Re: Air cooled Alfas

["Jay Mackro" <jmackro@domain.elided>]

Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided> had written:

>One final comment: the Alfa must have the best-designed cooling system
>in the world.  While crawling under the nose of the Spider, I estimated
>that between the bumper and its support mechanisms, there's about four
>square inches of open space through which outside air can actually get
>to the radiator, yet my car ran comfortably in 105 degree weather last
>summer.  Imagine how well it'd work if it actually got any airflow!


Well, consider the area of your "bat wing" oil pan, and look at how 
well-exposed it is to the airflow that goes beneath your car.  An Alfa
engine, with its huge oil pan and aluminum block, is essentially
air-cooled.  Yea, it needs the water passages to conduct the heat
from the really hot areas, such as the valves and cylinder liners,
to the remainder of the engine.  But, I have to believe that a lot of
the exchange of heat between the engine and the air takes place
from that oil pan.  Which is why on a really cold day, an Alfa
engine won't fully warm up, regardless of the thermostat installed.

Jay Mackro

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