with directing air flow than protection.

[brodee]

Not sure where you live but down here in Texas the car will run hot without the shroud. I was also told that it made the emmsions higher on my last inspection. This was on the touring. A new shround is only about $35 so it's probably worth buying it.

[sKilled]

PO had a ding and didn't replace it. No troubles with heat, so I think it is a)cosmetic and b) for safety.
But the weather her in NZ is milder, so I would examine it carefully. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity/excuse to upgrade to an electric fan.

[genphreak]

Not sure where you live but down here in Texas the car will run hot without the shroud. I was also told that it made the emmsions higher on my last inspection. This was on the touring. A new shround is only about $35 so it's probably worth buying it.Yep. Anyone that studies the cooling system on these cars will see it is an integrated setup where everything works in tandem with everything else to keep the cylinder head temperature constant. It seems weird to many (esp the thermofan maniacs) but the combination BMW have setup is tried and tested and highly reliable. Maintain it and your car will reward you with reliability.

Take bits out and it will become less happy - in this case on a hot day with the A/C on in traffic the car would feel like the radiator has somehting like a 30% less ability to transfer heat to air.

In a cold country you may seldom notice such a mod, but if it ever gets hot it would. Nick

[sKilled]

So me proved wrong. Now where did I leave the number of the bimmer wreckers?

[brodee]

Now where did I leave the number of the bimmer wreckers?

Don't buy a used one, I highly doubt you'd find another that wasn't as brittle as the one that came off your car. Just spend the $35 and buy a new one from the dealer.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=17_0100&hg=17&fg=05

[Bimmer93]

Sounds good it's better to spend the $35 now than running the risk of distroying my engine just because Im lazy.

[sKilled]

Yeah, but BMW parts in NZ cost around 3-5 times what you pay in the US. I so wish I lived in the northern hemisphere (not only because it's rainning cats and dogs here, and you lot are heading towards summer*sigh*)

[ThoreauHD]

I just did this yesterday. Just got the 2 plastic screw pushthrough things and the 35 dollar shroud. My other also cracked in half. Actually, I cracked it in half because it was hitting the fan and about to destroy my engine. It's a literal snap to install. I don't get why they put plastic in that heat, but what do I know.

[E34 530]

Do you think a 3x3 hole in the shroud would affect cooling??

[Spasso]

I don't get why they put plastic in that heat, but what do I know.
If the correct formulation is used plastic can withstand exremely high temperatures. The Japanese even managed to manufacture a reinforced plastic piston for a dirt bike back in the 80's.

I think BMW engineering didn't take fatigue life into consideration, especially on radiator tanks, but then again, maybe they didn't for the sake of service center business.

[ThoreauHD]

I suppose so. But whoever made this shroud wasn't thinking much about heat. That sucker broke into 5 pieces in my hand- which would have gone into the fan, and the fan into the radiator, and then a puppy would die and I would be sad. So very sad. But I removed the replaced the shroud, which saved the fan that didn't go into the radiator, which blew up the engine, and so now somewhere a puppy is safe. The end.