Fan question

[albertramsbottom]

How can I check that the van is blowing air over the engine. I need to make sure that all the fundamentals are working so I properly dianose my overheating problems

Cheers

PS anyone one know of a diagram that describes the airflow over an Aircooled

Cheers

[boatdog]

dont know about checking the air flow but if the alty/dynamo is spinning the fan is, if you look under the right hand cylinder you should under all the oil see the thermostat bellows if you take note of there length then warm up engine they should get longer thus opening the air deflectors. only thing that really can stop air flow is crud building uP around the fins if you put head under the engine and get someone to rev it you should feel the air being blown down. if its overheating i would check bellows first

[albertramsbottom]

dont know about checking the air flow but if the alty/dynamo is spinning the fan is, if you look under the right hand cylinder you should under all the oil see the thermostat bellows if you take note of there length then warm up engine they should get longer thus opening the air deflectors. only thing that really can stop air flow is crud building uP around the fins if you put head under the engine and get someone to rev it you should feel the air being blown down. if its overheating i would check bellows first

Thansk ill give it a go

Albert

[Dubstar]

When the engine is running it should blow hot air - assuming it's warmed up obviously, or cold air otherwise - from under the rear valence. It sucks cold air in through the vents, across the top of the engine, round the tinware and then blows the hot air out the bottom. Get someone to rev the van a bit when you're standing behind it and you should feel it blowing on your shins.

[jason k]

yeah true,

but thats with all the tinware in place

albert iirc i dont think yours has the thermostat bellows fitted either

so your cooling flaps will be in the failsafe position (or should be)

[albertramsbottom]

yeah true,

but thats with all the tinware in place

albert iirc i dont think yours has the thermostat bellows fitted either

so your cooling flaps will be in the failsafe position (or should be)

Bloody hell Jason

Is there anything on my van, Ill have to have look on sat

Cheers

[Dubstar]

Also check the flaps inside the engine bay are open, the ones that the thermostat cable connects to. I had to take the fan housing off a while ago to change my oil cooler seals and when I put it all back together the flaps weren't sat right in the housing and were permanantly closed. I spotted this and sorted it out but it could be they're closed. Or if they're missing that is also bad. If it looks like all the rest of the tinware is there then this maybe the issue.

[albertramsbottom]

Also check the flaps inside the engine bay are open, the ones that the thermostat cable connects to. I had to take the fan housing off a while ago to change my oil cooler seals and when I put it all back together the flaps weren't sat right in the housing and were permanantly closed. I spotted this and sorted it out but it could be they're closed. Or if they're missing that is also bad. If it looks like all the rest of the tinware is there then this maybe the issue.

Did you remove the engine as I need to replace my oil cooler seals and was told thats its an engine out job

Cheers for the advice

[Dubstar]

Nope. I was told that too, so I had a look and thought I could get it. Take off alternator and all the pipework in and out of it to the heat exchangers. Then take off the engine cooling fan, from memory one bolt in the middle. Once you've taken the fan off, look inside the fan housing and there should 4 bolts holding the housing to the engine; undo them and remove the housing, and then finally remove the left hand piece of tinware and you can' get at the oil cooler bolts. There are 3 holding it in place, 2 flat to the housing which you can see from underneath the oil filter and get a spanner on to tighten them up it you think that's why it may be leaking, but the other one is sunk, hence the need to take the fan housing and piece of tinware off. The only thing holding it on then is a bracket which you have to undo so you can pull the cooler out of because otherwise the bracket fouls in the engine cross member wehn you're trying to slide it off the long studs. And that's it really, I did it over a couple of days because I cleaned loads of oil off the fan housing and left it to dry a few times inbetween cleans, otherwise it's well possible in a day, I reckon about 5 hours. Just have a look first and you'll see how it all comes apart. If you're doing it because you think it's leaking, see if you can tighten up the 2 bolts on the oil cooler first from underneath - not too tight or you'll strip the threads, just take it easy. And also check it's not the oil pressure switch that's either loose or knackered and leaking from the middle. It sits right above the cooler and when it leaks it looks like it's the cooler. Just look thought the hole in the tinware behind the distributor and you'll see it. Hope that helps.

[albertramsbottom]

Nope. I was told that too, so I had a look and thought I could get it. Take off alternator and all the pipework in and out of it to the heat exchangers. Then take off the engine cooling fan, from memory one bolt in the middle. Once you've taken the fan off, look inside the fan housing and there should 4 bolts holding the housing to the engine; undo them and remove the housing, and then finally remove the left hand piece of tinware and you can' get at the oil cooler bolts. There are 3 holding it in place, 2 flat to the housing which you can see from underneath the oil filter and get a spanner on to tighten them up it you think that's why it may be leaking, but the other one is sunk, hence the need to take the fan housing and piece of tinware off. The only thing holding it on then is a bracket which you have to undo so you can pull the cooler out of because otherwise the bracket fouls in the engine cross member wehn you're trying to slide it off the long studs. And that's it really, I did it over a couple of days because I cleaned loads of oil off the fan housing and left it to dry a few times inbetween cleans, otherwise it's well possible in a day, I reckon about 5 hours. Just have a look first and you'll see how it all comes apart. If you're doing it because you think it's leaking, see if you can tighten up the 2 bolts on the oil cooler first from underneath - not too tight or you'll strip the threads, just take it easy. And also check it's not the oil pressure switch that's either loose or knackered and leaking from the middle. It sits right above the cooler and when it leaks it looks like it's the cooler. Just look thought the hole in the tinware behind the distributor and you'll see it. Hope that helps.

Fantasitc mate I have had a look today and recon I can do it. Thanks again for the instructions and sorry for taking so long getting back to you

Many Many thanks indeed

[Dubstar]

No worries. There's more then enough room to do it, so lord knows why everyone including Haynes says it's an engine out job. Forgot to say, while it's all off you can always put a new fan belt on too.

[albertramsbottom]

No worries. There's more then enough room to do it, so lord knows why everyone including Haynes says it's an engine out job. Forgot to say, while it's all off you can always put a new fan belt on too.

Do you mean v belt to the alternator, thought the fan was mounted straight to the engine

Sorry still learniing

[Dubstar]

Sorry, force of habit, yeah I meant the alternator belt - I keep forgetting we ain't got not water in our engines hence no need for a fan belt!

[neil3965]

These diagrams (from Itinerant Aircooled Forums) might help envisage how the cooling system works:

[albertramsbottom]

These diagrams (from Itinerant Aircooled Forums) might help envisage how the cooling system works:

Great stuff Neil Ill have a good look