My grille block
[img]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i208/markweatherill/rasheen/mygrilleblock.jpg[/img]
![http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i208/markweatherill/rasheen/mygrilleblock.jpg[/img]](http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i208/markweatherill/rasheen/mygrilleblock.jpg%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
Here's my partial grille block; on a car with a slatted grille like this I found you can squash lengths of plastic pipe of the right diameter into the openings. I backed the openings with foil tape to help the pieces stay in place.
I'm sure it will help only a tiny bit, what with the front being so bluff anyway. But it's cost free to try. Before this, I had taped over the back of the openings, but I felt filling them in was better.
Groups:
Comments
Re: My grille block
The EPA tested a blocked and unblocked 18 wheeler grille and no changes were noted.
I'll try to find the PDF file.
Re: My grille block
Tonight on my way home from work it was 1°F. With it being this cold, my heater was barely able to keep up. I was watching the Scangauge's IAT reading follow the outside temperature and slightly warm up when I slowed down. Seeing this, I figured it wouldn't hurt to block the grille to get a little less of that frigid air inside the engine compartment. I did something somewhat similar to the one in the original post only I used duct-tape. 8) Not necessarily for aerodynamics, but for engine heat.
[url=http://img51.imageshack.us/i/pre20091210014932.jpg/][img]http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8903/pre20091210014932.th.jpg[/img][/url]
After doing this, the IAT went from 1°F to almost 30°F and I finally had some heat in the cab. :)
Re: My grille block
[quote="4FreeMPG"]The EPA tested a blocked and unblocked 18 wheeler grille.[/quote]
You believe the EPA?
Re: My grille block
1F that is t-shirt weather!!! :mrgreen:
This week end we are going down to -40F with the wind. A chilly -29C for a high... Winter is here, and so is winter gas mileage.
Re: My grille block
I've been trying to combat cold-weather effects on mileage with engine heat; my grille block raises the IAT but the fuel is still cold. A two-stage fuel heater will hopefully eliminate that problem. However, the heavy gear lube in the front and rear axles will still be cold and thick (4wd)...
Re: My grille block
I am really interested in your results. I have been keen to warm the fuel as well. My mileage is down about 5mpg with the winter weather.
A little off topic, What are you using?
Re: My grille block
[quote="ssheen"]I am really interested in your results. I have been keen to warm the fuel as well. My mileage is down about 5mpg with the winter weather.
A little off topic, What are you using?[/quote]
You mean what am I using as a fuel heat exchanger? I made a couple using hardware from the Home Depot down the street. I am running the fuel through them in series and the engine coolant through the water jackets in parallel (otherwise two of them is too restrictive and I lose cabin heat).
[url=http://img30.imageshack.us/i/pieceshe.jpg/][img]http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9836/pieceshe.th.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://img30.imageshack.us/i/finishedhe.jpg/][img]http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2633/finishedhe.th.jpg[/img][/url]