N62 Cooling System Failure!

chrisryan1972 · #1 12-30-2017, 11:24 PM

I'm interested to see if anyone has seen this failure before. I did a search and couldn't find anything in the forums, but I may just not have looked under the right rock!

I replaced the water pump, t-stat, and related parts including the short connecting pipe between the pump and valley pan in April of 2016. A week ago I had a slight overheat condition, but the car was blowing steam all over the place. Tried to put water back in it, but would pour out as soon as I put it in. After closer inspection I found that that short pipe that connects the pump to the top of the block had failed spectacularly! It wasn’t leaking, the rubber covering had blown out and when I pulled the pump I found that the metal liner of the pipe had eroded away to a point where it was now perforated in multiple places.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/We...=w1283-h722-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PC...n=w407-h722-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SE...6=w407-h722-no

Has anyone seen this sort of failure before? I am sure that this was not a BMW factory part, but I bought the kit from reputable seller, and it was a Saleri branded kit. The pump has started to fail as well, there is now play in the shaft bearing, so I’m going to replace it too. Was this just a bad part, or do I have a bigger problem?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Crowz · #2 12-30-2017, 11:29 PM

First link didn't work at all.

This is his 2nd link converted.

Crowz · #3 12-30-2017, 11:30 PM

3rd link converted.

Crowz · #4 12-30-2017, 11:33 PM

I haven't seen that on a bmw but I do know coolant as it ages loses its anti corrosive properties.

That said I don't "change coolant" out on things as a rule. I figure water pump replacements handle that

But that can cause that.

chrisryan1972 · #5 12-30-2017, 11:48 PM

Thanks Crowz! I replaced the first link. So you should be able to follow it now.

The coolant in the car was drained and replaced when I replaced the pump in 2016. Is that pipe designed to fail to protect the engine? I mean the block/heads/radiator are all aluminum. The mounting face of the timing cover where the pump mates up looks clean, as do the inside of the other pipes and passages best I can tell. Only this part. I'd just rather not get in the habit of having to replace it once a year! LOL

Thanks again!

Crowz · #6 12-31-2017, 12:12 AM

Net went out here right after I added the direct load of the pics. What I didn't get to add is there is one thing that will cause that damage and its not antifreeze.

Its water. That kind of damage is what happens when you run water only as coolant.

Of course as you suggested it could just be that part too.

BigBlack48is · #7 12-31-2017, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowz

Net went out here right after I added the direct load of the pics. What I didn't get to add is there is one thing that will cause that damage and its not antifreeze.

Its water. That kind of damage is what happens when you run water only as coolant.

Of course as you suggested it could just be that part too.

Or if you put tap water in instead of distilled water!!

chrisryan1972 · #8 01-01-2018, 04:15 PM

Thanks guys. There is a good chance that is where this stems from. When I replaced the water pump I did use tap water to flush the system, running the engine for very short periods of time just to completely flush the system out. I thought I purged all of the water out when I filled the system with coolant before I closed it up. Must not have gotten it all out and ended up running coolant over diluted with tap water. That wasn't my intent.

I'll flush this time with a couple extra gallons of pre-diluted coolant just to make sure that I get the system right this time. Thanks again for the advise.