PM advice - water flange

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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

Change the y shaped flange on the back of the engine every 80k miles.
My second one just went at 334k km - and they always go at the least convinient time.
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

Just drove the car for the first time since replacing the flange and notice excessive white smoke from the exhaust and loss of a pint of water from a 50km drive. So even though I stopped the car within 500 meters of breaking the flange, it seems some damage was done. I suspect that the small leak I had from an overheating event 160kkm ago - just significantly worsened.
Hope it's the head or the gasket and not the block. :shake:
gookah
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 07 Aug, 2008 09:51
Posts: 2737

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by gookah »

maybe the head gasket had blown causing high pressure in the flange and breaking that. It could be a result of a problem not the cause of it
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Z3 2.8 Progress Journal (Mine)
Z3 1.9 Sport Progress Journal (Wifey's)

I have an element of 'M-styling' on my car, If that's a good enough reason for the manufacturers to adorn a 320 with the M badge, then its certainly a good enough reason for me..
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

Interesting thought. I now saw tons of steam coming out of the exhaust. Wouldn't it have released pressure rather than raising it?
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

Still not sure how the pressure builds if there is a breach - but I guess it could be:
When a head gasket fails between a combustion chamber and the cooling system, a loss of coolant and overheating are often the result. This may be intermittent in nature. For instance the vehicle may only overheat after driving a distance. With short trips, symptoms may not show up. This type of failure is very damaging. Not only does overheating continue to get worse, combustion gasses are corrosive and may severely damage the cooling system. Other symptoms may include repeat failure of hoses, radiators and cooling system components. Pressure may build in the cooling system until the weakest link fails. Replacing the component causes the next weakest part to fail.
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Cracked head

Post by BonBon »

Final result: had a small crack in the head between the cooling and the combustion chamber.
Hope it comes back as good as it went in. I took the opportunity to revamp the AC system as it did not cool very well on idle.
I've never had open heart surgery before :lol: (still smiling as I did not get the bill yet)
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Boosh
Joined: Sun 30 Nov, 2014 22:40
Posts: 324

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by Boosh »

My Zed had to be taken to the garage a few weeks ago for suspected blown head gasket. It too is a 1.9, 2002. Had a call from the mechanic saying that the top half of a stretch bolt was swimming in oil under the rocker cover, and that the water pump would only come out with bits of the block. I am now enjoying the hunt for a replacement engine. It never rains, it pours...
I found a reconditioned '0 miles' guaranteed unit, but the price once fitted gets too close to the value of the car. Found another (cheaper) one, but with similar mileage to mine, so too much of a gamble for me. If only I could find something in between...
Best of luck with your engine,

Boosh.
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

If your Z3 was worth 8000 quid like it is here - you would not have a dilemma ;-)
Boosh
Joined: Sun 30 Nov, 2014 22:40
Posts: 324

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by Boosh »

True, but it also seems that the value drops considerably when the engine is removed!
I wish the garage was closer to home, so I could watch and learn while the engines gets swapped. Still, hopefully the weather will still be nice by the time I get to drive RedZed again.
Boosh.
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BonBon
Joined: Tue 08 Jan, 2008 21:10
Posts: 1227

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by BonBon »

They are breaking Z3s in your 'hood daily - should take a couple of weeks max.
gookah
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 07 Aug, 2008 09:51
Posts: 2737

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by gookah »

Boosh wrote:My Zed had to be taken to the garage a few weeks ago for suspected blown head gasket. It too is a 1.9, 2002. Had a call from the mechanic saying that the top half of a stretch bolt was swimming in oil under the rocker cover, and that the water pump would only come out with bits of the block. I am now enjoying the hunt for a replacement engine. It never rains, it pours...
I found a reconditioned '0 miles' guaranteed unit, but the price once fitted gets too close to the value of the car. Found another (cheaper) one, but with similar mileage to mine, so too much of a gamble for me. If only I could find something in between...
Best of luck with your engine,

Boosh.
bet it was the bottom rear stretch bolt on the cylinder head.
My wifes snapped too, (common failure on the M43 engine at around 100k miles) It was lying under the rocker cover with the threads still in the block. (see journal below)
Best to change the head bolts at around 70,000 (I know now) as you just remove and replace one at a time Its a hell of a lot quicker and simpler than doing a blown gasket

Pressure increases if the head gasket is blown between cylinder and waterways, as the pressure from the compression stroke goes into the cooling circuit. Hoses become rigid as well under the strain.

The steam you see is burning off the water that has entered the engine when it cools back down.
Image

Z3 2.8 Progress Journal (Mine)
Z3 1.9 Sport Progress Journal (Wifey's)

I have an element of 'M-styling' on my car, If that's a good enough reason for the manufacturers to adorn a 320 with the M badge, then its certainly a good enough reason for me..
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by bertiejaffa »

Boosh wrote:My Zed had to be taken to the garage a few weeks ago for suspected blown head gasket. It too is a 1.9, 2002. Had a call from the mechanic saying that the top half of a stretch bolt was swimming in oil under the rocker cover, and that the water pump would only come out with bits of the block. I am now enjoying the hunt for a replacement engine. It never rains, it pours...
I found a reconditioned '0 miles' guaranteed unit, but the price once fitted gets too close to the value of the car. Found another (cheaper) one, but with similar mileage to mine, so too much of a gamble for me. If only I could find something in between...
Best of luck with your engine,

Boosh.
Im sure ive read on here or .org that someone has a 1.9 donor car that they are giving the engine away to anyone willing to remove and collect it.... It was only yesterday I'm sure..
Here come the girls.....
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My //M Refurb
My First Zed Journal
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: PM advice - water flange

Post by bertiejaffa »

Here come the girls.....
Image
My //M Refurb
My First Zed Journal
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