I should buy the lottery with my luck

"unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)" (unclevanos) 07/23/2015 at 13:52 • Filed to: BMW

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Recently the water pump shaft had some play in it and made an odd noise from time to time. I ordered an new pump with a metal impeller instead of the plastic junk the original had. Bearing on the original pump was difficult to spin compared to the new pump. If I had gone longer with it, I would have had a seized pump and an overheated engine. Before ordering the pump, the alternator didn’t charge or spin freely due to the stiff water pump and its pulley. I’m glad its done and have more confidence that the cooling system is well sorted.

The failed water pump. Could be original but have no idea.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/23/2015 at 13:55

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This is me in a month or so, replacing T belt, tensioner, water pump and aux belt.

Party-vi > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/23/2015 at 13:56

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*Sees plastic impeller*

*recoils in disgust, makes hissing noises*

DoYouEvenShift > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/23/2015 at 14:04

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I think one of the reasons they use a plastic impeller is to keep it from eating away at the block when the bearing starts to wobble. Better a plastic impeller wears down than a metal one eating into the block. Especially aluminum blocks.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > DoYouEvenShift 07/23/2015 at 14:12

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BMW went from plastic impeller to metal impeller and finally composite impeller. People have more horror stories on the forums with composite and plastic impellers. I didn’t cheap out on the pump either.

GUYMANDUDE > DoYouEvenShift 07/23/2015 at 16:21

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That looks like cavitation.

Axial > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/24/2015 at 02:27

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What does an alternator not spinning freely sound and feel like?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/24/2015 at 02:29

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M62?

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 07/24/2015 at 11:25

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Yup b44 nonvanos.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Axial 07/24/2015 at 11:28

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Voltage reading is funky, the radio didn’t work until 15 mins later (I guess the bearing binded less), misfires. If its a bad alternator you usually get less than 14v charge and a bearing noise.

Axial > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/24/2015 at 15:36

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I ask, because I recently replaced a dead alternator and, both before and after, it feels like there is some intermittent rotational resistance somewhere in the whole system.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Axial 07/24/2015 at 16:51

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Could be a belt idler, water pump, PS pump causing the resistance.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/24/2015 at 22:47

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Nice. That would be my preference if I were to buy a BMW. E38 or E34 with that engine. Though I wouldn’t mind the extra hassle of the vanos on a newer one especially if it were an E39 touring 6MT.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 07/24/2015 at 23:56

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I don’t have anything nice to say about vanos M62s (m62tu).Hence the pun with creepy uncle and vanos in my username. In the NA market they only made the 540iT with automatic. You’re better off with a 540i/6. E38s also came with the m60 as well.

Axial > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/25/2015 at 00:14

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Oh goody, a possible third water pump replacement (though, happily, not all on the same car).

Thanks for the info!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 07/25/2015 at 01:13

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I’m not a vanos fan either, but I’ve dealt with worse, I once owned a P38 Range Rover. Damn NA market.