1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Next Weekend's Project

Just keep track of which bolts fit what. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. Oh, and the coolant makes a mess if you're gonna disconnect the radiator. And then it makes a mess again when you loosen the coolant reservoir top and break the vacuum.

 

LOL......oh yea!

Service mode FTW.

 

You don't HAVE to, but it's much easier if you do. It's the difference between working in a 4-6" slot in front of the engine vs pulling the whole front end off and seeing everything. You can fold the AC condenser out of the way, but you have to disconnect the radiator hoses if you're going to pull the radiator off. Pick up a jug of BMW coolant and a jug of distilled water for reassembly.

 

Don't bother disconnecting the radiator: just remove the 10mm bolt that holds the coolant line strap onto the front of the intake manifold. Then take a piece of 2x4, maybe 5 inches long and hold out the radiator support piece (big black plastic) away from the motor. This'll give you plenty of access to do your jobs.