Cardboard shroud / baffle under radiator

[jimrat]

Hi

Have just finished repairing rust holes behind the front bumper 'bath tub'. I had to remove a flimsy cardboard baffle / shroud thingy underneath the radiator, which has disintegrated beyond repair.

They are £40 a set on ebay / brickwerks - can anyone recommend and alternative DIY shroud (just the bottom piece)? I could probably fashion something out of sheet metal, but if there some kind of plastic sheet / board that can be used, I'd be interested

Thanks
James

[itchyfeet]

I made some out of plastic
some people have suggested estate agent boards , ones left lying around obvioysly, I have a picture of the dims for the sides sonewhere...

here
http://archive.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic ... 6af95171e4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RogerT]

Estate agents boards are what I used - happened to have to sell my house so took the opportunity to use the board once sold. I know it technically belongs to the estate agent but since they got 1.5% (admittedly of a price far below UK average) for it only to be on the market for 2 days, I thought I deserved it. The good thing about these boards is that as they are corrugated internally they will take a fold in one direction, but you may have to score or even cut on the inside of the corner. They are very tough, so take care if cutting with a blade. I also drilled holes in my bottom piece in case it held water. There is also one shroud piece up each side to help direct air into the radiator but both mine were missing. Anything to assist in cooling...

[captain Byrne]

How essential are these? I've never had any on mine & haven't any problems but I guess they serve a purpose.

[RogerT]

Probably not essential, judging by what was missing from my van nothing much is essential when you get down to it, but it does all help to keep it was VW intended...

[kevtherev]

Basically the baffles force air through the radiator, because air is lazy and will take the path of least resistance, without baffles a lot of cooling air will not be forced to pass through the radiator effectively making it a clogged radiator or a less efficient smaller one

[captain Byrne]

Jeez - just when I thought there was nowt much left to buy for the van.

[jimrat]

Hi

So I need 'correx sheet', as sold on fleabay. 4 or 6mm??

Cheers
Jim

[itchyfeet]

4mm would be fie IMO

[captain Byrne]

Found these templates & some really good instructions.

http://www.andrewvanis.com/Vanagon/radiator_baffles/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=629151" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nevill3]

I used a "runners on road" sign that had been left up weeks after the marathon that passes the end of my road had been run, I also re-used the nice thick black tie straps that had been used to attach them to a street sign.

[Kasper]

I have another factory original cardboard baffle located directly behind the top grill (behind the grill badge) which is attached to the rear of the grill by push through lugs. It seems to reduce air going into the lower half of the top grill. Any ideas why this might be necessary?

IMG_0402.JPG

[kevtherev]

It isn't.
I would remove it.

[itchyfeet]

if the seals on the heater flaps have gone so you get a constat stream of cold air in the cab in winter, blocking off the top inlet just above rad helps stop this.
blocking the rad is pointless.

[ZsZ]

I have another factory original cardboard baffle located directly behind the top grill (behind the grill badge) which is attached to the rear of the grill by push through lugs. It seems to prevent air going into the top half of the grill. Any ideas why this might be necessary?

IMG_0402.JPG

It was used on the Aircooled grill, so you have to remove when you use the grill on watercooled