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DTM Cooling Systems

DTM Cooling Systems

Type 4 Store DTM VW Cooling Systems for Upright VW Type 4 Engine Conversions and VW Type 1 Engines

Jake Raby's Massive Type 4 Upright Conversion DTM VW Cooling System Logo
What does “DTM” stand for? DOWN THE MIDDLE! Just the logo above illustrates. It’s the only upright VW cooling system available for the VW/ Porsche Type 4 and VW Type 1 aircooled engines that effectively and efficiently routes cooling air to the cylinders that need it most! This is something that no other vw cooling system available presently incorporates!

A cooler running engine will produce more horsepower, something Jake Raby's Aircooled Technology's has proven time and time again on their engine dyno. When utilizing Jake Raby's DTM VW cooling system, cooler cylinders and heads improve engine efficiency (more horsepower), increase engine longevity, and even improve fuel economy!

History of the DTM Upright Conversion VW Cooling System for the Type 4 Engine


The DTM VW cooling system is not something “new”.  The DTM has a rich history and was an original design from a true innovator. In the paragraphs below we will share a story on the history of the DTM vw cooling system. This page is dedicated to the remembrance of the originator of the DTM, The late Joe Locicero. This man will never be forgotten in the minds of VW Type 4 enthusiasts worldwide.

It is a common dream for the average VW enthusiast to have their engine be more reliable, make more power, have increased durability and longevity, and better fuel economy all while allowing for higher speeds on the highway to keep up with modern cars.

Circa 1988, 40 year VW veteran Joe Locicero started his quest to make this more than a dream, he had an idea to make it a reality. For years the European VW enthusiast had been retrofitting the later model VW Type IV engine to all types of VWs. The engine was bigger from the factory with many revisions that made it much stronger than a Type 1 that needed many modifications to make better power, all of which sacrificed longevity and reliability. The Type 4 better suited the higher speeds that European enthusiast could enjoy on the motorways and Autobahn.

The perfect VW cooling system for a VW Type 4 conversion would be simple, just like the VW, attractive, and keep the original appearance of an upright VW aircooled engine, without having to cut the engine bay. And most importantly, this VW cooling system would need to keep the VW Type 4 engine cool!

Original DTM Upright Conversion VW Cooling System Drawings

This is when Joe decided to create his own VW cooling system based on common sense and old fashioned engineering. His VW cooling system was named the “DTM”, short for “Down The Middle”, and was designed to allow the installation of the “Type IV” engine into a beetle and all other Type 1 vehicles WITH NO CUTTING OF THE ENGINE BAY. It was titled “DTM” due to its construction of evenly and effectively distributing cooling air to all 4 cylinders. Joe even made a Type I style DTM, made to fit the Type I VW engine, that you will read about later in this article.

Joe was retired and needed a way to supplement his income, so he started manufacturing the cooling systems. Joe used manual machines and handcrafted the entire cooling kit himself. It was common to receive a shroud kit and find written in the bottom of the oil cooler housing “Hand Crafted For_________” in a permanent marker.

Oregon Perfomance Products Joe Locicero DTM VW Cooling System

I first became acquainted with Joe in the mid 1990s, soon after his shroud had debuted in Hot VWs magazine. Almost from the very beginning I could tell that Joe was an incredible innovator that liked doing things the old fashioned way, and I liked that. He constantly amazed me with his knowledge of the aircooled engine, it seemed like he knew an answer for everything. The first time I called him, our conversation was almost 3 hours in duration, and it blew me away that he would spend that amount of time with someone that he had never talked to before.

I purchased my first DTM VW cooling system from him, installed it, and was amazed! The kit installed so easily and Joe hand labeled many of the parts for orientation onto the engine correctly. Joe’s attention to detail was fascinating. In the months following the first shroud purchase Joe and I became buddies, and when I got myself into a mechanical quandary I would call on him first for help. Little did I know then that Joe would be the man who would inspire me to create a business devoted to the aircooled VW engine, that would lead to the innovation of the “MassIVe Type IV”. I already owned my shop and was doing well, but still primarily worked on VWs, TI engines and 914s, but Joe convinced me that the TIV revolution was just around the corner, so I listened!

In late June 2002 the production of the “DTM” shroud suffered a serious shock when Joe was diagnosed with lung cancer. July 1, 2002, after a 51 year love affair with the VW and its engine, Joe passed away, leaving the TIV engine conversion community suffering from this huge loss. I lost a good friend, a man that had become my idol, and an inspiration.

My company had purchased more DTM VW cooling shrouds than anyone else since the shroud had been in production. We had proven that Joe's design fit, worked, and cooled better than any other upright VW cooling system available on the market. I built engines that others said could not be cooled without a 911 system. I outfitted these engines with a DTM and they ran cool. Later I would go on to find that the DTM cooled better than most of the upright conversion VW cooling systems utilizing a Porsche 911 cooling fan!

With my persistence as well as a few other enthusiasts having a desire for the kit, Joe’s son Vince agreed to make the DTM VW cooling shroud a reality again. After a short time, Vince lost his drive to continue the shroud production and the DTM died. At this time I made an effort to purchase the company, and make the shrouds myself. Vince refused my offer. At this time I was forced to make a big decision as to what should be done to be able to continue the Type IV conversion revolution. I had never been into manufacturing or parts sales and to this point had only offered complete “Turnkey” engines. That was my specialty and where my reputation was centered.

I started seeing what it would take to basically manufacture a copy of the DTM shroud and create my own kit upright conversion VW cooling system. I did not feel bad about copying the design as Joe was going to sale his business to me before he passed away, but never got the chance. There was no one to continue making the best cooling system available, so I decided to do it myself, and in mid January 2003 I released my intent to the public and started the quest to bring back the DTM VW cooling system.

I had never previously worked with fiberglass components, so that was to be my first challenge. A few years before I was attending a car show and met David Wiley. David worked for a company that was the leader in fiberglass hoods, fenders and etc for aircooled VWs. Little did I know then that he would be THE “Master Fiberglass Technician” that would make us a mold from the very first DTM VW cooling shroud that Joe ever produced. Joe had given me this shroud only days before his death as a gift. It was the first and original DTM Joe had made! It was awesome! Better still, I still have it!

Having used so many of Joe's DTM VW cooling systems, literally hundreds of them, Brent (who has worked for me since the early days as one of master engine builders) and I had found some small issues with it. David was more than willing to address the issues with our new version of the vw cooling shroud. David addressed some structural concerns and made a recommendation that the shrouds be made with a higher temp resin and with fiberglass cloth, instead of the “Chopper gun” method that is normally used for watercraft.

Then something happened. The same week that David finished our first new shroud the molds and fixtures from Joe’s original DTM, the business went up for sale on Ebay. Included with this sale was the DTM TIV VW cooling shroud, Joe’s prototype 911 style VW cooling shroud (that he never got to finish), and a mold for a Type I DTM vw cooling shroud. The auction ended without the reserve being met. David and I spoke about the molds and he told me that he could easily rebuild Joe's original mold. With the molds, we could produce more DTM upright conversion VW cooling shrouds. I wanted Joe’s old fixtures for machining the associated castings and as well as the rights to the name DTM. So, since the family was not open to an offer from me, I had a good friend of mine purchase the molds and rights to the name, but not Joe's business, Oregon Performance. The goods were packed up by Joe’s family and sent to my good friend, who then delivered it all and transferred ownership to me. Ironically, the DTM molds were purchased on July 1, 2003, one year to the day that Joe had passed away. The DTM was reborn, restoring Joe's legacy.

I plan to always give Joe all the respect he deserves for creating the DTM VW cooling system and to never try and claim the system as my own invention.

Thank you for reading about the history of the DTM VW cooling system. I hope this gives you a better understanding of what the system is, and how it came about.

Jake Raby, Aircooled Technology

Jake Raby rebuilt Type 4 Engine with Upright Conversion DTM VW Cooling System

Aircooled Technology specializes in bringing back to life all 4 cylinder Porsches and Volkswagens from Type 1 VW conversions to 4 Cam Carreras to 356 and 912 engines and even the 911 six cylinder through the 993 series.

LN Engineering took over operations of the Type 4 Store from Aircooled Technology, and subsequently, the DTM. The Type 4 Store provides DTM cooling systems and engine components to Aircooled Technology for all their builds.

 

Technical Specifications


Don’t worry… If you vehicle currently has a VW Type I upright engine, our shroud and a TIV engine will fit! NO cutting of the vehicle and no machining of the engine case!

The “bulletproof engine” that was developed to push a Porsche 914 at 100MPH+ or a 5,000 pound Bus at 75MPH all day long and do that for 100,000 miles can now be installed in your car easier than ever! Have 100 STOCK Horsepower and room to expand RELIABLY!

The following are technical specifications and dimensions for The MassIVe DTM shroud kit:

Offset Shroud: Shroud is set back on left side to permit air to blow directly between #3 & #4 cylinders. This is the main difference between the MassIVe DTM shroud and any other cooling system currently available. Not even the Porsche 911 systems have a means of directional airflow incorporated into their structure,

Air Distribution: Shroud is internally partitioned to distribute 40% to each cylinder bank and 17% to the oil cooler housing. This is more airflow than the stock TIV cooling system was able to deliver to the oil cooler.

Interior Control: Right bank; direct to cylinders. Left bank; internal shroud form, two air guides and air deflector reverses air flow to # 3 & #4 cylinders. The design of the shroud keeps all airflow on the left side of the engine evenly distributed with minimal stagnation.

Oil Cooling: Continuous oil cooling during engine operation. Engine speed determines quantity of cooling (same as a stock TIV engine). System uses your stock V.W. Type IV oil cooler.(not included with the basic kit) This system eliminates remote coolers which are subjected to insulating dirt and road damage. External coolers can be added for additional cooling on larger displacement, engines or in areas where climates are severely hot.

Air Sealing Tin: Optional kit for Type I, Type II, Replicar and 356/912 Porsche Installations. Seals road air from engine for proper cooling. Sheet aluminum or fiberglass, construction. Sheet Aluminum is “water-jet” cut and is sold separately. (requires slight hand trimming in most applications)


Complete Engine Length: 16.5″/419mm
Engine Weight: 230 Lbs./105kg.(just 27 pounds more than a TI)
Crank Center to Air Hose: 17.5″/445mm
Kit Weight: 20lbs/9kg.
Shroud Material: Hand Laid Fiberglass
Finish: Black Gel Coat
Castings: 356 Aluminum
Max Cyl. Shim Size: 250″/6.5 mm Per Side (1/4″)
Air Fans: 1971-Type I (doghouse style)
Oil cooler: Stock TIV oil cooler or external cooler
Carburetion: Must use dual carburetors, or create a custom manifold arrangement.
Transaxle: With correct flywheels and sealing arrangements this will bolt to any VW Type I, Type II or Porsche 901/915/923 gearbox. (also the Porsche 356 and 912 gearboxes)

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