Cooling system flaps, how are they supposed to be oriented? Options

[brandomc]

I just got my 2056 back from my engine builder, and now im trying to install all the sheet metal. The engine builder suggested that i wire open my cooling system so that it doesnt ever mess up and overheat my engine. My question is how should the flaps be oriented if i wire them open. Why do i even need these flaps if im not using the thermostat system? IF anyone has any pics of how they oriented their flaps, that would help alot. Thanks!! Hopefully back on the road soon!!

[ME733]

...........My preferred orentation for the heater flaps is.....folded over and driven into the ground., this saves a lot of concern over whether they are orented properly, the intermediate connection is stable, the bellows is working,the wire is still attached, or the roller is broken....and it saves the weight of that worthless crap from being hauled around....The , not insiginificant , side benefit of knowing your engine will not overheat from any failures of all that junk will give you a significant level of piece of mind. You will just have to allow a few minutes to warm up the engine before driving.(recommended for any air cooled engine-including your lawn mower, or private airplane.).

[brandomc]

...........My preferred orentation for the heater flaps is.....folded over and driven into the ground., this saves a lot of concern over whether they are orented properly, the intermediate connection is stable, the bellows is working,the wire is still attached, or the roller is broken....and it saves the weight of that worthless crap from being hauled around....The , not insiginificant , side benefit of knowing your engine will not overheat from any failures of all that junk will give you a significant level of piece of mind. You will just have to allow a few minutes to warm up the engine before driving.(recommended for any air cooled engine-including your lawn mower, or private airplane.).

Cool, so your telling me i can take the whole flap system out and call it good? Is there anything else that i will need to pay attention to, or set up different without these flaps in? It did seem like i could just leave them out, but i wasnt quite sure how the air flows through everything.

[ME733]

...........My preferred orentation for the heater flaps is.....folded over and driven into the ground., this saves a lot of concern over whether they are orented properly, the intermediate connection is stable, the bellows is working,the wire is still attached, or the roller is broken....and it saves the weight of that worthless crap from being hauled around....The , not insiginificant , side benefit of knowing your engine will not overheat from any failures of all that junk will give you a significant level of piece of mind. You will just have to allow a few minutes to warm up the engine before driving.(recommended for any air cooled engine-including your lawn mower, or private airplane.).

Cool, so your telling me i can take the whole flap system out and call it good? Is there anything else that i will need to pay attention to, or set up different without these flaps in? It did seem like i could just leave them out, but i wasnt quite sure how the air flows through everything.

.........Detox...may have a resonable suggeston., however I toss EVERYTHING..I have found that the oil cooler cools just fine without the part he suggests....discuss this with your engine builder...ONE other thing to look for ...the plastic wheel for the bellows wire pull...has a bolt into the crankcase., you will need to install an appropiately small, bolt with sealant to seal this HOLE., when you decide to toss the flapper junk...The small openings (for the flapper ends which protrude thru the sheetmetal)...can be rubber plugged, sealed with a small bolt and nut, (prior to sheetmetal installation)...or left open-do nothing...it,s all good.

[ME733]

...........My preferred orentation for the heater flaps is.....folded over and driven into the ground., this saves a lot of concern over whether they are orented properly, the intermediate connection is stable, the bellows is working,the wire is still attached, or the roller is broken....and it saves the weight of that worthless crap from being hauled around....The , not insiginificant , side benefit of knowing your engine will not overheat from any failures of all that junk will give you a significant level of piece of mind. You will just have to allow a few minutes to warm up the engine before driving.(recommended for any air cooled engine-including your lawn mower, or private airplane.).

Cool, so your telling me i can take the whole flap system out and call it good? Is there anything else that i will need to pay attention to, or set up different without these flaps in? It did seem like i could just leave them out, but i wasnt quite sure how the air flows through everything.

.........Detox...may have a resonable suggeston., however I toss EVERYTHING..I have found that the oil cooler cools just fine without the part he suggests....discuss this with your engine builder...ONE other thing to look for ...the plastic wheel for the bellows wire pull...has a bolt into the crankcase., you will need to install an appropiately small, bolt with sealant to seal this HOLE., when you decide to toss the flapper junk...The small openings (for the flapper ends which protrude thru the sheetmetal)...can be rubber plugged, sealed with a small bolt and nut, (prior to sheetmetal installation)...or left open-do nothing...it,s all good.

.............If you can believe the FACT that the sheetmetal is pressurised, (by the fan), any concern that the oil cooler will not work is unfounded. I have built enough of these engines without flaps and bottom cylinder deflectors to know it all works just fine-BUT all the engines were carburated, and therefore produced more h.p. than a stock engine.....it,s possable, i suppose, that a F.I. engine, in the depths of winter could run too cold. This would be true ALSO with any UPRIGHT fan engine, no matter whose type or design you might have.(because they too do not have "flappers and oil cooler diverters.)....practically speaking F.I. o.e.m. engines are limited severly in camshaft duration and lift due to the design of O.E.M. system.(In stock form). By virtue of using carburators, and a higher duration/lift camshaft--to achieve more H.P. at a higher rpm range, the engine will have more btu,s of heat which must be disapated/removed for engine durability and longetively.my suggestions are based on experience. Additionally for a historic perspective-back in the day of formula super-vee which used the type IV engine. those cars had no fan at all, just air-flow from air scoops, used fabricated fiberglass cylinder covers-no flappers, no oil cooler diverters,no bottom cylinder deflectors....and reved to 8500 rpms, producing more than 165 h.p.with carburators.(solex 40p11)...the engines were good for the entire racing season.The O.E.M. cast fan is efficient, and will cool off the engine just fine.(and provides a counterbalance for the flywheel, and P.P. at the centerline of the crankshaft.). it,s a good system and with a few minor tweeks is even better for engines with higher than stock H.P.

[ChrisFoley]

The O.E.M. cast fan is efficient, and will cool off the engine just fine.

That's true up to a point, however the inability to increase fan rpm relative to crankshaft rpm means it is impossible to increase the cooling ability of the stock system beyond merely freeing up the airflow through the system.

There is another shortcoming of the stock system. The oil cooler always sees about the same airflow even when the oil is not up to temperature, since the thermostat is not there to preheat the oil.
My latest improvement to the Tangerine Horizontal Cooling System incorporates a simple thermally actuated valve designed to allow airflow through the stock cooler only after reaching operating temperature.
Here's a pic of the prototype which will be operational in a few days.