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.

[detoxcowboy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) If your tossing everything, you will want to tuck the passengers side cooling flap over the oil cooler, it slips under the tin that stops the flap from hitting it.. that would make permenant the fail safe cooling position from overheating.. this is common for people whom do not care about warming up but want to keep from overheating..

the wieght savings is nil... better just to lose 2 lbs. in your diet.. or drive without a helmut..

[Joe Ricard]

No do not take the flaps out.

In static open position the drivers side flap is open and should hit the little rubber bumper against the cylinder tin. the other side should be sealed snuggly down against the oil cooler deflector tin.

Now hook up the cable and pull it tight which will hold the drivers side down shutting "most of the air off. and the passenger side will be up and in the way of air flow.

If you let go of the cable things should defalt to wide open.

[brandomc]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) If your tossing everything, you will want to tuck the passengers side cooling flap over the oil cooler, it slips under the tin that stops the flap from hitting it.. that would make permenant the fail safe cooling position from overheating.. this is common for people whom do not care about warming up but want to keep from overheating..

Sorry, i dont quite understand what you are explaining. Are you saying remove the rod and the flap on the drivers side, but keep the other flap and wire it down over the oil cooler?

[McMark]

Check out this post. Then search for "cooling flaps" with the quotation marks, and you'll learn everything you need to know.

ME733 is the only person who thinks the flaps can be left out.

[detoxcowboy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) If your tossing everything, you will want to tuck the passengers side cooling flap over the oil cooler, it slips under the tin that stops the flap from hitting it.. that would make permenant the fail safe cooling position from overheating.. this is common for people whom do not care about warming up but want to keep from overheating..

Sorry, i dont quite understand what you are explaining. Are you saying remove the rod and the flap on the drivers side, but keep the other flap and wire it down over the oil cooler?

I would not throw away or take out of my car what I do not understand first.. but if you insisit then you want to at least keep the engine cooling system intact yes? well tthe flaps are part of that system, if your going to chuck it I would recomend keeping the passenger flap over the oil cooler this is the cooling position also the fail safe position.. so when you trash the rest of the system you will then have a single paseneger flap unattached to anything and you will see the oil cooler and you will see oil cooler tin, tuck the passenger side flap under the tabs on that oil cooler tin.. this way you at least keep the engines original cooling desighn..

[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.

[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.

.........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.

Great, i understand now. Where i was confused was that i thought when the flap was over the oil cooler, it was closeing it off to air flow. I should be set now as far as that part of my engine goes. Thanks guys

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

I second that ! Do not remove the flaps! They are critical for warmup and cooling as the right one forces air through the oil cooler. they are factory sprung to spring open when the thermostat cable is loose or broken. NO REASON to wire them open! What was your engine builder thinking? Obviously not Jake Raby!!

quote name='Joe Ricard' date='Jun 16 2010, 01:36 PM' post='1331581']
No do not take the flaps out.

In static open position the drivers side flap is open and should hit the little rubber bumper against the cylinder tin. the other side should be sealed snuggly down against the oil cooler deflector tin.

Now hook up the cable and pull it tight which will hold the drivers side down shutting "most of the air off. and the passenger side will be up and in the way of air flow.

If you let go of the cable things should defalt to wide open.
[/quote]

[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.

................well there is one.(.TWO..) more worthless pieces of crap you can eliminate which will have a benefit on cooling and the way the ENGINE REVS UP.. there are two baffles under each cylinder head, which are screwed to the head....Note that these baffles have only a small square opening.(note that the total area of the openings are smaller than the total open area in the casting air router-and openings...Note that the sheetmetal baffle is formed in such a way (upwards) around these openings. These are insanely non aerodynamic, in terms of the air flow direction. elemination of these pieces of crap will allow higher airflow, and a higher RPM before cavation occurs.(air packing up inside the sheetmetal)...Your engine will rev up like a porsche engine should instead of a V.W. of which 914 engines are based on.

[JeffBowlsby]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Top photo=Warm engine position (maximum airflow over oil cooler), Middle photo=Cold engine position (minimum airflow over oil cooler)

[Joe Ricard]

Wow it's been awhile since I seen a stock flywheel. That is one big hunk of iron.
Heaviest one I have is 12 pounds and it is in a box because I am running an 11 pounder.

[Tom]

Jeff,
Are you sure this is right? Top photo looks like failure mode if thermo cable breaks.
Tom

[brandomc]

Jeff,
Are you sure this is right? Top photo looks like failure mode if thermo cable breaks.
Tom

Yeah, i think the explaination of those photos is backwards. Atleast from what everyone else has explained.

[buhs914]

Yeah i believe that if there's no cable tension and if the spring is on right then it holds the flaps open to the cooling position. Like Jeff's first picture.

[VaccaRabite]

Even the pros mess up at times. Jeff mislabled his pictures. The top picture is the cooling position, the bottom picture is the warmup picture.

If you take out the flaps, you are not forcing the air to go through the oil cooler, which will result in higher oil temps.

Zach

[SirAndy]

If you take out the flaps, you are not forcing the air to go through the oil cooler, which will result in higher oil temps.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

The top image is the maximum cooling position. It's also the fail-safe position in case the thermostat or wire fail.

DO NOT REMOVE THE FLAPS


Without the flaps there will be no air flow to the oil-cooler. They are called cooling flaps for a reason ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif) Andy

[ChrisFoley]

Without the flaps there will be no air flow to the oil-cooler.

I don't believe that for a second. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)