What to use for Flapper Door??

[beecrazy]

Hello everyone,

I just finished putting an aluminum radiator in my 69 Superbee, I also made an aluminum shroud to house a Taurus fan, but I would like to put some flapper doors on the one side. I also upgraded the alternator to handle the electric fan with DCC fan controller.

I am trying to think of what I could use for rubber material and haven't found anything. Any suggestions?? I thougt maybe an inner tube for a tire, has to be flexible but not too floppy. Even checked out cheep rubber floor mats, mud flaps etc. but nothing to my liking. Thanks in advance.

Don

[debo]

I was thinking of using rubber roofing membrane.

[Tom Welch]

Volvo 850 turbo cars have flappers on the shroud from the factory, try the Volvo dealer or salvage yard. Maybe.

[Rubes]

I'm thinkin kitchen table placemats...maybe you can find something that matches the color of your car...nah, I'm sure you can find black or silver to match the aluminum though.

[ProTouring442]

I used a set of inner fender dust flaps, works like a charm!



Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[beecrazy]

Bill

What vehicle has those inner fender splash shields? Yours looks perfect.

Thanks for the ideas,

Don

[Kenova]

That's one bad ass looking 'Bee. Can we have more details?

Ken

[beecrazy]

Sure,

It is a stock stoke 440 with 10.47 to 1 compression, comp solid cam (.525/.540"), iron head , six pack, A-518 overdrive trans, 4.10 8 3/4 rear, A/C, Viper front calipers on Cordoba rotors, 4 mufflers (Flowmaster 70 series with Dynomax race magnums as resonators).

I have to make it handle yet, but it does go 12.0 in the quarter with slicks, 12.4 on reg tires (child seat still in car). It also cruises down the highway very nicely.

Thanks

Don

[Blaster11]

NICE!!! I like the stock look while still having upgrades. I have a 70 Bee, but just a driver for now.

[ProTouring442]

I think the ones I used were from a '61 chevy Impala. I just cut the material to the sizes I needed.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[beecrazy]

I finally got around to messing with the flappers for my shroud. I found some in splash sheilds that were pretty floppy and I hope work. I put the fan assembly in on Saturday night and so far so good.

The fan runs too much so I am going to remove one jumper on my DC Controller to keep the fan from running while driving. The engine temp is not hot just have too many jumpers intalled so far.

Here are a couple of pics.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Don

[ProTouring442]

Looks nice! Let us know how it works out.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[gearbanger]

Why do you need to do that? I can understand the theory behind it, to allow more air to pass through but still allow the fan to pull vacuum. But I haven't seen a vehicle have cooling problems at speed, only at idle.

[Rubes]

Why do you need to do that? I can understand the theory behind it, to allow more air to pass through but still allow the fan to pull vacuum. But I haven't seen a vehicle have cooling problems at speed, only at idle.

The flappers are what makes it work at both high speed and slow speed. If they werent there (completely closed shroud) the fan would most likley look like a wall (or at least aresriction)to the large vloume of air comming thru the radiator so it would get hot at highway speed. If they were completley opened, then at idle the fan would be pulling air thru the holes rather than thru the radiator. So the flappers open at high speed to let the air flow thru the radiator, then close at slow speed to let the fan pull the air thru the radiator. I believe the cars that have cooling issues at idle are the ones without a shroud so the fan is useless, thats why the are fine at speed.

[beecrazy]

Maybe the flappers are over kill, but Spal and OEM are using them, and unless someone hear can gaurentee that my home brew shroud will not block too much air flow at cruising speed, I thought what a better time to do it then before I have alreading installed it. Sometimes I have a tendency to overthink things and figured it couldn't hurt to have them.

So far so good, I haven't had a chance to sit in a traffic jam with it yet but the radiator and Taurus fan seem to be cooling it just wonderfully.

Don

[GetMore]

The flapper material doesn't need to be too strong. All it needs to do is not get pulled back into the holes. The idea is to keep the fan from pulling air from the engine compartment into the shroud.