Cooling system overhaul

[robse34]

Just completed my 94 E34's cooling system refresh. New radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses, pulleys, etc. The original radiator made in 287K miles; figured it was time to replace.

Parts from Pelican


Everything back together


Thermostat was broken

[PeterLech]

Wow, that radiator made it 200K more than most! My expansion tank failed with catastrophic results at 80K.

[PeterLech]

Correction: After working all afternoon to replace the expansion tank on my 525i, I learned that the previous failure was the radiator (top) outlet, which is not part of the expansion tank.

[shogun]

Robse,
just for info, how long was that thermostat installed? Years or miles?
Looks pretty familar to me from cars I had to work on.
On my own cars I change them every 3-4 years latest as preventive maintenance. T-stats are not expensive, but they can cause expensive damages when failing, so better replace early enough.