Engine cooling apparatus

An engine cooling apparatus comprising:

• a first cooling water path for circulating cooling water for cooling an engine through the engine;
• a second cooling water path for circulating the cooling water through the engine and a heat exchanger outside the engine;
• a switching valve for switching a flow of the cooling water between the first cooling water path and the second cooling water path;
• switching control means operable, when a temperature of the cooling water is equal to or less than a first setup value, to control the switching valve to switch the flow of the cooling water to the first cooling water path, and, when the temperature of the cooling water is greater than the first setup value, to control the switching valve to switch the flow of the cooling water to the second cooling water path;
• and
• exhaust valve area temperature detection means operable to detect or estimate a temperature of an exhaust valve area around an exhaust valve of the engine,
• wherein the switching control means is operable, when the temperature of the exhaust valve area detected by the exhaust valve area temperature detection means is greater than a given temperature, in a state in which the switching valve is switched to the first cooling water path, to control the switching valve to switch the flow of the cooling water to the second cooling water path.