Guys,
Let's think a minute here. The engine compartment is filled with air
containing heat. You are pulling that(and fresh air) straight thru the
fan and distributing it around the inside of the shroud at a pretty high
rate.
The sheet metal is going to be mostly the temperature of the air
Original VW engine sheet metal was painted s semigloss black, probably
because it was durable and inexpensive. If the fan and control vanes are
working properly, the cylinder tin ought to never get hot enough to burn
you - at least that's been my experience in Northern Illinois and
southern
We discussed thing a long time ago on the list and I think it was our
beloved Bob Hoover that did tests with chrome, paint of different colours,
and then subsequent temperature testing and it was found that satin black
finishes such as from paint kept the coolest temperatures. Flat black paint