accusump installation

[sigmaengr]

Hi all,
Where is the best place to install an accusump accumulator ? ( '88 325i )
There is a plug in the engine block just rearward of the oil filter..is this an oil galley ?
Last resort is to tee into one of the oil cooler lines, which one is the return line to the engine?

Any suggestions...
Thanks,
Chris Reinke

[Oldmacd]

I would recommend putting the accumulator in the trunk and run an in-line manual valve within reach of the drivers seat. Instead of teeing into one of the factory oil lines (if you did, it should also be check valved) I would use a Canton Mecca spin-on filter and plumb the accumulator line directly into the cap. The factory oil filter housing has a t'stat in it and if you tee into the factory lines, the accumulator will not be replenished until the t'stat opens.

[sigmaengr]

I took the oil filter/cooler t-stat housing apart to take a look and actually you can tee into the oil cooler return line, it dumps right into the oil filter. The t-stat only acts on the cooler input line. This setup would benefit from a check valve when the t-stat is open to prevent any backflow. BUT what i ended up doing was to drill out the end of the housing attachment bolt (to .5625) & welded a -10 fitting to it. The center bore of the bolt feeds right into the engine and bypasses the filter, no flow restrictions and the filter will function as a check valve due to the pressure drop resisting any backflow ....problem solved.

Thanks for all the input.

As a side note, the block plug that resides just rearward of the filter is a handy way to drain all the COOLANT when the season is over.

Regards, chris