BMW seems reasonable, and I suppose you could also get that at the same salvage yard. Hilton Head BMW close to Land Rover of Hilton Head. The auto salvage is two exits from airport on highway 80, toward the downtown area from I-95. Probably 25 miles or so from air port to dealership in Hilton Head.

 

Another thought to limp home - Home Depot is same exit as airport, opposite side of I-95. See if you can match up thread for something to fill the hole. Here's a pix of a brass bleeder screw for same BMW part number. While a metric bolt won't be much of a bleeder, it beats a cork and duct tape.

 

And I checked - member MoShadeTree had a write up and he confirmed they are M10X1.0 thread.

 

to limp home you can use a 1/2 (3/4?) t pipe as a replacement for the entire t-piece. i've been there. i also jb epoxied the bleeder screw. that t connector part and the proprietary thermostat are main reasons why i did that in line conversion.

while you're replacing those parts check the hard plastic coolant tubing that goes from the tadiator to the expansion tank and the other from the expansion tank to the throttle body heater. they get very brittle and crack. i replaced mine with hosing. how is that throttle body heater?

 

Thanks for the info (M10X1.0 thread). I plan to do the cork and duct tape to get me to Home Depot. Hope they have a bolt that will work and allow me to get to BMW tomorrow. Of course BMW doesn't have the metal screw only the plastic and will need to order one online.

 

With the direction from Mike to look at my bleeder screw and Savannah Buzz to help find temp parts (thanks for the thread size), my girl is better now. I would have replaced the t/sat without even looking at the simple part. It might have been a problem for some time becasue I ran her hard after putting in a 10mm bolt and the factory temp didn't go past midway, which it usualy goes a tad higher. (Yes I know I need another gauge.) Again thanks so much for your help. Still going to put in the low temp t/stat from Lucky 8 when it gets here plus a metal bleader screw, the plastic one was brittle when I was digging it out of the threads.