new pictures of my eagle 20 front bumper and new radiator scoop

[Greg Roberts]

For those interested I have uploaded some new pictures to my photo bucket website (link below). The new photos are of my new front bumper with new lower air dam and also the radiator scoop that I just fabricated and installed. I also just fabricated and installed a new evap cool system for the radiator as well but no pictures of that yet. Enjoy!  http://photobucket.com/GregRobertsEagle20

[John316]

Looks real good, Greg. Nice work.

God bless,

John

[luvrbus]

Greg, did you install your bumper corners upside down for a reason , the reflectors are supposed to be at the bottom

Good luck

[Greg Roberts]

Good question! I bought the set used from and Eagle 10 and I also had to have the mounting brackets from the 10 as a unit and that was the way they came to me and the only way the brackets and the bumpers would go as well. I did notice the difference at the time I was installing but I figured it would not make too much difference and I did not want to get into trying to flip the brackets around. Also the bumper corners had an extra section of stainless layed in the bottom area that was really rough and not shiny at all (from being on the bottom and getting a little road rash I suppose) so I just went with what the last guy did. You are the very first to notice!

[JohnEd]

Greg,

I have a question about your rad scoop.  To my thinking, you have reduced the area of the rad that draws air to the area of that scoop.  I know there is a pressure factor in your design but I don't think it is offset.  I hope I am wrong!  I look forward to getting a read on how well it performs.  It occurs to me that the time when you need cooling the most you are usually slowed down on a hill.  The scoop efficiency will fall off dramatically with speed reduction.

I know of two methods/designs that increase air flow through the rad.  One is a simple sheet metal lip that is installed at the leading edge of the rad opening.  Something like a piece of angle iron that you would screw in place with the vert edge next to the edge of the opening.  This lip tumbles the air flow and causes it too turn inward towards the rad.

The second is the scoop at the rear edge of the opening.  It is little more than a curved piece of sheet metal that slows the air flow in front of the rad and gives the fan a better chance to pull it in.  Might add a little high pressure zone also.

These are both subtle in appearance but function well.  Cheap and easy to fit.

I hope I am wrong about your configuration, truly I do.  You have done great work with it though.  That is a very pretty bus.

Good luck,

John

[TomC]

Greg- great looking radiator scoop!  BUT- and I don't want to be a kill joy-while that scoop may work well at highway speeds to jam in alot of air into the radiator, it is obvious that the opening of the scoop is quite a bit smaller then the opening of the radiator.  This is a concern when down below 40mph and you're not getting the ram affect from the forward motion of the bus.  Please watch you're radiator temps when going slow-especially when down in second or first pulling that really long hill.  If it doesn't overheat at slow speeds-great-just want you to be aware. Personally-I would have the scoop only covering the rear half of the radiator, so at slow speeds the radiator can still grab clean air unobstructed, but still have the ram affect from the scoop.  Good Luck, TomC

[RJ]

Greg -

You've got a great looking coach - inside and out!

If I may ask - were you having cooling issues before you decided to install this scoop?  Or have you done a repower to a hot rod engine?

I'm going to agree with Tom & John - I think you're going to have MORE cooling issues with your radiator scoop, especially at lower speeds.

Eagles rarely had cooling problems, they're much more like a GMC in that regard vs. an MCI. 

Which is why I'm wondering what your motivation was to install this scoop.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[David Anderson]

Looks great Greg.  Let us know how the scoop works out.

David

[Dreamscape]

The quality of your workmanship is outstanding!

I too will be interested in your findings. Although our 01 has no cooling issues, it would be great to have ideas as a back up if something does go wrong. For us it would be a tool to help someone else down the road.

Thanks for sharing,

Paul

[bevans6]

Racecars have taught me that airflow and pressure is  not always very intuitive.  It will be great to get some before and after temp data on this.  Everyone knows that air flows into the rear windows of buses - so the rear sides are a high pressure area.  If the air there is high pressure, turbulent and fairly  stalled, the scoops probably won't work as well as open grills.  If the air flow is high pressure and laminar,flowing attached to the sides, then the scoops may pull in more air.  Race cars stopped using scoops like that in the sixties, when we discovered NACA ducts and drag...  Many race cars used radiators attached as the sides of the car, just like an open grill is on our buses.


Always like to see what other people are doing!

[Len Silva]

I had a conversation some years ago with a former Eagle engineer.  He told me that Eagle did extensive wind tunnel tests on the bus and that as a result of testing, the rear portion of the bus actually tapers in about one inch on each side.  The design was both for cooling and fuel economy.  I'm not sure you could improve on that without testing.

[jackhartjr]

Greg, I also wondered what everyone else wondered.  Please let us know how it works out.
My question is where did you get the aluminum material?  And at what cost.
All I have seen requires me to sell the first born male child!
Jack

[Van]

Jack,got my perma shine diamond plate here in vegas,Curtis steel,4x8 sheet @ $240.00

[luvrbus]

Greg, if you are have a heating problem I will be glad to send the info to help you test the thermostatic valve ,the switch over valve and fan speed on your hyd system.   

good luck