This is a terrific thread - thanks to all who have taken the time to document what they've done! I'm going through an engine rebuild presently, and my engine builder recommended flushing the oil lines because he found metal material in the crankcase oil. I decided to take up some of the recommendations listed in this thread.
I have one quick question before going into it. The BMW thermostat doesn't indicate which of its connectors is positive (12v) and which is ground. Does it matter? I'm an electrical ignoramus. Here's a picture of the t-stat:
Going into this project, my temps were running consistently between 210-230 around town. I live in Pennsylvania, and that's just too hot. Like other folks, I've never heard my fan come, so I decided to covert to the BMW Thermostat for the fan.
As I side note, I also replaced my external oil cooler thermostat after Tony (boyt911sc) helped me determine that mine was not opening fully, and therefore not cooling fully. Before installing the "new" thermostat, I cleared the hard oil lines of the remaining oil with compressed air, and then I poured mineral spirits into the lines to clean them out. I bought several feet of clear plastic hose from Lowes to make the process easier since the hard lines were still installed. I let it sit overnight and then cleared the lines again with compressed air. Some 1" ID and 1.25" ID hose worked for me.
Since metal was found in the crankcase oil, I decided to have my oil cooler sent to Pacific Oil Coolers for their ultrasonic cleaning. I read that many other Pelicans have had good luck with Pacific, so I gave them a try. They were easy to work with and turned my cooler around promptly. The price was $125 + shipping, and the cooler looks brand new. I think they may have painted it to... it looks that good:
As others suggested, I replaced the seal around the stone guard with some McMaster-Carr 12335A25 seal (
McMaster-Carr). I bought 5 feet and have more than 1 foot left over. It does a nice job of sealing the sides of the cooler, but it does not seal the top fully. That being said, it seals much than what was previously on there! Any suggestions on plugging the top?
Lastly, I replaced the short flexible hoses connecting to the cooler. I ended up taking a dremel to one of the old short guys, as it was tough to get off. Here are some before and after pics. Thank you guys for your help!
