Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hiya All,

I recently decided to change my singleport engine's cooling system over to a doghouse set-up. So some of the parts I'm dealing with are new to me.

I'm sure that you'll recognize this...........



as the bracket that connects the doghouse cooling flaps to the connecting rod. The problem is that I have only one. When I went to a local VW boneyard-type operation, the guy behind the counter tells me that he'd be glad to sell me one. But he has to know which side bracket I need because the left-side bracket is not the same size as the right-side bracket. One of 'em is supposed to a half inch longer than the other.

News to me! So I went home to determine which side I had. The problem was that the bracket above operated each side equally well. Completely closed to completely open on each set of flaps. I'm thinking that the guy must be nuts.

But wait! Why would he turn down a cash in hand sale? I sure dunno, that's at least a certainty. So, I'm asking you out there in Sambaland..........Are the two brackets in a doghouse cooling system the same or different?
_________________

As far as I know there is only one, a bus boy's diagram shows only one.

http://www.bus-boys.com/aircoolsystem71.html

Hiya Terry,

Well, that could certainly be read as the implication of a diagram with only the one bracket.

However if you scan down to look at the part description, BusBoys is calling AA the "connector piece for the left thermostat flap". And, of course, the implication there is that the bracket for the right thermostat flap is different.

So we seem to be right back where we started. And I still need to know if these brackets are different for each side.........or the same.

Bookwus wrote:Hiya Terry,

Well, that could certainly be read as the implication of a diagram with only the one bracket.

However if you scan down to look at the part description, BusBoys is calling AA the "connector piece for the left thermostat flap". And, of course, the implication there is that the bracket for the right thermostat flap is different.

So we seem to be right back where we started. And I still need to know if these brackets are different for each side.........or the same.

IIRC, I have seen different size brackets. Yes, they do close equally, so you say, what's the deal? The deal is how far open do the flaps go? The outer flaps, when open, IIRC should be past straight up and down and actually throwing the air towards the heads. Or sumpin. . .
Colin

Hiya Colin,

Well, notice that I said in my original post that the sole bracket that I now have completely closed and completely opened both sides. I mocked up the flapsets in a doghouse fanshroud and did a little connecting rod moving around.

I'm going to do a little measuring to check things over, 'cause I still dunno what's going on here for sure.

I think they were the same on mine.

Hiya Bob,

Yep, I think they were the same on my rebuild too. But all I did was to grab one off the bench and place it one set of flaps.............then same with the other. I sure didn't notice that one was longer than the other.

On another forum it was suggested that this guy only "thinks" one bracket is bigger than the other because the left set of flaps is a tad longer than the right set. I'm gonna do some measuring a little later this morning.

I compared the length before I threw em' in a jar, they looked the same. Maybe it's not right but my engine isn't running hot.

Hiya Bob,

hambone wrote:I compared the length before I threw em' in a jar, they looked the same..

That's good to know. Looking more and more like they are the same.

Hiya All,

So.......I went out and did some measuring. This is what turned up:

Length between flap arms (center to center)
Right Flapset 81 mm Left Flapset 81 mm

Throw of flap arms (center to center)
Right Flapset 18 mm Left Flapset 18 mm

Lerngth of flapset body

Right Flapset 114 mm Left Flapset 132 mm

Inasmuch as the distance between the flap arms and their throws are identical I'm saying the brackets are almost certainly the same. Moreover, take a look at this comparative picture.........



Both flapset have flaps closed in this picture. Notice how the arms correspond in position on each flapset?

Next I took my one and only bracket and fitted it to each flapset in both closed and open positions. The results..........
Right Flapset:




Left Flapset:




As you can tell in these pictures the flaps on both sides seem to work equally well, open or closed, when using the same bracket on each side.

If anyone has any other comments about the fit, perhaps something I have overlooked, please do let me know. Otherwise, I'm declaring this myth busted.

1. You are crazy
2. you are crazy
3. you could eat off those parts. Mine aren't quite so purty
4. I figger'd as much
5. but at least you know now FOR SURE
6. tribute to Repairman!

Bookwus wrote:
So, I'm asking you out there in Sambaland..........

WELL, I nevah!

Hiya Gypsy,

Ya'see that's what happens when I copy the post and transplant it without doing any proofreading. Smooth move on my part.

And it's looking like I will not be at the Lab tonight, so we need to be thinking about how to get those parts to you.

Bookwus wrote:If anyone has any other comments about the fit, perhaps something I have overlooked, please do let me know. Otherwise, I'm declaring this myth busted.

Myth busted. However, there appears to be some sloppiness in the closing of the right flaps. Is there any bendability between the stationary and moveable flap to bring them more closed? I ask this, because i wonder if that would help determine the correct angle of the air flow out of the fan housing, i.e. if stationary piece had to be closer to its flap, would that make the air come out more vertically as the factory hypotheticaly wanted? OR does the moveable flap bend closer to the stationary flap thus making the airflow direct more towards the heads as the factory hypothetically wanted? My off the cuff guess would be if there is anything to adjust here, that it biases towards the heads YMMV.
Colin

Hiya Colin,

Amskeptic wrote:......there appears to be some sloppiness in the closing of the right flaps. Is there any bendability between the stationary and moveable flap to bring them more closed? I ask this, because i wonder if that would help determine the correct angle of the air flow out of the fan housing, i.e. if stationary piece had to be closer to its flap, would that make the air come out more vertically as the factory hypotheticaly wanted? OR does the moveable flap bend closer to the stationary flap thus making the airflow direct more towards the heads as the factory hypothetically wanted?.......

I read you loud and clear. For starters I have two or three other right flapsets and I'll check this one against the others for aligning either the center divider or the flap.