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Ned,
Good info on the header wrapping -- something I'll think about on my ride.
The cooling flaps are the vanes than adjust the amount of air flow over the
engine. If you look down on your engine (in the nicest of ways, of course
;)
you will see the aluminum housing, that piece of aluminum that the generator
mounts on. Just forward of that, like a 1/4" next to is, is a rod that
spans
the length of the housing. At the very ends of this rod are the cooling
flaps.
You can't see them unless you remove the back half of the aluminum housing
or
remove the upper cooling tin. These flaps are mechanically moved. If you
look
under the push rod tubes on the right side of the engine (cylinders 1 & 2)
you
*should* see a little cylinder that is serrated -- this is actually a sealed
bellows. Attached to the top of it is a rod (the Type IV uses a wire).
This
rod moves up and down as the bellows expand or contract depending upon the
heat
that flows past it. This rod is the link that basically what moves the
cooling
flaps. A shop manual will diagram the system.
If you want to see if the bellows are performing their job there's a very
easy
way to check them. Make sure the engine is cold for best results. Grab a
hair
drier (a cigarette lighter will not work, trust me) and turn it on so it's
on
high speed and putting out the maximum heat (Note: Although blocking the air
input to the hair drier does allow a much higher temp. it also will shorten
the
life of your roommates hair drier and thus possibly yours :). Direct the
air on
the bellows. You should see the bellows expand rather quickly. If you have
the
whole rear fan housing assembly removed you will see the cooling flaps move
as
well. If nothing happens then you need to trouble shoot where the problem
is,
possibly replacing the bellows if everything else checks out okay.
Toby Erkson
air_cooled_nut@pobox.com <-- Please use this address for email
'72 VW Squareback 1.6L bored and stroked to 2.0L
'75 Porsche 914 1.8L, ORPCA member
Portland, Oregon, http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/8501/
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ned Glenn [SMTP:elg2@axe.humboldt.edu]
>
> Toby: "are the cooling flaps installed?"
>
> What are "cooling flaps"? Do you mean the things at the front end,
> ('front means front"-JM) of the heat exchanges or is it
> something else,
> like near the muffler?