Firstfives.org

hi guys,

i am looking at a 75 530i and it has a pretty good leak from the metal(i think) tube running paralell under the intake manifold. i also just found that the heater core was bypassed. i guess there are a couple of questions here. 1 are they related? 2 whats the name of said tube, and are they available, or is it a make your own kinda part? 3rd i guess, is the heater core a difficult task in these? i did 1 in my mk3 golf and in my 88 range rover. i`m good at following directions and reassembling things. i think i have a 4th and final question. he`s asking $1500 for it 125k miles 4spd, clean body, and interior, and it has new perelli tires on some bbs rx`s i think. clean title. those seem to be the only problems. it on CL in seattle if you have time to look.

it seems easy enough to do the heater tube thing just un-bolt a few of the intake runner and replace the tube/hose. thanks for any help advice, i`m new to e12`s and their querks. other than maybe the floor in drivers compartment any place i should check closely?

thanks, joe

I do not have answers to all of your questions, but do have a few insights.

There is a mess of coolant lines under the intake manifold, so it may not necessarily be the metal line that you are thinking of. I had a leak in that area, but it was one of the rubber lines that goes up into the throttle body.

As for the heater being bypassed, it may be the heater control valve. They are prone to leaking. Mine has a minor leak and I have it bypassed until I can get to it. But, there could be an issue with the heater core as well. Look at the FAQ and you will find an article on this valve.

Here is a photo of mine....leaking:

<table><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uP ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_UZQuuBHQvx4/TKVfW ... C09836.JPG" height="300" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td>From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/blaisedesco ... tr></table>

Keep us posted and take pictures of your work. It is really helpful for the next guy.

Those coolant pipes get crunchy on the ends. Rust and pitting cause the rubber hose to not clamp tight around, etc. You'll have to pull it to see if it can be cleaned up, smoothed (filled) to continue using. They must be all over the place on parts cars or realoem.com for part number and price. Do be careful to get the correct one. The mounting tabs change direction on newer models.

Hook the heater hoses back up and see why they were unhooked. If it leaks on your gas foot, that's the valve. Looks like a hockey puck (see FAQ) and yes it can be replaced from inside the car on a Saturday, nice weather, with stubborn patience. Be very careful not to lose any of the weeny teeny hex nuts, and do plan on making a version of the funny right angle wrench. No, it's not easier to take the dash out.