Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:57:30 -0500
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: DON'T: Remove "flaps" in Arizona?
Let me get this straight, do you think at the High School dropout at BAP is
smarter than a bunch of snivel-lipped German engineers with slide rules and
pocket protectors? I don't THINK so. VW is not stupid, and the cooling
system on your van is perfect, just as designed. You have nearly 25 years
of design improvements on the type 4 motor in your Vanagon. Go back and
dope-slap that BAP chap.
Removing the thermostat/cable/flaps only INCREASES the oil temperature by
40-80++ degrees. The flaps must be present to shove the cooling air though
the comparatively restrictive oil cooler. Without them the air exits
through the heads. So you have cooler heads when you spin a main bearing or
loose a rod. Great.
Twice, I've driven my old 1976 2.0 with five people and all our luggage
75++mph across SoCA, AZ, NM, UT, TX and down into Baja in July/August
without any problems. If you want great cooling, make sure EVERYTHING VW
put on that motor is just the way it was the day it was built. Make sure
ALL the tin is in place, and not bent. Make sure the foam seal around the
engine is making a tight seal(Critical!). Make sure the heat shield under
the cooling fan (above the muffler) is in place, and not decomposed. If you
have all the tin off, use copper Permatex between the pieces on
re-assembly. Make sure your spark-plug boots are in place, and seal
correctly.
If all that still leaves your temps too high, add a HUGE oil cooler behind
your front grill, using 1/2" copper lines going and coming (don't get rid
of the stock cooler, add one).
Finally, as a general rule, VW designers aren't stupid. It is rarely a good
idea to lay their expensive education and expertise in the dumpster in
favor of your own or some other weed-chewing, tree-leaning tool-box toter.
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Corporate Communications Counselors
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
"I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses
herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis
incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor
delicatum!" It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! -Wonka
-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Garrett [SMTP:SGarrett@MI.STATE.AZ.US]
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 11:10 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Remove "flaps" in Arizona?
Upon inspection of my "flaps" in my recently acquired 81 Westy I see that
they are wired and rigged and bent. I was told by a local parts place (BAP)
that everyone in Phoenix just removes them. Then you just let it warm up a
little longer.
Are there any other components that work in combination with the cooling
system that might be severely affected?
Should I do this?
| 
