Erik,Nice to see the solution on the oil bar bolt. How did you drill the hole under that slanted angle? Looks well done.
I also notice that you need the link to this thread: oil dip stick repaint https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/yellow-dipstick-paint-match.21304/
I'm sorry if I/m messing up your timing with this.
Doesn't the small hole in the thermostat allow for a coolant passage that is undesired when the engine is warning up? If I understand it well, the hole (besides letting air through while filling as intended), also *always* lets coolant through, even if the thermostat is in it's closed position. Wouldn't this increase the time the engine needs to reach normal operating temperatures?
I drilled the hole 'free style' i.e. I start perpendicular to the hex flat. Once the hole starts I begin to drop the angle of drill bit, very slowly ensuring enough material is removed, then drop the angle again, repeat until it's equa-a-distant to the exiting hole on the next hex flat. You gotta use a really sharp bit and go slowly.
Yes, in theory, it would delay the warm up timing. But this hole is less than 3 mm in diameter and the quantity of 'cold water' constantly passing into the block I would say delays my warm up timing to operating temp by approximately 0.000002343 seconds. Joking aside, the benefit of doing this is having an absolutely full cooling system vs. having air pockets in the block that give you a false full level and a spike in temps. And lots of repeated burping of the system.