Adding Electic fans to help cooling.

I have been hitting up shops around my area to see what I can do to keep my VS cool in the 100+ heat and I have come up with a couple of options. One guy said he will add a larger fan and heavy duty oil filter.

A hot rod guy I saw came up with this idea. I would like opinions on this. On the lid to engine there are two vents on underside that takes in air from the opening under the chrome grill. We had thought about drilling holes in the black fiberglass underneath but I would have issues in the rain.

He had the idea to add two small electric fans in the vent areas to pull cooler air in. The two fans would be hooked up to a automatic thermostat that would power them up when the area got to hot. The fans would run off the battery.

What do you guys think?

Anyone try that?

Save your money. Do you have an issue you are trying to correct or just want to dabble?

I remember reading a few posts about similar set ups. It's all going to depend on what kind of engine you have. It's my opinion that most of these cars are designed to cool effeciently with the original VW engines. External oil coolers can help but how much cooling are you gonna need? These are air cooled engines and they should perform adequately in most climates. Remember what I said: Do lots of research before you start spending money. Figure out what car you want and then proceed accordingly.

On your seat belts: When I bought my car it had 3 points in it but the shoulder point was mounted where the top bows were supposed to mount. I took those belts out and put in 4 point belts by mounting them through the floor with huge washers on both sides. They aren't the prettiest but they work!

I just had the same issue. I ran an external oil cooler with an electric fan. I added a berg dipstick temp circuit. It kicks on the fan at 180 degrees.

I mounted it under the rear left wheel well.

I just built a 2110 and was running 220 - 230 on the hwy, and would overheat sitting at a stop light. My 1776 ran cool all the time.

After installing the fan, I have not gotten it over 210. But, summer is coming.

Hope this helps
Todd

WM, here is a pic of that idea of a fan under the engine deck lid.
This works great, but I think the external oil cooler with a fan is a much better idea.

Gabe

I saw that set up once in a car in Arizona and it worked fine. The principle is right on; you'll definitely be sucking in fresh cool air from the top. I'm not a huge fan of external oil coolers; more lines and things that can get broken. I retrofitted a Gene Berg idea in my car and it has worked fine so far. Check out this Topic:

https://www.speedsterowners.com/forum/readmsg.asp?t=10913

Look for one of my posts for photos and explanations of what I did.

I am running a 1776 and seems to run okay for now. My neighbor has a 70 something or other VW Super and he says he has overheating problems in the summer. I hoping to do the leg work before the summer season.

I have been considering the 4 points. The fabrication of the small roll bars was about $500. I think I am going to have those installed instead. how much was it put your 4 points in?

As far as the fan idea. Thanks for the picture. Was it not worth the money? I was thinking about doing both but I don't want to waste money.

Thanks everyone.

Hey Wm...
Your story sounds like mine last Spring. I live in the Sacramento Vally where a "cool" Summer day is easily 95*. My car was a '05 VS with a 1915 that started over-heating as the months rolled by. To make the story short, my final solution was to install an external, 96 plate Empi cooler without a fan. I mounted it horizontally in the air stream beneath and just to the rear of the driver's seat. Bingo! No more problem, even on a 110* day on mountain roads. As Winter came along, I simply duct taped over the fins to get it warmed up in the cooler weather.
That cooler now resides above my transaxle because I have added a fan to accomodate a recently installed 2110 motor.
BTW... This was the best $$$$ I spent last year. At least I was able to DRIVE the car without having a nervous break-down, worrying about frying the motor.
PS,I'll Email you photos if you like.

I would love some pics. Thanks.

BTW, I am bring the pics of the electric fan with to the next VW shop I go to. So thanks for that one GQ. I am also going to bring the one with the vents, thanks Ricardo.

Just want to re-state the obvious - be very sure your engine tin efectively isolates the bottom of the engine (hot air) from the top of the engine(cool air). I've seen speedsters with a BIG HOLE between the front of the engine and the flywheel area.

Big remote oil coolers with electric fans really work in hot climates. If I did it again, I'd add an oil flow thermostat (oilstat) to my fan thermostat switch. That way you control heating up and staying cool.

How do I know if the engine tin is okay? I am still a noob at this VW thing.

It's like this:

Cool air
fan
engine
hot air

So you just need to eyeball the area around your engine, beside it, behind it and the joints at the corners of the compartment, and make sure there aren't any holes you could put a lollipop through.
That coffee-can sized generator (or alternator) is the top thing your belt touches. If you're looking at the generator from the back of the car, you can't see the fan -- but the shaft in the generator turns the fan on the back side of the big, metal shroud. That fan draws air into the compartment from wherever it can, with the ideal point of entry being the grille in your decklid (rear hood).
It pulls the air into the shroud, and ducts it straight down over the vanes on your cylinders, which hang outside the engine and parallel to the ground. Once the cool air blows by them and picks up their radiant heat, it keeps on truckin' right on out the bottom of the car.
Just don't give it a channel to rise back up into the compartment, and your engine will be happy.

Wm.. get a pocket meat thermometer, 6 or 8 inches long. Drive the car until it's hot, then stop and pull the dipstick out and put the thermometer in it's place. Just be sure it reaches the oil. Should read between 180 and 210 or so. Keep an eye on it for awhile. If it's higher, then some corrections could be needed. If not, you're good to go. Here's a good example of what a good sealed compartment looks like.
http://speedstershop.com/viewtopic.php?t=47

BD

That for the explanation and pics. I have some pretty big holes I have to seal up. Back the achieves for me.

@Ernie... Got your pics thanks. Did you buy it as a kit or piece it together?

For sure W, close off those holes between the "hot" side and the "cool" side.
As for the my old cooler set-up , I assembled the deal with the help of my local bug shop. Here are some pretty nice graphics of Bernie Bergmann's offerings just to give ya an idea of what's out there:
http://www.bergmannvw.net/external_oil_cooler_kits.htm
Way more parts (especially the in-line thermostat) than most of us need, I might add.

I have a 12 volt, 10" electric fan that I was going to use on my car, but because of the TIV and the DMT, it will not fit. 10 bucks and shipping charges to who ever wants it.

...an 8 inch pocket meat thermometer - I can just hear the gears whirring in Vince's head!

Doh!
I just bought one of them things for about a 100 bucks!

Can I use that fan with any kit?

The fan I had, is now sold.