Air cooled engine question:

[llamas1]

I have a 71 bus, because the engine is air cooled, how much does the ambient temperture
affect the performance of the engine? Does this engine run better in cooler weather?

I live in Houston, Tx. It was 104 degrees yesterday. How well can you cool off your engine with
air that hot?

Or is the hot air not really a factor as long as the fan, air hoses etc. are all working properly?

[nik]

Cool air is definately a necessity for all air-cooled motors. Hince the "cool" part. But really the hotter the bugger runs, the less performane and life that you will get out of the engine.
With the weather that you live in you may want to think about a deep sump. Will help the cooling a little.
And always make sure tht your seals and hoses are in good working order. Those also effect the cooling.
Every little bit helps especially when you are in that kind of heat.
nik

[NeverHadaBeetle]

It's hard to believe the difference in hot air verses cool air and their effect on things. I have a pilots license and it's unbelievable how much smoother and better a small plane operates in 40 degree weather as opposed to 100 degree weather. Even if both conditions are calm the cooler air is more stable and dense. Can't really explain the dense part, but basically it allows the cooler mass of air to have more oxygen and remain more stable. It definitely helps performance. In additon, about 10 years ago I was pulling a travel trailer with my Jeep Cherokee across Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico in the heat of the day. Engine was running hot and power was fair for about the first 700 miles of my trip. Stopped in Albuqueruqe to get fuel and a bite to eat. While there the sun went down and it got dark. The outside temp must have dropped 25 degrees like it always does in the desert. When I continued my trip, it felt like I was driving a whole new vehicle. Sure the engine was running cooler, but I was amazed how much more power I had. It was just like the difference in a small plane. Needless to say the cooler air keeps your air cooled engine cooler, but it also makes it run better with a more dense air. This is especially noticiable because air cooled busses are a little underpowered. Just a little. Good luck.
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[dvrdwn]

also try a high volume oil pump. synthetic oil is suposed to help too (read vwtrends or hotvw few issues back).
I don't remember if you said the year but if its around70 ,71 you might need longer engine bracket bolts because the high flow pump is 1/4" thicker.

[chabanais]

Cooler air is denser and contains more oxygen. Synthetic oil WILL lower your temps - by up to 20 degrees - and having all your tin work and engine seals in place will really make a huge difference. Having an oil temp gauge will let you know of problems before they get bad. A deep sump will help a tiny bit, and a higher flowing pump will help a little, too. So will keeping the speed down and making sure your engine is perfectly in tune. Not carrying around a lot of weight (boxes, old parts, etc) will help. So will keeping your tires inflated at the right pressure. All little things that can add up to making your engine a little happier.
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