Bummer...radiator cracked.

[Tim_in_MD]

Hello all...

Discovered today during a heat-it-up-and-get-the-fluid-moving drive that I have a cracked upper hose flange on my radiator. A small hiss of steam, followed by much bubbling at the joint upon closer inspection, tells the tale. Bummer! I'm already spending the bucks on "fun stuff" in preparation for a driver's school in April. Thing's only five or so years and 5,000 miles old to boot.

I've emailed Curt Ingraham, but if that proves price prohibitive, where are people sourcing new radiators these days?

Thanks,

Tim

[jgmgti]

Sorry to hear that....when I was doing a lot of autocross and track days,it seemed right before the events something would always go south on me.By the way whats a decent price for 02 radiators?

jgmgti

[jgerry2002]

Was it a original 02 radiator or a 320i?

It seems odd to crack one in only 5k miles.

Check your mounting and be sure that the radiator does not have any extra movement.

Check your engine mounts too, if they are sloppy it can also stress the radiator.

[Tim_in_MD]

It's a metal OE 2002-style radiator, firmly mounted in its original spot. I'll check the motor mounts but they're relatively fresh too.

Checked BavAuto and swallowed my teeth...$559 for a 2002 radiator!!! They offer a 320i conversion kit for $200 but I'll be fixing this one before I drill holes for a cheapie E21 kludge. No offense to anybody...I did that on my old 2002 but this car is worth not taking such shortcuts.

[esty]

i have one you can have for shipping

[florida1600]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

engine mounts. Years ago BMW had an upper radiator hose with a donut in the middle to allow more flexing; they've been NLA for years.

Any good radiator shop should be able to re-solder that hose nipple back to the upper tank, and reinforce it sufficiently so it shouldn't come loose again. Mine broke the same way about 1973, and the repair is still holding!

Fix yours before going out to buy a new one...

cheers

mike

[BillWilliams]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[jgerry2002]

E12 left side engine mount will help to reduce flexing.

Also a stronger tranny mount will help. I am using a UUC red mount with the enforcer cap on the '76. Much better than the 320i or Bavaria mount.

A lot less movement, and NVH actually improved with the stiffer mounts.

[TimNC]

You might want to research replacing your old stock radiator with a new aftermarket Ford Pinto radiator ('71 - '73 2.0). The are supposed to fit in very nicely with little or no alterations to the radiator or your car. They have a larger fluid capacity compared to your stock radiator and they cost about $150, new. I have read somewhere that this is a good "upgrade" for increased cooling capacity. Can anyone speak to this option?

[Paul7002]

If you needed a cheap new radiator in 1973, Pinto was the way to go.

[Tim_in_MD]

Thanks to all for the offers and info. I very much appreciate it and will be getting in touch with those of you who have made generous offers to assist.

Feeling better about this now than I was last night...