T4 Engine tin: thermal design Options

[914werke]

So seeing a product recently got me thinking about the result of its application & my own observations of how well (or not) the T4 handles air flow, Engine block cooling & resulting oil temperatures. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Its somewhat well known that ...in the 914.. the T4 suffers from less than optimal cooling from the front mounted impeller/fan particularly to the #3 Cylinder
& that it is vitally important to seal the tins multiple openings to contain as much laminar air flow front to back over the finned cylinders.
In a gross approach, the goal was to seal the engine compartment "intake" air on top from the eng. heated "cooling" air below the tins.
When a motor is new and all its components serviced & refreshed, the design does, or did, a pretty good job.
After years of use (neglect), elements (oil dirt mice ext) conspire to restrict that air flow.
As well as eng. heat causing hardening of rubber pieces that are intended to help contain that cooling air below.
Now almost 50 yrs on I see fewer & fewer "STOCK" engine configurations which you can guess usually means more heat to deal with.
Jake addressed the cooling air via his(?) DTM solution, but IMO its not very practical for stock or near stock motors (& expensive)

The go-to response to eliminate that heat is usually an additional or a remote oil cooler which comes with its own set of challenges. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
How about KISS (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Has anyone used any of the Fiberglass based stick-on reflective heat shielding products on the engine-sides of the tin?
Idea being rather than allow heat absorption to all the those steel pieces reflect it back to carried away by the cooling air?

BTW Im not a Porsche engineer...but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[914werke]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
To prove or disprove the theory that the OE facilities for T4 engine cooling (specifically in the 914) are sufficient & cant reasonably be improved upon with simple measures might be an involved task. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
First you've got to define what the goal is?
Are you trying to reduce temperatures because .... you think the heat is bad?
As has been discussed there are two distinct methods of heat dissipation at work on our motors. Air & Oil.
Also two specific areas for measuring the operating health: crankcase oil temp & head temperature.
How much heat is good? when does it cross that heat threshold into being bad? where? Oil? Heads? Both?
Once you answered those questions, Id suggest a simple comparative scientific experiment

A lot of work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) Who is up for it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[wonkipop]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
To prove or disprove the theory that the OE facilities for T4 engine cooling (specifically in the 914) are sufficient & cant reasonably be improved upon with simple measures might be an involved task. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
First you've got to define what the goal is?
Are you trying to reduce temperatures because .... you think the heat is bad?
As has been discussed there are two distinct methods of heat dissipation at work on our motors. Air & Oil.
Also two specific areas for measuring the operating health: crankcase oil temp & head temperature.
How much heat is good? when does it cross that heat threshold into being bad? where? Oil? Heads? Both?
Once you answered those questions, Id suggest a simple comparative scientific experiment

A lot of work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) Who is up for it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

ha ha. a lot of work thats for sure. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

i guess one way it could all go is to go electric with the cooling fan.
oil temp controlled and triggered.
with some kind of ability to easily adjust fan speed (ie air volume).
it would have to be variable speed and constant adjustment.
thats if you are going to go the emprical route and lots of testing.
you need someway to be in a position where it is easy to tune and adjust parameters.

simple pulley to replace impeller fan and drive alternator.
a ducted cooling boot and an electrical fan mounted in engine bay?

you get some horsepower back with a crank driven fan delete?
a smog pump is worth 2 hp. whats an impeller fan rob?
......is the alternator up to it?

good thing i have gone all preservationist and stayed stock! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)