I was gonna say the same thing as Weasel. I was just reading on the E46 boards how they packed their oil pumps w/ Vaseline to prime them after an oilpump swap - seems that stuff is good for just about any use :)

Totally - It's what I used to seat my fuel injectors in the fuel rail on my Z. I am anyway just going to install the standard Graf gasket that came with the pump without RTV and put a little of the unmixed BMW coolant on the coolant pipe o-rings.

Got a 1 1/4" combo wrench today from ACE today since that adjustable wrench wasn't clearing the fan clutch/pulley. Anyway gonna try and pop that sucka off tonight and get started on this job finally.

So after bending my first screwdriver on the water pulley I tried a beefier flat head and success the thing came right off. I was all out of PB Blaster so I let the fan nut soak in WD-40 for about 30 minutes prior - not sure if this was necessary or not. I cleaned up the intake panel, fan shroud and fan clutch (which was especially dirty).

I have drained the radiator and cleaned up most of the mess now that I have more access. I am having difficulty locating the coolant drain plug for the engine block - I see it clearly in the picture linked earlier in this thread (below) and the TIS drawing (attached) but I don't see it from under the car. It's supposed to be behind the ac compressor? Do I need to remove the skid plate to access this?

THANKS!

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/...ug-removed.jpg

It is just really hidden in there... I use a looong extension with a swivel/socket combo and go in through the spot where the tie rod goes through to the wheel. When you look back and up on the block from that area you should be able ot see the 13mm head on the block.

OK - can it be done without the swivel/socket combo? All I have is the sparkplug swivel/socket but I do have plenty of extensions and a regular 13mm socket.

Since the WP is coming off won't the coolant in the block just exit through the coolant pipes there?

No easy way to do it without a swivel, but more will come out through the front with the waterpump removed than will stay in it. It won't get it all out, but most of it. If you can't get to the drain plug on the block, just doing it without wouldn't be that bad.

OK - I'll give it a shot but If it's too much of a bitch I'll skip it. I would prefer to do this right though. I was searching around and found the following two suggestions for gaining access and removing this drain plug:

• Remove your front right wheel and also turn your wheel to all the way left.
• Remove the non-structural metal engine plate/brush guard underneath.

I could always just fill her up with distilled water and flush by emptying out of the radiator again. This is what I did on my Z (several times while alternating jacking the front and rear up to flush what I could out of the block) because I don't think it has a (easily accessible) engine block drain plug. Of course I don't have one of the pressurized rigs either that some shops use. I have seen some creative people make home brew rigs themselves using shopvac's or compressors with specially fabricated fittings, etc...

The stuff that came out of the radiator didn't look too bad at all either, though from the service records it is definitely overdue.

Is it worth it maybe just to jack the rear up to see if I can get some more to come out the rad? I don't want to create a another wet mess by running the engine with the WP leaking all over the place after spending hours last night cleaning it up :( Not to mention the fan is removed now - I'm not sure if it's a good idea to run without.

This sounds like an interesting method for flush - but again I would have to run the engine again.

OK - so I was able to get to the engine block coolant drain plug and remove it without a swivel socket. Took me a while to locate it but that pic was a huge help. I think even more coolant came gushing out from here than from the radiator. Even with a catch pan it made a huge mess since it falls on to the engine plate. I used a 12" + 6" extension right behind the back opening for the inside CV boot. Be careful not to drop the bolt upon removal, when putting the bolt back in I used a little duct tape to line the socket so the bolt would sit in it a little snugger so It wouldn't fall out (plug screws in on an angle). I jacked up the passenger front side of the car to get enough clearance to get the torque wrench in there so I could torque it back down to 25NM. This also will drain off all the coolant that is laying on top of the metal engine plate.

So this weekend I am hoping to finish it all up. Next I need to remove hoses, belts, and H20 pulley then I should be able to pull the water pump assembly off.

Wondering should I be able to do this all from the top of the engine bay or if I will need to get under the car? Seems like there should be enough room to work :-)

having tough time getting the vibration damper off. The 8 13mm bolts came out easy but feels like its stuck on there. Tried prying it off and tapping it couple times to no avail. I sprayed some WD-40 in each of the bolt holes and into the back of it as well hopefully that will work. Am I missing something? Any tips?

--Thanks

OK - after spraying the vibration damper with WD-40 and letting it sit over night two light taps with the mallet did the trick :-) It's pretty obvious with all the stuff removed and a clear view that the pump is indeed the source of the leak.

I removed the t-stat and now I am finally working the water pump off. I am a little worried about the coolant pipes so I sprayed some more WD-40 in there and letting it sit overnight again too. So basically I just need to bolt everything back up tomorrow. I think it will go much faster since I won't have to wrangle with getting old stuck hoses and shit off. I have done a fair amount of cleaning and still need to do some more (hard to stop once you start, lol). A clean engine is a happy engine!

One last question. I have a choice of either using the standard Graf gasket or the Green VictorReinz/CRP-Contitech one (has lines of sealant on it) here is a pic:

http://www.autohausaz.com/secure/Par...1511731462.jpg

Thoughts? I am leaning towards the green one...