Do I REALLY have to buy the whole upper radiator hose?
 

Well I started the alternator bracket seal fix today and in doing so I snapped the radiator overflow tank hose nipple off... the one on the top of the radiator at the first 45 degree elbow on the driver's side. I can't find just the plastic elbow there... only the whole upper radiator hose assembly, which is around $100.

REIN Radiator Coolant Hose - Upper Fits 2004-2006 BMW X5 V8 4.4 L 4.8 L New | eBay

In this picture it's the elbow on the far right/bottom of the main radiator hose (not the small hose that leads to the overflow tank).

So whaddya say... can I get just the elbow anywhere (aside from a junkyard)

I'm thinking about trying drilling that nipple out and putting in a threaded hose barb in its place. Hmmm....

Better than $100 for a new hose.

Oh ps... I have an oil cooler. I think I have the only GD 4.4 in the state with an oil cooler... and it looks like it's no actually the alternator bracket that is leaking but every dan oil line connection around there. Good news is it's not too bad to get to when I feel like doing it and have the parts on hand (not today).

Threaded hose barb is too big to fit there... Thinking now that there has to be somebody who makes a hose sleeve with built in hose barb... or maybe there's a type of hose barb that I can install into the short bit of hose right there...

Have you checked realoem.com's parts diagrams for individual parts and part numbers? Also this. :D

Yeah I went on realoem and pelican and a few others.

I ended up getting the new hose barb to thread into that elbow on a different spot, then JB Welded it on there. Gonna let it set up over night and see if it holds tomorrow. If not then I'll just order the whole hose... if it does hold then it was $5 well spent. Luckily we have an extra car so if it sits for another month it's not the end of the world.

I need to just yank out the engine and replace every dang seal in there... what a disaster. I don't think there's a place that can possibly leak oil that isn't leaking oil... except the alternator bracket seal. D'oh.

Bite the bullet and buy the hose........ $100 is cheap compared to if your nipple job blows and you need a tow to the local garage when your coolant pools on the freeway.

Eh... I'll take my chances. JB Weld and a crescent wrench can fix ANYTHING!!! lol.

Good luck with that :)

To be honest,
When you hear people on this board saying change all the cooling hoses,O-rings,seals,gaskets etc. it's for a reason.
I am slowly overhauling an entire cooling system the hard and long way.
Started by Valley pan and rear manifold,fixed,Water pump gasket leaked,replaced WP along the gasket and thermostat O-ring,fixed,a hose that connects to WP under the thermostat leaked,bought 3 hoses,although if I could get just O-rings that go inside of the connectors,I would rather get them.Swapped the hoses,fixed for a day,top up the coolant to a proper level this morning,drove 20 kms around the town plus some highway,arrive home and as soon as i go check if there any leak,there is from the Heat exchanger connector.Never mind the 100kms drive the day before with no leaks.
Conclusion....sigh...get it all done at once,save on shipping by ordering all together,save your time,especially if DIY and you won't be disappointed unless you or your mechanic screw up something.