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[platty]

Hello guys, last year I had an engine mounting problem which dropped my engine by about an inch meaning that the front pulley rubbed on the anti-roll bar, causing it to wear out nice and quickly. This along with all the little cracks in it means a new one is on the horizon before it shreds itself all over the motorway. There is also a whining/whirring noise coming from one of the ancillaries and I thought it would be as good a time as ever to check these all for a bearing that may be letting go.

Has anyone done this belt change before? Anything in particular to look out for? It does look pretty tight access wise, but should be able to work around that ok.

I haven't phoned Vx for the belt price yet, as I though I would ask if anyone here knows the part number?

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Platty

[TheBoy]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

[kbou55]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

i was wondering, do you just hate the BMW lump or do you hate it cos you love it :question

[TheBoy]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

i was wondering, do you just hate the BMW lump or do you hate it cos you love it :question

Hate is a strong word.

If you want my opinion, its highly overrated.  Its prone to expensive failures, its gutless, its not that economical, its noisy, it requires stupidly short services, its unreliable.

Then we come on to its design.  Obviously I use the term in the loose sense.  Actually, dont get me started on the design, the forum hasn't the disk space for that sort of rant!

Then the bloody fan.  Now mine gets driven fairly hard.  It had a cracked head.  Once blocked oilways cured (due to idiots servicing it every 10k rather than every 4.5k, which caused the overheating which cracked the head), without the viscous fan fitted, I have yet to get it over 96C. It simply doesn't need it (just as well, as they are usually knackered anyway).  I am utterly convinced it is fitted so customer has to replace every 3yrs, generating extra income.

[VXL V6]

...and breath 1 2 3 4 5
 

[kbou55]

is "hate" strong enough

in my case then, ignorance is bliss.....................

[TheBoy]

is "hate" strong enough

in my case then, ignorance is bliss.....................

No, I don't hate it.

Its not a bad engine, though definately 'could be better' (and is when chipped )

But you look at every TD advert, they all say its the 'excellent BMW diesel', though fails to live up to that expectation (and my expectation of anything BMW generally isn't high to start with)

[platty]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

Great! Thanks for the how-to   I did have a quick look earlier today and its not as cramped there as i remember - but still not much room. I have still got a viscous fan, i guess it works as my temp never gets above 85/90 - only on m'way flat out will it get near 90.

Am i best just buying the belt genuine Vx or will any old belt do? I normally dont bugger around with Vx if i can help it.

If buying from Vx, does anyone know the part number as my friendly Vx man could not find it earlier. (comp thingy not in action)

I have to agree with TheBoy on some of those points, it isnt very economical, refined or powerful but its fairly smooth if you are gentle with it. As far as mechanical concerns, i feel TheBoy has every right to rant given the grief his has put him through!

[TheBoy]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

Great! Thanks for the how-to   I did have a quick look earlier today and its not as cramped there as i remember - but still not much room. I have still got a viscous fan, i guess it works as my temp never gets above 85/90 - only on m'way flat out will it get near 90.

Am i best just buying the belt genuine Vx or will any old belt do? I normally dont bugger around with Vx if i can help it.

If buying from Vx, does anyone know the part number as my friendly Vx man could not find it earlier. (comp thingy not in action)

I have to agree with TheBoy on some of those points, it isnt very economical, refined or powerful but its fairly smooth if you are gentle with it. As far as mechanical concerns, i feel TheBoy has every right to rant given the grief his has put him through!

What are the markings on your temp gauge?

[platty]

I took a photo and put it on photobucket when you were having cooling probs with yours, here it is:



It always sits just under 90 degrees, unless its cold (at the minute) where its about 87.5. Gauge same as yours?

[kbou55]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

Great! Thanks for the how-to   I did have a quick look earlier today and its not as cramped there as i remember - but still not much room. I have still got a viscous fan, i guess it works as my temp never gets above 85/90 - only on m'way flat out will it get near 90.

Am i best just buying the belt genuine Vx or will any old belt do? I normally dont bugger around with Vx if i can help it.

If buying from Vx, does anyone know the part number as my friendly Vx man could not find it earlier. (comp thingy not in action)

I have to agree with TheBoy on some of those points, it isnt very economical, refined or powerful but its fairly smooth if you are gentle with it. As far as mechanical concerns, i feel TheBoy has every right to rant given the grief his has put him through!

TheBoy is one of the sites leading guru's on the BMW, when did i say he hadnt the right to rant:question

We've all suffered because of the BMW lump, just trying to share the pain

[platty]

Easy enough made difficult by the idiot designer of this engine.

Black engine plastics (inc Turbo Diesel) bits off.
Stupid Viscous fan off (assuming its still on!) - left hand thread - along with shroud.
Take digipic of belt layout, as not obvious (it starts (from memory!) top left, clockwise - water pump, alternator, idler, PAS, crank, tensioner, waterpump).
Undo bolt through top of tensioner damper, whilst holding the black metal bit with molegrips, then allow black metal bit to pivot on the remaining bolt (ignore the BMW method of a pry bar - its a con to make you buy new tensioner!).
Belt falls off.

In true haynes style, refit is reversal.

Great! Thanks for the how-to   I did have a quick look earlier today and its not as cramped there as i remember - but still not much room. I have still got a viscous fan, i guess it works as my temp never gets above 85/90 - only on m'way flat out will it get near 90.

Am i best just buying the belt genuine Vx or will any old belt do? I normally dont bugger around with Vx if i can help it.

If buying from Vx, does anyone know the part number as my friendly Vx man could not find it earlier. (comp thingy not in action)

I have to agree with TheBoy on some of those points, it isnt very economical, refined or powerful but its fairly smooth if you are gentle with it. As far as mechanical concerns, i feel TheBoy has every right to rant given the grief his has put him through!

TheBoy is one of the sites leading guru's on the BMW, when did i say he hadnt the right to rant:question

We've all suffered because of the BMW lump, just trying to share the pain

I wasn't implying for one minute that you did... I just think he has had exceptional bad luck with his - partially contributing to his guru status on this lump! Everyone suffers with them, as you say, and we're all entitled to rants now and then.

[TheBoy]

I took a photo and put it on photobucket when you were having cooling probs with yours, here it is:



It always sits just under 90 degrees, unless its cold (at the minute) where its about 87.5. Gauge same as yours?

I think your stat may be wonky. Same gauge as mine, mine reads 93 - 95C mostly, rising to 96C in traffic or prelonged thrashing, before fans drag back down.

[TheBoy]

We've all suffered because of the BMW lump

Never a truer word spoken - I stepped over the 'spare' 2.5TD lump in the garage to get to some v6 cams for tunnie, only my trousers caught on the dipstick (with the dipstick going up inside trouser leg), causing me to go A over T.  And if that didin't hurt enough, I hurt my foot by kicking the living daylights out of the lump

[platty]

I think your stat may be wonky.

Could well be, I would have expected the temp to be bit higher - I don't think it runs overly hot though, so I won't worry about it just yet. Got to get the aux belt changed first job.