Interesting Type IV cooling

I came across this and thought it would be of interest..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-914-2-0-Liter-Euro-Engine-dune-buggy-VW_W0QQitemZ160028417413QQihZ006QQcategoryZ33615QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pure junk.

I've often wondered if an electric fan would provide sufficient cooling on either a T1 or T4 engine.

I think the simple answer is that the standard fan is engine driven for one reason - it shifts a serious amount of air, and so must sap some engine HP to so so.

The car battery/alternator is capable of generating far smaller amounts of power. A system like this might be suitable for a quick run up the drag strip or similar, but not extended mileage.

I don't know of any aircooled car built which didn't use an engine driven fan. That's the only way to get enough power for cooling. Correct me if I'm wrong

There have been several different vendors/companies that have attempted to use electric fans to cool both type 1 and type 4 engines. I am not aware of any that has offered such a solution for very long, suggesting to me at least the buyers did not like the results. I know a couple of people that have tried electic fans and they were not happy with the results. It does require moving a great deal of air to cool an engine effectively. I doubt that the electric fans can do the job....

One other thought on this. Porsche pushed air cooled engines to the limit with their 911 range. And went water cooled eventually (for understandable reasons)

But they never attempted to cool an air cooled engine with electrical power. That's good enough for me.

Several years ago, and against my advice, a friend purchased the electric fan kit for his VW powered sandrail.

I had to pull his car back to camp after about 1 hour in the sand dunes. Fried engine!!!!!

That just makes me laugh...

And check out that "custom header". Since the type 4 exhaust outlets are NOT vertical, but are angled outboard, I wonder how you install the header? Maybe a pry bar comes with each install?

Ya gotta love the innovation of those fans though - right up there with perpetual motion.

The cooling system in this pic/thread is now at Aircooled Heaven for some analysis...

No more myths.

Did you buy it? Or did the higher bidder send it to you?