Belts... Advice please... Now Looking for Radiator advice too, LOL

[Stiffler_PE]

Hi Guys,

Need to do some maintenance work on my mom's e36. Need to change serpentine belt and short ribbed belt from AC to motor.

Are these belts available from generic suppliers or do you have to get them from the Stealer ?

Much appreciated !

 

[zaleonardz]

Most will be able to help you out, even more so if you take it out and hit the spares shops with a sample.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Thanks a million for the quick reply zaleonardz !!!

I am having little luck finding a DIY on other sites, you have any suggestions as to where to look ?
Would like to do this myself ASAP, the serpentine is looking rough as goats knees lots of hair line cracks on the bends.

There is plenty of room to work luckily, its a 4 cylinder. I hear that on the 6ers you need to take fan and shroud off.

Cheers again :thumbsup:

 

[zaleonardz]

Tis really simple man.

There is a tensioner, or I dont know if the E36 has an adjustable alternator, just find any moveable device, and release tension, belts comes right off...

 

[Raybimmer]

hi there Stiffler
if a 316i , 318i or 318is the owners handbook shows a Ribbed 6 PK x 1660 mm for alternator,water pump and power steering . Ribbed 6 PK x 889 mm for air conditioning system . Don't know where 4 cyl tensioners are. Belts should be available at midas or other spares, I normally use Gates or Dunlop.
Cheers

 

[james]

Ask for "Gatorback" belts. Very good.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Its guys like you that make sites like this veritable GOLD MINES.

Thanks a million for the feedback ! :thumbsup:

Luckily the e36 is a little 4 cylinder with Loooads of space to work on the front of the motor... probably the only good reason to buy 4 pot LOL :slap:

Can you tell me if the housing for the thermostat is a must buy ? BMW stealer says it comes with housing from them.
If i look at the motor it is basically a plastic elbow coming out of the block. Is the thermostat a part of that elbow or is it loose/seperate so it can be replaced on it own ? Hopefully it is also available at Midas or the likes ?


Cheers guys, will let you know how it goes.

 

[zaleonardz]

You can buy it loose.

Just take it out and take with as a sample, and the guys will be able to help you out

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Zaleonardz to the rescue yet again :clap:

Cheers bro !

The stiffmeister bows to your bmw knowledge :drool:

 

[zaleonardz]

:spit:

Well, the funny thing is, not most, but all of my BMW knowledge comes from what I have learnt from the guys in this forum.

So we all rock :excited:

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Indeed... Cant fault that logic imp:

I am gonna have to measure that bloody belt or take it off... the guy at autozone here in PE says that according to his book i need a 6PK 1740 for the main belt and a 4PK 890 or 900 for the AC belt :cursin:

But that is a minor problem... will whip it off tonight and measure it quick. Was thinking that i could also just cut a piece of string to 1660mm and tie it together and then feed it around the serpentine. It will become very clear very quickly if it isnt gonna be long enough and if it indeed is the 1740mm.

Unless... do you think the tensioner stretches the belt or simply takes up any slack ? Would a installed and tensioned 1660mm belt actually be be longer ?
I gets the feeling its gonna be easier to just pull it off quickly and measure lol

Is the 4PK and 6PK refering to the number of ribs on the belt ?

Cheers gents

 

[Raybimmer]

Will check later on 4 or 6 pk , dont break thermostat housing, 6 cyl has tensioner wheel on top above alternator,dont know on 4 cyl .

---

Sorry a/c belt is 4pk 0889 not 6 pk 0889

 

[SirSparky]

i got both belts from diesel electric and replaced them myself....very easy peasy

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Morning Gents,

RayBimmer... went round to moms place last nite and checked. The AC belt has 4 ribs ( assume thats 4PK?)
I made a piece of string 1660mm long and joined it. Proceeded to route it around the exisitng belt and it was a pretty good fit. So i am assuming that the belt stretches very little when under tension. ( has eliminated the chance that it is a 1740 like autozone say ! )
I then did the same with the AC belt ( 4PK ) just ran some string around it and then measured the string, came out to 900mm.

When you say dont break thermostat housing.. is that a genereal warning to be careful or do they tend to break/get brittle ?

So i am gonna take my chances and go buy the 6PK 1660 and a 4PK 900


SirSparky... may i ask how much you paid for the belts from diesel elctric ?

I am also told by my mom that the car is losing about a cup of water a day... what are the most common leak points on e36 ?
I have just been through the Expansion bottle DIY on my e46 :cursin:

Much appreciated Guys !

 

[Raybimmer]

Thermostat housings made of aluminium available in usa , so I expect they picked up trouble with plastic due to cooling and heating cycles then becomming brittle.Similar to plastic impeller in water pump coming loose on steel shaft and causing intermittent overheating . Have found diesel electric prices good eg Osram cool blue globes 55w H1 for e36 at R40 each autostying etc R120 per pr.
Check small pipe to radiator on passenger side at top hose and top hose to rad pipe-can crack on rad as top is plastic.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Thanks Raybimmer.

Have done the belts and all is well, so i started having a scratch around for the water leak.

First thing i found ( which was not leaking ) was that the top hose clamps were sooo tight that they had crushed and broken the plastic extension on both the expansion bottle and the elbow on the motor. Managed to cut them flush and sand them smooth and re attach the hose. No leaks under pressure.

HOWEVER :cursin: i do seem to have located the slooow leak ! I hope that i can describe this well enough.

Looking between the expansion bottle an dthe radiator, the leak is where expansion bottle attaches to the radiator. The radiator has multiple "tabs" or " fingers" which are folded over ono the plastic of the expansion bottle, joining it to the radiator.
I am in the dark... nothing looks broken or cracked, that i can see.

Tried to insert an image beow.. you can see the " tabs" i refer to but in the pic it shows the temp switch side... myne is on the expansion bottle side.

PS... ignore the yellow arrow in the pic.. that was there already already :slap:

Any ideas guys ? I am hoping this is something that a radiator place can fix ? some sort of seal thats failed.

Cheers guys !

 

[Raybimmer]

IMHO if the leak is around the alluminium tabs then I think you can't bend them open and renew a seal ( tabs will break when bending open and closed ). Any good radiator doctor would , I expect renew the aluminium surround ( with seal underneath black plastic side tank ) and recrimp .
Ford drivers of old would put teaspoon of mealie meel in radiator , or crack an egg open and put it in the rad.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Thanks guys, will get the car to a good rad place and see what they have to say.

Thanks so much for all your help !!!!

:clap::clap::clap:

 

[WyKiD]

So this would be Stiffler's mum's car...

 

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Guys,

Need to do some maintenance work on my mom's e36. Need to change serpentine belt and short ribbed belt from AC to motor.

Are these belts available from generic suppliers or do you have to get them from the Stealer ?

Much appreciated !

They are available from generic supliers