[neilq]

I just replaced all the hoses, water pump, and thermostat on my 2008 328i, 6 speed manual. The car has 130,000 trouble free miles. I did this as a preventative measure. Efthreeoh's excellent write up along with the two BavAuto water pump and thermostat replacement YouTube videos pretty much tell you everything you need to know. All of these are packed with extremely helpful tips. I did not find this to be a difficult job. It's a lot of work and not a good first job for a newbie but all the tasks are straightforward. I do have a lift and that did make doing the job much easier and more comfortable.

Here is information that others might find helpful.
- The temp sensor on my car is mounted to the OFH and is easily accessible. So there is no synergy to replacing it at hose changing time.
- As did Efthreeoh, I found disconnecting the large BMW clamp connectors from the radiator to be the hardest task. Take his precautionary advice and place all baseball bats and golf clubs in protective custody until these hoses have been removed. I did not remove the radiator. As others have advised, I kept pulling (and pulling) with a slight circular motion. None of these clamps released suddenly. If you watched carefully you could see your (very slow) progress. After the connector housing had backed off about a mm or so then I could find a way to carefully pry with a small screw driver and things progressed quickly with less effort from there. Curiously each of the male portions of these connectors were designed quite differently so the prying method varied with each one.
- When going after the top water pump mounting bolt DON'T accidentally remove its much more visible, immediately next door, air conditioner mounting bolt neighbor. This too is a stretch bolt which your dealer won't likely have in stock. The water pump bolt head is located in the harder to see, recessed pocket right next door.
- I was able to remove (and replace) the lower heater core hose (228-01) totally from the top. But I could not have done so without knowing the spring clip is oriented and removed from the bottom side of the hose. Just one of the many useful gems of information in Efthreeoh's write up.
- On my car the OFH to thermostat hose (427-07) is connected to the OFH with only two bolts.
- Use silicone plumber's grease to lubricate the o-rings inside the BMW clamp connectors before assembling. The big box hardware stores all carry this. Be sure to buy the silicone grease, not the traditional plumbers' grease. The BavAuto video mentions this tip but at a point where you probably have already assembled a number of the connectors.
- Instead of replacing the entire Engine Block to Water Pump metal-tube/rubber stock part (283-03) I just replaced the rubber portion using the Rein CHE0497 part. The original hose is clipped to the metal tube with a spring clamp. The clamp does not have the typical ears but I had no problem removing it using a pair of channel lock pliers. There is plenty of room to use a Dremel to cut off the clamp should someone prefer that removal method. The Rein hose comes with a traditional spring clamp with ears that stick up away from the hose. Be sure to orient the ears as far (rotationally) toward the back of the car as possible. At first I didn't pay attention to its orientation but I found the ears came uncomfortably close to rubbing against one of the large hoses connected to the water pump and thermostat assembly below. So I took things apart again and reoriented the clamp to provide plenty of clearance.
- When reassembling, pay attention to the BavAuto video hose clamp clocking instructions. Your life will be easier for doing so.

Post work thoughts: Had I not mistakenly removed the wrong bolt (which I had to wait for my dealer to order) I could have completed this in one long day. All of my original hoses and plastic tubes looked perfectly fine. Modern hoses like these are made from EPDM rubber, making for a hose that is far superior and longer lasting than those of yesteryear.

Here are the part numbers for the pump, thermostat, and hoses I used. All were purchased through FCP Euro and I chose the OEM equivalent, where available, instead of genuine BMW.

11517586925 - Water Pump
11537549476 - Thermostat
Rein CHE0497 - 283-03 - Engine Block to Water Pump Hose in lieu of 283-03 complete replacement
11537521049 - 472-01 - Thermostat to Pump Hose
11537545890 - 472-07 - OFH to Thermostat Hose
17127531579 - 472-17 - Upper Radiator Hose
17127618510 - 472-20 - Expansion Tank Vent Hose
17127564478 - 472-18 - Lower Radiator Hose
64219178427 - 228-01 - Heater Core Lower Hose
64216951946 - 228-02 - Heater Core Upper Hose
17127548223 - 472-23 - Expansion Tank Heater Core Thermostat Hose-Pipe