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RE: Rad fan eating radiator (E-30)

If it only happens under hard braking I would think the engine mounts would
be the prime suspects. A loose radiator would move away from the fan under
braking.

- -----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of
[email protected]
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 11:32 AM
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Rad fan eating radiator (E-30)

[email protected] wrote:
>
> I've had my 89 325i (manual trans) for over a year now, and ever since
I've
> had it, the Radiator fan grazes the radiator, presumably under hard
braking.

BTDT.
Broke and engine mount after an OTE and with the engine now floating around
in the engine bay the radiator got a first rate polishing job. So double
check _both_ of your engine mounts.
The other possibility is structural damage to the front of the car pushing
the radiator too close to the engine. Have you bump-pushed anything out of
the way lately?

> This has destroyed a couple of radiator fans, the bearings on my H20 pump
> (due to off balance fan), and will probably eventually cost me a
radiator.

If it's not leaking and the engine is not overheating the radiator is
probably still OK.
I would still fix the underlying problem, but don't rush to include the
$200 radiator in the repair job.

> The car was in a serious accident before I had it, and the frame was bent
> then straightened.  I had thought that the problem was that the frame
wasn't
> straightened enough, and the radiator was just too close to the fan, but
the
> body shop I took it to said that wasn't the case.

Has the fan been scraping the radiator from the first day you bought the
car? If so suspect crooked radiator supports that never got properly
repaired after the accident.

> I replaced one bad (torn) motor mount about 25k mi ago. The other on
didn't
> look bad when I jacked up the engine so I left it alone.

John,
Engine mounts should _always_ be replaced in pairs. No exception.
When one goes the weight of the engine starts tugging on the remaining
mount exposing it to severe stresses that it was never designed to
withstand. The tranny mounts should also be closely inspected and replaced
if necessary.
Now that you've driven around with one known good and one very suspect old
mount I would even suggest to replace _both_ again. The mounts are not that
expensive and along with the breaks this is the last place on which you
want to economize.

> I'm about to replace the H20 pump, and I want to fix this problem
permanently.

The pump has to go every 100K miles anyway. Most of us swap them during the
50K mile t-belt changes since we are already there.

> I'm going to do the other motor mount and both trans tail mounts at the
same
> time, although I'm not sure this is going to fix it. Has anyone else ever
seen
> this problem with E-30's, ever fixed it?, what else should I look at?

If two new mounts don't fix the problem you have bent lower radiator
mounts.
BTDT. Fix the mounts first. Than, if necessary, remove the radiator and
introduce the lower radiator mounts to the a large sledge hammer.

alex f
'89 325i




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