Thermostat surprise

[PETER GOYER]

Just purchased the 98 Z3 (1.9) and trying to get it smogged. The temperature is acting funky, so I decide to change out the thermostat, hoses, water pump for routine maintenance.
this is how I found it. The missing chunk of plastic is somewhere in the engine water jacket, and I could not locate it with my borescope. This is why it is important to perform routine maintenance.

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[Devon Z]

Yep that’s common, buy a replacement with metal lugs.

 

[Unreal]

Could you flush it out/reverse flush it Peter? I suppose it could be anywhere in the circuit up to the smaller heater hoses but it's unlikely to be jammed solid.