Removing Heat from the Car Options

[7TPorsh]

Over the weeknd I had the car up and I removed some of the heater pieces down under the engine. The PO had removed the blower motor but I had venting hot air up into the engine compartment.

I took out a couple of trapezoidal shaped plates that held the ducting attached to the exchangers.

So no the exchangers are there now with no ducting attached to them. I can see the bottom end of the heads, push rod tubes and valve covers.

Also now exposed on each side of the fan are square openings that have flappers and puff air.

can I drive like this? Do I need to close up those square vents somehow?

[ape914]

you NEED to run cool air thru the heater exchangers all the time the motor is running. the system as designed is supposed to always have air flow when the motor cooling impeller is turning, the electric fan (you say removed) is for additional air flow for added cockpit heat.

the air from the motor impeller is flowing thru the heater exchangers even when cockpit heat is off. When off ,the heated air is dumped out the heater valve (valve either dumps the heat under the car, or directs it to the cockpit.

with no air flow thru the heater exchangers, they will over heat and fail prematurely (ie leak). they may radiate more heat to the heads when no air is flowing thru them.

You need to reinstall the heater stuff if you keep the heater exchangers. If you dont have the electric heater booster fan, then you should block off the two holes that the duct hose passes thru on the side sheet metal, this will stop hot air from getting into the engine bay, AND still allow the motor impeller to cool the heater exchangers.

the flat plates that go under the pushrods can serve two purposes, one is to help the air flow out of the bottom of the motor, by better directing the air flow into the slip stream. they also can serve to protect the fragile pushrod tubes from damage from debries.

yes you are right in seeing the need to block off the hot air that was entering the engine bay, however you did not go about it the correct way, and this can damage the heater exchangers.

As for as the rectangular holes on the impeller housing, block them if you run no heater exchangers, but if you run heater exchangers hook the ducting back up, and instead simply block off the two duct holes in the side engine tins, that will prevent hot air from entering your engine bay, and will protect the heat exchangers, and allow you to have heat in the cockpit when needed.