IcemanG17

Okay
So Rich gave me his old cooling airflap motor-assembly to install in my 88 to make the flaps function (since mine hasn't had one since I bought it).....I plug in the flap assembly....sure enough it works just like it should......100% open when the car is off.....turn the car on.....0% closed....since the car was fairly cool....less than the 1st white line......I turn on the A/C...& the flaps open to 30%....which I thought was odd...but after reading the shop manual....that is exactly what they are supposed to do! It turns out many factors control the flaps & fan speed.....some interesting stuff I found out:

flaps don't start to open until 79C (174F) @ 30%
100% open at 85C (185f)

Tranny temp affects opening...so does intake air temp......I thought the A/C instantly opened to 100%....turns out its a "map" based on high side pressure....starting at 30% at about 3 bar....doesn't hit 100% until 15 bar (220).....so my 30% opening at idle on a 65 degree day is normal....

Now for the million $$$ ???????

Do I install the motor......or just leave my flaps fixed open????? The pro-con really isn't much....

Pro: Car warms up faster & slightly better aerodynamics when cold
Con: Might fail causing overheating.......

I dunno....what does everyone think? If 13 of 17 model years didn't have them....they can't be that important?

the flyin' scotsman

I removed the entire assembly per the Tony Harken thread.

Don't believe there's much of any diff. on warm up or aerodynamics.........she still flies.

fabric

Didn't you just tell me not to fix mine?

IcemanG17

Yes I am a hypocrite........

BUT I didn't have the motor to fix mine (then) and didn't know if the electrical system even worked (it does)....... I'm still debating this.....outside of being able to say "everything works, even the flaps!" I can't see why I would bother with it.....IMNSHO.....it has to make my car run hotter, no way around it.......& I don't want that.....I only have seen one instance where it might have helped, at SATL 05 when it was really cold....during the drive the temp dropped below the 1st white line......but the fans would shut down then too......it can't be that big of a deal? I'm more worried about too hot than too cold!! :>)

the flyin' scotsman

Brian...........whats the condition of your thermostat/coolant?

My car runs at the same temp before and after the flaps and its a lot cooler up here.

IcemanG17

Malcolm
The thermostat is a 75C and the coolant is dexcool about 30% distilled water 70%...& is just under three years 10Kmiles old...it does have a bottle of water wetter too.....it never runs hot......highest I have ever seen is 2nd white line driving uphill with the A/C in 95 degree heat.....typically its around the 1st white line.....

fabric

Just giving you a hard time. I like to have all the stuff on my car work. I'm pretty close, just need the cruise and the flaps, but I'm not optimistic about the flaps. And you can then be in the very rare company of the Murcielago in having adjustable air cooling intake.

the flyin' scotsman

Cool running car.

I parked the flaps in my parts box; an '80's design that over complicated matters IMHO.