Grille muff prototype 1, for short drives on cold days.

Burma-Shave · Post by **Burma-Shave** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 11:20 am

For quick warm up on cold mornings..

Outside 42 degrees F yesterday, 15-20 minute journey to work saw me up to a perfect 190 degree sump oil temperature (top of green zone) - without the muff, it never makes it half way across the green zone in the winter. This is with working carb preheaters, and properly adjusted heater boxes.
Funnily enough, the car didnt go into meltdown within 5 minutes, as predicted by the '2-grille badges maximum' 356 registry chaps.

I took it off for the 45 cross country minute thrape to my next patient in Perth, of course.
This is made of padded plastic boarding and cable ties. So, what to make the next one out of..? I fancy some leather..oh yes..

Well you wouldnt want 'Bear Grilles' of a cold morning, would you? (Geddit?)

Dakota · Post by **Dakota** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:02 pm

Hi
why not do the job properly and just cut the fan belt off.

Burma-Shave · Post by **Burma-Shave** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:23 pm

Thanks.

But surely if I am getting a nice quickly-warmed up engine then everyone is happy? The oil is more effective quicker, and all the water and acids get to burn off. I take it off for longer journeys. I have a dipstick temperature gauge so I know exactly what the oil temperature is.

I've had a fan break in an aircooled car before, and that was a different story entirely.

Dakota · Post by **Dakota** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:47 pm

Hi
sorry I was being a trifle negative there , but beware Porsche put a lot of effort into their designs and did quite a few things for a reason and it does look like you have cut off a lot of the intake area, the GB badge is a nice touch, and with the grill closed off you could be drawing heated air up around the engine seal compouding the risk of overheating . The heater flaps when shut force the expelled air into the car via pipework with a much smaller cross section than the area of the flaps when open, this back pressure in the cooling system raises running temparatures slightly speeding up the warm up etc . Air cooled engines run very hot anyway and overheating can occur very quickly and may not be noticed until its too late , and those little engines cost so much to fix. Just take care and maybe a pair of scissors to grill muff mark one, and trim it back a wee bit.
yours Bill.

Burma-Shave · Post by **Burma-Shave** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:07 am

Cheers Bill, thanks. The GB badge was always there, probably should take that off

356's did fine with a single grille for years, though! I think I could get away with occluding two thirds of the twin grille for these little drives..

Burma-Shave · Post by **Burma-Shave** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:55 am

OK, muffless this morning, only managed just into the green zone (170F sump temperature) on arriving at work, including a detour to drop my lad off, about 13 miles.

If 190F is the minimum for water to evaporate from the oil etc., this is no good..(not that I am getting overly and needlessly obsessed with engine temperature, or anything..

)

Whatever, roll on more of these dry winter days!

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:03 am

no I would not do that.. I have the best tip

get up 10 mins early and start the car then go to work nice and warm

I am sure the 12 loves the dence cold air in the winter...

hot66 · Post by **hot66** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:18 am

aircooled engines were designed for the deserts & for the alps .... they don't freeze & shouldn't overheat.

IMHO, with the relative mild climate we live in ( even Scotland) we don't go anywhere near the extremes Dr Porsche designed for.

Do 356's have the thermostat operated flaps in the fan housing like VW's ?

if you want some proper heat in it, get onto the motorway & hit the rev limiter in 4th for 15 miles

fourteener · Post by **fourteener** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:51 pm

As long your head temps were ok, it's got to be better for the engine + oil.
It's easier than designing a variable ratio pulley from crank to fan.
Doesn't the 2CV have winter + summer air grills?

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:32 pm

Doesn't the 2CV have winter + summer air grills?

yeah but that's French, nought said

Burma-Shave · Post by **Burma-Shave** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:15 pm

I resemble that comment, Mark

..this is my 2CV with factory grille blind fitted-which inspired my design for the 356 blind.
Owners handbook says that it should be used to speed up engine warm up, for short journeys under 10 degrees, but always removed for longer distances. The newer 2CVs have a plastic clip on one..the eco-mums who all bought Dollys in the eighties used to leave them on and cook the engines..

2cv is actually a rare piece of brilliant french engineering, especially engine and suspension. No, really! They dont leak oil or break crankshafts/torsion bars either.. (The suspension very cleverly runs longitudinally up and down each side of the car).

BTW its not good to leave horizontally opposed engines idling to warm up, I believe. Not sure why.. the 964 manual specifically advises against it..

fourteener · Post by **fourteener** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:34 pm

Burma-Shave wrote:2cv is actually a rare piece of brilliant french engineering, especially engine and suspension.

Agreed. They are amazing cars. Your's is almost identical to the one I used to have (a B reg too). Only my window catches were broken so they wouldn't stay open

hot66 · Post by **hot66** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:39 pm

Burma-Shave wrote:
BTW its not good to leave horizontally opposed engines idling to warm up, I believe. Not sure why.. the 964 manual specifically advises against it..

that applies to all cars. Best to just jump in and drive gentley until engine is at temp. Unfortunalty I don't practice what I preach & do tend to let the engine stand idling for the 5 mins it takes me to lock up the garage / house etc . It still then takes a while for the gearbox oil to warm through & I never go into the high revs until the oil temp is up & the oil pressure has dropped to its normal operating range eg 4bar @ 4000 revs

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:05 pm

Same here I am on the motor way in under 3 mins from cold out side lane radio one on and heater on full blast