Decklid stand offs for cool running?

Summer is on the way in texas, and the oil is going to boil in my ride. I'm thinking if I can slightly prop open my decklid like a scoop it should help with the cooling. Also, since cool air equals hp. I figure the carbs will breath better as well.

I'm not concerned about how it looks. I'm more concerned about performance.

Has anyone tried this? Where can I get the hinges or shims to do this? I'm looking at where the lid attaches to the hinges and I'm thinking a spacer between the two should do the trick.

Anybody out there with experience in this area?

thanks.

Yeah my mechanic when he was putting my motor back in lifted the lid a little to help with air flow. He said that this would help alot. I am up just a touch to break the seal. You know what would be 'BOSS'? A little lifter that will lift the lid hydraulically like a reverse 911 spoiler!! COOL

:)

Paul, I was born and raised in Texas... read the Knowledge section article I posted on cooling and make sure that everything is up to snuff first. Propping up your deck lid ain't gonna help if you have other cooling issues that need to be dealt with.

The smaller diameter Porsche 356/912 fan pulley may help. Also consider using synthetic engine oil as it functions better at high temperatures.

George:

Someone in another post stated that he saw a 10 degree decrease by running higher viscosity oil (like 50 wt.).

I have no experience (yet) checking running temp vs. oil viscosity, but was wondering if you have (or anyone else).

It's probably a good idea to run thicker oil in the Summer anyway, but this would be an added benefit for air-coolers it that's so.

gn

I will use the synthetic oil. Any recommendations on brand to use?

I don't really have any cooling problems. I want to allow the engine to be all it can be. I figure a cool air scoop would help boost the hp a little. That's why the import guys are buying the intakes that are routed out of the hot engine area.

I like the auto tilt idea for the lid like a wing on a 911. Perhaps their is a way to rig up a manual tilt lever? Some what like the old opel GT headlights. I remember a friend of mine had one. You just pulled this hand brake looking lever toward you and the headlights rolled over and presto you have headlights.

I guess with the speedster it would just be a handle that moved for and aft causing the decklid to raise or lower. Hmmmm, interesting idea.

thanks guys.

Synthetic oils are very good - for both lubrication and for finding every nook and cranny to leak from. Just be ready, it can get very messy.

p.s. If you really don't care what it looks like, the cheap solution is to just remove the deck lid. Alternately, pay money and add extra louvers (I did it for looks, does it cool better? I don't know). Angling the whole deck lid on the hinges looks easy, but you might really need a long thin wedge at each hinge. Or a series of washers spaced between hinge and deck lid. The latch end would probably take a small change in angle without complaint. Be wary, wind force can do interesting (embarassing, expensive) things on a large, almost flat fiberglass panel.

I had a 1970 Opel GT too. Just don't crank back to hard on that lever or you strip the mechanism and your headlights roll over, or not, at will.

But a great little car that GT. And they used to stuff GM V8's into them with relative ease I was told.

Someone here has pictures posted of ducting he ran into the engine compartment to scoop cooling air from under the car...don't know how that worked? Perhaps he can comment...

David,

How about posting a few pics of your car, sounds interesting. How did you add the louvers?

I have seen a VW bug owner that retrofitted an electic seat accuator to the top portion of the engine cover. When he need the extra cooling he would press the button the lid would open approx 2 inches. It was a very simply setup.

Brain, The lower air intake works. I useds a vaccum cleaner to supply the air flow for testing. I placed an annonometer (wind/airflow velocity measuring device ) at the opposite end. It's SWEET!Plans are slowly in the works for the ram air system. I want my Raby motor to breathe.
Joe

Another easy and reliable way to add cooling to Speedster is to cut out the rear license plate area a bit smaller than the plate size itelf and remount the plate with 3/4" to 1" thick rubber washers. I have seen this done on IM Speedsters.

Paul,
When my new decklid didn't fit I just screwed it in plce with some metal straps and used some allen head bolt gizzmos and 'T nuts' set into the body to hold the bolts in place.

I jacked it up about an 1.25"+/- and used a plastic spacer, I think it was from the cabinet department at the local Ace, bought two different length bolts so in realllly wet weather I could secure the deck tight without the spacer. Not the prettiest install but notably cooler running temps on the type 1 that it is in there now.

I understand Type 4 engines run a bit cooler than the Type 1 so I have elimminated the props and B-B-Q accessory look for now, but time and few hard miles will tell if it is time to start cuttin' proppin' and cooleratin' the engine bay some more when the new engine arrives!
MM

one of my cars (vw corrado) has a speed sensor that raises my rear spoiler at 35 mph and lowers it at 15 mph, it would be cool to do something like that to the engine lid but instead of speed sensitive to be temp sensitive

Bruce - the deck lid louvers came "standard" on my JPS. I think John Steele developed the tooling for my request and I got the first louvered deck lid he made. I believe it is a standard JPS product option now.
Also I forgot to mention, my licence plate is recessed and I removed the top of the recess, including the light, and have a pretty big air hole there now (I use it to trip the deck lid latch, via a short handle). License is lite via illuminated license plate hold down bolts.
I suppose I should also mention that I have three large vertical slots on each side of the license recess, to fill the space between license and the recessed tailights.
Personaly, I never cared much for authenticity, it's cheap street rod that corners really well. And my wife just got one of those digital camera things for Christmas. I suppose in about three years I may learn to use it. Just call me analog.

More for jacked off (!) deck lids:
The book "Porsche 356 and RS Spyders", (Classic Motor books) pg 103 shows a racing speedster with the front edge of the deck lid raised, page 106 shows another with the rear latch area raised, and page 145 shows a Sebring Abarth with enough louvers and scoops in the rear bodywork to make me wonder how it qualified as "bodywork".

It only makes sense! More cool air more power!

what about designing the grill on the decklid to lift up slightly to act as a intake scoop?

Ok, maybe I do care about what the car looks like. I'm not going to take the decklid completely off.....not yet. LOL

One of our members has done the engine cover lift. See "cqperry" in the photo files.
BTW, Where have you been Colton? Haven't heard from you since the winery run.

BD

Ok, I know I'm going to get some flack for this idea, but check it out. It's a super easy install for the hot days. I haven't test driven it yet, but it feels super sturdy. I need to cut the screw part off, but the hook fits perfectly into the latch.

I think it is kind of cool looking. It makes a kind of rear wing on the car. Maybe some of you other "Outlaw" guys will agree?

Have I reinvented the wheel? Someone else has a more finished one?

Careful. You know what used to happen to '59 Chevies when they got up to speed ;-)

Bob

Bob,

Hmmm, know I can't say I do? 59, Chevy's were a little before my time. What speed it up to speed?

Sorry, let's try this again. I'm up a bit earlier then normal.

Bob, I can't say I recall what happened to 59 chevy's once they "got up to speed". 59 Chevy's were a bit before my time. What is your definition of "up to speed"?

paul,
I'm not sure but what you wouldn't be sucking whatever is in the air into the engine compartment as you motor down the highway.
'59 chevys had a tendancy to get really light in the rear at speed.
ed

'59 Chevies had rear fins shaped like eyebrows, and the story was that once they reached a certain speed, the rear-end would start to lift. I don't know how much truth there was to this.

I can't imagine the rear lifting on the speedster seeing how the engine is back there. Plus, I don't think I will drive the car any faster then 70 mph at the most.

As far as sucking stuff into the engine bay? Not, sure about that. I believe I read somewhere that the aerodynamics of the speedster routes air around the trunklid; since the front is wider then the back.

Guys, dunebuggies have the same engines that we have. They have the whole engine hanging out. So, how can having the lid up hurt the engine? I only drive the car on sunny days and can easily pull the lid prop in the event of rain.

I'm curious as to how much cooler the car will run like this. AS well as to see if performance improves with the carbs getting cool air instead of sucking hot engine air.

I use to have a 87 911 with A/c. The condenser coils covered the vent on the decklid. Needless to say the engine cooked during the summer and the intake only got hot air. Only time the car really performed was during the winter. Yeah, the A/C never blew cold either.

More comments and thoughts please.

Heard the rumor about the lift of 59 Cheby rears too. Can't testify to the validity...BUT...GM engineeering had designed in a cunning device to potentially prevent the malady. 'twas called a centrifugal clutch. Crank her all out, hang a big shift and drop into HI or 2 or 3 and the clutch pedal would conveniently stick to the floor. Ask me how I know. Think possibly they needed to redo the math. Can't fly if it won't go, probably resulted in bang up sales of crate motors.

Just for the record, about half the VWs in southern California are driving around without any rear decklid, most bodies are modified into a snub tailed Baja Bug, style machine. They even sell accessories to protect the electrics from rain (yeah, you'l suck in a lot of water from a wet freeway. Sort of like a boat wake in reverse. Don't underestimate the power of a vacuum.
With a radically raised decklid, I'd be more worried about the strength of the fiberglass holding the hinges to the decklid. On my decklid, it's pretty thin back there.
Remember, we don't even know where the air currents are going back there. Somebody needs to tape some yarn back ther and photograph it a speed. Wouldn't it be a pisser if the air was being suck out instead of in the rear grille!
Forget that '59 Chevy crap. Those wings wern't large enough to raise the gas cap. With the aerodynamics of a brick, 3000 pounds of weight and a 348 truck engine it wouldn't go better than 115 MPH (on the speedo anyhow) downhill. 283s were slower.

I guess i will have to try the yarn to the decklid trick just to see the air currents.

My deck lid is pretty solidly secured to the hinges, plus the prop rod itself is holding the lid down as well. I'm not kidding when I say i can try wiggling the lid and it almost shakes the whole car.

I've been feeling under the weather lately so I haven't had time to test my theory.

I'm very eager to try it out.

More input and concerns please.

I thing that something to extend the engine lid 4 to 6 inches would be nice, when driving in hot weather. Something that would just click in, in about 30 seconds, and could be taken out just as fast. A prop, if you will. We just need someone to build one, then make two runs...one with the lid closed and one with the lid open. It would be interesting to see the results, and to see if the motor ran any cooler.
Ron

Paul,
Try a tennis ball on the deck lid spike! But best of all is the air plumbing on the Cal-Look forum, under tech articles. I'd think in Houston you may want both. I'm in DFW.

Jack,

Great idea with the tennis ball. Is their any chance of a upward air current flipping the lid up? I guess while underway all the air is pushing down on the trunk. Hmmmm, interesting. Cheap and easy!

BTW, you sure have one kick ass looking speedy! Love the racing stripe action.

Paul,
You can remove the rubber strip that goes all the way around the inside below the engine lid and replace it with 4 rubber donuts. That will increase the airflow a bit.
ed

saw this car on ebay a long time ago before i bought mine... anybody know who's it is? the scoops were custom moulded ofcourse. Purely awesome, i wish i could work fiberglass like that.

now were talking cool running with those intakes!

NIce looking driveway as well.

wow that's nice, specially on flared speedster, I would not do that to a classic-style one but on a flared would def. do it