Greetings all

I just took   possession of a  Renesis, which I hope will grace the
back of
my Aerocanard.

Has anybody   considered, (or done) eliminating the thermostat housing and
making a plate with tapped holes for outlets and inlets (for   AN
fittings) to
be  bolted, on the   engine, where the housing once lived?

No thermostat  will  be used.


Rich

Some  people have I  am sure. It is good idea as cowl
flaps to  control the engine  temperature will give you
more miles  per gallon :) That lump  weighs alot as well.

What  tools do you have  available?
A cross cut saw with a  carbide blade  will
do a nice job on 1/2 aluminum  plate.
Then  use a high quality hole saw in a drill  press
to drill some 1  3/8" or 1 1/2" holes in the  plate.
Then have some .065 wall  short Al tubes tig  welded in.

Don't forget the hose barb  on the tubes  as there
is up to 50 pounds of force trying to  pull  the
hose off the barb due to cooling system   pressure.
Hose clamps alone do not cut it.

Perhaps we can talk Jeff into doing one in billet.
It  would  look great. Good idea to have it anodized
to cut  the  corrosion. I'll put an add on the web site
for  it  Jeff.

How many people want wiggins   couplings?
Rough estimate on cost would be $40   each.

Paul Lamar

Paul

I'm  listening and would happy to  help............just need to know what
is needed  exactly.

jeff

The RX8 water pump  housing  is built into the front cover and they
are ten  times more open   than the 2nd and 3rd gen pumps.  This
cuts the pump HP required and  still keeps a high  water flow
velocity in the block to insure good  heat  transfer from
the metal to the coolant.

We  need a  simple adapter to bolt to the side of the front
cover and transition  to two hose barbs which I think
are  1.5 inch OD. Stock car hose.  However I recommend
the  stuff use in truck engines which is blue  silicone.

I  can do a 3D for you in the next couple of  days
with  dims. The flat plate would be 3 inches
wide and  4.5  inches high.

Paul Lamar

Paul

Go ahead and work  something up, I'll take a  look............

jeff


Here is  what  I have in mind. I would make two styles.
Just the  flange for people that  wanted to weld on
90 or 180  degree bends and the full unit with the
hose   barbs.

If you want to do this I will loan you my RX8  front
cover and  you can send it back when you are done  getting
the dimensions and  pictures.

Paul Lamar


Looks beautiful,

Don't  we need a port for heater water??

It might also not be a  bad idea to have another port from the header tank
to prevent  cavitation. (perhaps teed into the upper tube (or am I upside
down?)

Rich

All suggestion  appreciated. Maybe provision for two temp sensors,
one out of  the block and one into the pump as well as
a pressure sensor  port. Also extending it down a couple
of inches to block off  the metering pump area.

I'll redraw it as soon as we get  some more input.

Paul Lamar

Paul

when you put together the design think in terms of  it's ease of
machineability....if this was a  block type  manifold with threaded
nipples from Earl's or whomever, then  it could get together very quick....

trying to sneak long  End Mills between the 2 large nipple with the
surrounding  detent on the end is tough not to mention the large amount
of  material to remove.......just a thought..

jeff


Good point.
Jeff, you are the  final authority.

We would need to straight thread hose  barbs 1.5 inch OD.
I'll see what McMaster  sells.


Paul Lamar


Some folks will want a  cabin heater tap, some won't, and some
people may want the option to have  it later.  Maybe make
all of the plates the same with tapped  holes
(for fitting barbed nipples) for the heater and
commercially  available tapped plugs to block
them off for those who don't want  them.
Commonality and flexibility, a win/win.

Mark.   W

This one is inch and half thick so you  have plenty
of room to drill and tap half a dozen  ports.

--------------------------------------------
Jeff, this is  what I want to add to the top.
A bolt on aluminum filler neck.
I'll buy  one of these and send it to  you.

http://www.allradiator.com/catalog/page281.htm

Paul  Lamar


Good find.

My concern about this type of retentive ribbing is that use of most clamps
would eventually lead to cutting of rubber and leakage. An alteration to
that  design would be to machine all of the ribs, with the exception of the
last one,  off, and round the edge toward the thread that is left. This way,
the retaining  device, be it a hose clamp or whatever, would cause the hose
to be compressed on  a smooth cylinder with the now modified barb, being a
bead, left to resist  departure of the hose under pressure.

Rich

Good idea.

Paul Lamar