Homemade winter front?????
11-04-2010, 07:41 PM
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Homemade winter front?????
I'd like to make a winter front out of some thin rubber sheeting I have laying in my garage. What I want to do is cut a sheet to the size of the grill and zip tie it to the inside of the grill...pretty much blocking off all air flow through the front grill. Air will still be able to get by underneath.
Does anybody see any issues with this? Will it be worth it to do this? The reason I want to do this is cause my commute to work in the AM is only about 15 mins(all highway) and I just want to get the engine to operating temp alittle quicker. Will covering the grill do what I want it to do?
Does anybody see any issues with this? Will it be worth it to do this? The reason I want to do this is cause my commute to work in the AM is only about 15 mins(all highway) and I just want to get the engine to operating temp alittle quicker. Will covering the grill do what I want it to do?
11-04-2010, 09:00 PM
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I have some plastic grill inserts I bought from Dodge when my truck was new, pretty much the same thing. Bill at DTT thought it could become a problem for the trans fluid cooler, if I was pulling heavy, has not been an issue.
It really hasn't helped in warming up my truck much quicker either, at least not with just the truck(no trailer). But I have to believe it has some affect.
It really hasn't helped in warming up my truck much quicker either, at least not with just the truck(no trailer). But I have to believe it has some affect.
11-04-2010, 10:20 PM
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Nothing works better or cheaper than a piece of cardboard between the aircharge cooler and the radiator.
I've used canvas winterfronts that covered the entire front end from the top of the radiator support to the back of the foglights, and while it might have worked slightly better, it wasn't worth the aggravation of attaching and removing.
I've used canvas winterfronts that covered the entire front end from the top of the radiator support to the back of the foglights, and while it might have worked slightly better, it wasn't worth the aggravation of attaching and removing.
11-04-2010, 11:58 PM
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Nothing works better or cheaper than a piece of cardboard between the aircharge cooler and the radiator.
I've used canvas winterfronts that covered the entire front end from the top of the radiator support to the back of the foglights, and while it might have worked slightly better, it wasn't worth the aggravation of attaching and removing.
I've used canvas winterfronts that covered the entire front end from the top of the radiator support to the back of the foglights, and while it might have worked slightly better, it wasn't worth the aggravation of attaching and removing.
11-05-2010, 10:15 AM
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My cheap winter front is left over "pellet" stove plastic bag cut in half, they are thick, don't tear, don't fold up, won't mess up when wet like cardboard, they are the perfect size also, and don't require any trimming.
I cut a diamond shape to allow airflow to clutch.
Slide down in place in front of radiator, so i still have airflow to trans/intercooler.
Water softner bags work well too.
I cut a diamond shape to allow airflow to clutch.
Slide down in place in front of radiator, so i still have airflow to trans/intercooler.
Water softner bags work well too.
11-05-2010, 10:51 AM
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Grab yourself a mudflap that has fallen off of a semi on the side of the highway and rig it up in between the radiator and IC. That should help you warm up quicker and you won't have to worry about it rotting from the roadspray...
11-05-2010, 01:48 PM
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I used some left over glass board from a bathroom project. I cut it to fit each side of the grill and run some stainless steel screws through it into the center molding from behind. Pics explain it better.
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11-05-2010, 02:47 PM
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Thanks for the replies...
knc77, that may work better than the 1/8" rubber sheeting I have, but that is exactly what I'm talking about. How does that work for you? Did you notice any faster warmup? (thanks for the pics)
knc77, that may work better than the 1/8" rubber sheeting I have, but that is exactly what I'm talking about. How does that work for you? Did you notice any faster warmup? (thanks for the pics)
11-05-2010, 02:50 PM
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Since you sparked my mind to go put mine in, here are some picts.
Bought a thin sheet of aluminum from the hardware store for about $10. Bent a squared off J shape in the top.
Hangs with the "J" pointed forward, in front of the radiator... the "J" hangs over the small cooler (tranny?) in front of the radiator...
Hole in the middle is for the fan clutch...
works like a champ...
Bryan
Bought a thin sheet of aluminum from the hardware store for about $10. Bent a squared off J shape in the top.
Hangs with the "J" pointed forward, in front of the radiator... the "J" hangs over the small cooler (tranny?) in front of the radiator...
Hole in the middle is for the fan clutch...
works like a champ...
Bryan
11-05-2010, 04:42 PM
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Faster warmup if you are moving since it is blocking some of the airflow through the radiator. If you are sitting idling, you will want some form of high idle a cold front won't do much for you. Most people recommend pulling away and driving easy until it warms up. Actually warms up faster that way.
When the temp drops near or below 0 F, I plug in the block heater a couple hours in the morning before I have to leave. At the end of the work day it gets started cold, 15-30 seconds of idling (maybe a minute or 2 if it is -20 F) and pull away slow and easy.
