N52 Micky Mouse Flange Replacement

skullandbiscuits

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 Somerset
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Just finished a cooling system refresh and I’ve stumbled upon the Micky mouse flange.

How much of a thing is this, ticking time bomb? Enough to ruin your day?

More negative comments on the E90 forums.

TIA
 
Any n52 I get I change it

Will probably fall apart in your hand as you take it off
 
I was going to ask the same and looked it up..
I can see the resemblance.

 

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Hadn't come across this one, thanks for posting about it. Yet another preventative thing to check/replace
 
Another bloody job lol
Bit of a hijack here, but I've seen that the oil cooler cover is a bit of a pta to remove on the E85, any tips on removing it, I have an oil leak from either it, or the filter housing so will have to come off.
 
I replaced the whole hose and it came with a new (plastic) flange. It was still in good ahape for being 18 years old so came to the conclusion that a new one will most probably hold up the rest of the days of the coupe.

@4play to do it by the book, you first remove the bolts from the filter housing and then you’re able to remove the cover easily.
 
I replaced the whole hose and it came with a new (plastic) flange. It was still in good ahape for being 18 years old so came to the conclusion that a new one will most probably hold up the rest of the days of the coupe.

@4play to do it by the book, you first remove the bolts from the filter housing and then you’re able to remove the cover easily.
Thanks
saw a youtuber struggling with it so thought I'd ask on here, pretty obvious really if you are removing both parts, well obvious when you know lol
 
I've read there are a few ways of removing the flange from the hose, cutting the oe clamp, cutting the hose itself or gently crushing the oe clamp, I take it when crushing the clamp that the idea is to brake up the plastic flange so it can be removed allowing the clamp to be wiggled off the hose?
If anyone did the last method did you take the complete hose off the car?
 
FWIW, having looked at this, I think I'll simply get a replacement hose with flange following on from when I recently had to replace the thermostat on the E53 X5. This is the cooler running M57 diesel but with a lot more hours on it and much the same age.

As part of much faffing I found myself having to cut off the metal band that kept one of the push fit connectors on the hose - I imagine that this is the same mounting as the N52 flange. The hose underneath the band was not in the sort of condition where it was a good idea to put it onto another pipe with a jubilee clip. It would have worked and it's the sort of get-you-going fix I've done a thousand times but you could see the pipe itself was tired.

With a hotter running petrol, it seems a good opportunity to replace the pipe now. If I was making a replacemen myself it'd be ally but the standard flange itself is obviously good enough for 15+ years, 100k+ miles so doesn't really need to be any better. I'd rather spend the money getting two bits replaced rather than one that'll outlast the human race!
 
Yeah I've replaced mine on all the N52's at the same time as the waterpump, fir the metal versions. 👍
As mentioned, they go brittle, snap, then leave you cursing.
 
Yeah I've replaced mine on all the N52's at the same time as the waterpump, fir the metal versions. 👍
As mentioned, they go brittle, snap, then leave you cursing.
I need to remove the flange to get at the rear bolt for the oil filter housing (oil leak) so I've ordered one as sods law means it'll snap and leave me waiting for one with the car off the road.
 
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