PULSE AUTOCYCLE NETWORK

[chengsls]

My 400 cc Yamaha motor is getting too hot too fast! I have read Don Sucha's "ow I cooled my Yamaha 400cc" suggestions, and will walk down that road. It looks like the one suggested key item, the oil filter adapter, is custom manufactured. It is required to install a remote oil radiator. Can I pay anyone to make one for me or is it a part readily availlble somewhere? Scott.

[Steve C. Schmidt]

I have the honda gold wing water cooled engine in Pulse #185 and use a super cool, expensive coolant...... and a synthetic oil and generally my temps are around 185-190 degrees at 35mph and above. My temp sky rockets to 220+ degrees in slow traffic (under 10 MPH).

Dave Ohmstede of Iowa owns Pulse #152 which has the yamaha engine and he has two fans on his engine. He seems to keep cool other than under 10 mph..... warm weather conditions. At the rallys, he keeps up with all those water-cooled engines just fine.

These vehicles are not meant for parades. Although several at the Owosso, MI rally a few years ago participated in a 2 hour parade on a warm day and all survived.

The oil cooler option should improve temps also.

Perhaps we should all have two fans on our engines. I think that will be my next addition.

[RFly2Dive]

For my 2 cents worth...I did the full exhaust wrap on my 1000cc engine and it helped lower my engine bay temps considerably...not too difficult to do...nor is it expensive...and I just did away with the thermostat switch on the radiator...the fan just stays on...I also know another pulse owner that is putting two jet intakes - one on each side below the rudder--where he plans to add a second radiator/fan setup...when it gets done I'll try to get a pic posted...
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Life Begins With A PULSE!!!

[Nelson Locke]

Use sythetic oil. Mount two cooling fans for slow speed use mounted inside the naca ducts. I NEVER overheat.
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Pulsing with excitement,
Nelson A. Locke

[Steve C. Schmidt]

Nelson,

Please tell us the size fan you use and where you purchased.

Thanks

[DON SUCHA]

I had an oil cooler adapter made to the specs which I am posting on
www.clarksonmotor.com/gallery/pulse To see the oil cooler adapter blueprints go to the pulse modifications gallery, page 3, Document 10, 11, 13 and 14. My friend Russ, a former tool and die instructor drew up the blueprints and a tech school student made the adapter as a class project. A machine shop could manufacture one for you out of aluminum using these blueprints. Since the adapter goes where the oil filter used to be I mounted a remote automotive oil filter on the frame beside the engine. I mounted a thermostacially controlled 7" fan on the oil cooler and 2 8" thermostatically plus manually controlled fans for cylinder cooling. Pictures of the fans and oil cooler are in the pulse modifications gallery.
Using this setup the Pulse can be driven in a parade on a 95 degree day all day long or untill the clutch wears out and there is no overheating. The overheating problem is completely solved at all speeds and all types of driving as far as I am concerned. The only drawback is that when all 3 fans are on and the lights are also on the electrical charging system just barely keeps up. Since I don't drive the pulse more than an hour or so at night I haven't had any problem with that anyway. DON SUCHA

[Nelson Locke]

Steve,

They came from West Marine and are about 3" blade size, in a tube, considered high capacity marine blowers. Work great in the ducts - youpoint them at the cylinder heads and flip them on and off from a dash switch as needed.
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Pulsing with excitement,
Nelson A. Locke

[chengsls]

Would anyone else want an oil cooler adapter made? If so, I can order several made from Don blueprints and maybe get the price down a bit.

Don- A couple of quick questions. Your lower scoop I assume was made from sheetmetal, but does it direct air to the fans? Or are the fans supplied by air from only the left NACA duct? It looks like you removed the original fans. Are your fans wired into the same circuit (i.e. using the dash fan swith)? The left NACA duct looks like was cut short to provide air for the fans. I have wrapped my exhaust pipes also, but on your pictures you have used some of the wrap and attached it to your ductwork. Is this ductwork made from sheetmetal? There was an old reference to using a Ford Part- some sort of truck fender that could be cut and shaped for ductwork. Is that what you used? Great inginuity and awesome quality of work!

[DON SUCHA]

Scott: The lower air scoop is made of fiberglass and attached to the original mounting holes. The cylinder cooling fans are supplied air from the left NACA air inlet and the lower air scoop. The original inefficient fans and tin deflectors were removed but I did not modify the NACA inlets. I made new ducts to route the air from the left NACA inlet and the lower scoop to the front of the cylinder fans. The ducting gives a ram air effect. The oil cooler air is routed from the right NACA inlet. The cylinder fans and the oil cooler fan are powered by relays fused directly to the battery. The oil cooler fan is is controlled by a remote in line 180 degree thermostat. The cylinder fan relay is controlled by an adjustable radiator fan thermostat with a sensing bulb attached to a cylinder fin. The cylinder fan relay is also wired to the original fan switch so the fans can be manually turned on at the start of a parade or after engine shutoff on a hot day to cool the engine. The engine ducts are 22 ga steel and sealed to the engine with exhaust wrap. The fan mounting plate is 18 ga steel. The inlet ducts are made from Ford splash shield material [Ford part# E9TZ9928370B ]. This is a tough, thin, flat heat resistant plastic material that can easily be cut or scored for bends. I will be posting the fan wiring diagram later on www.clarksonmotor.com/gallery/pulse Don