2002 bmw e46 m3, 166000 miles while i have the front end off, the radiator is packed with bugs and E36 M3, should i have it boiled and pressure checked or replace it??? same for oil cooler?
2002 bmw e46 m3, 166000 miles while i have the front end off, the radiator is packed with bugs and E36 M3, should i have it boiled and pressure checked or replace it??? same for oil cooler?
Given that the radiator has seen about 2/3rds of its usable life if the internet is to be believed, I'd stick in a new one, preferably an uprated one.
Replace it. The factory one is not too expensive.
Plastic tank radiators are disposable.
Rinse out the fins and re-use, or just replace it if the price is cheaper than what your cleaning time is worth.
I wouldn't bother boiling out radiators unless it was a really obscure application. Even then, we get radiators recored (Grand Nationals have odd radiators, two heat exchangers in the passenger side tank) or we can get Griffin to make an aluminum near-identical replica of most anything we want. And then we paint it black so you can't tell it's not copper.
This is the track car? Upgrade it.
Swank Force One wrote: This is the track car? Upgrade it.
This is the correct response. Of course that it is always easy to spend other peoples money.
Given the intended use for the car, it would seem logical to me to upgrade it now while everything is apart and easy to get to. Especially given BMW heads' tendency to warp if overheated (if the radiator were to fail during a track session).
I'd say it's seen about 5/3rds of its useful life, along with all the other plastic in the cooling system. Just replace it all and know it's good.
I would go factory. If you are going to upgrade, go either zionville or Bimmerworld ... around $900.
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