Front Grille Covers - for winter (1 Viewer)

[chet]

ALLOT of older big rigs had shutters for grilles. My dads macks had them. Not sure how they operated though? Never thought to look closely at them.

Ont e factory roll down how is it held out? Mine has a cable with a small eye loop on it but I can't see anything to attach it to when I roll it out.?

 

[markthemenace]

The older ones needed these block offs to keep the engine nice and toasty. The newer ones, from what I've been reading, do not need this as they have complex temperature monitors and devices to keep the engine at optimum temps. I believe some of them actually have heaters in their fuel tanks too!!

I believe the factory roll down had a little hook at the bottom to hook it on to. I've not seen a factory one before, but this is what I gathered from reading around here.

In my case, it is much faster (not to mention cheaper) for me to just throw it together on my Mac and then ask my printer to print one for me. I think it took me all of 1hour of fussing around to get the look I wanted.

 

[canucksafari]

Mark, if you want to make some money on the side, I bet there are MUDDERS who would pay you for them.

 

[markthemenace]

Mark, if you want to make some money on the side, I bet there are MUDDERS who would pay you for them.

Hmmm, never thought of that! Interesting point. Let me work out some numbers and present to the forum. Sure why not, if anyone's interested, feel free to PM me.

 

[gerg]

Umm my Father is a long haul truck driver. He and most of the guys he runs with use rad covers in winter. Hes got a 09 Cat in his Kenworth. He says in winter his truck runs like crap if it doesn't get hot enough.

 

[markthemenace]

OK, throwing it out there for any Mudders who're interested, price for the same thing you see on my rig is $50 plus shipping. Cost for shipping should not be too high as its vinyl that can be rolled up tightly and placed in a padded envelope.

Here's a pix of the actual artwork that will be printed.

Here's a closeup.

The piece attaches on top via 4 zip ties running through eyelets on the piece. Its held up fine so far on mine.

If interested, let me know!

 

[Roberto]

I wanna do something like this

R

 

[djsherif]

I'd be interested.

OK, throwing it out there for any Mudders who're interested, price for the same thing you see on my rig is $50 plus shipping. Cost for shipping should not be too high as its vinyl that can be rolled up tightly and placed in a padded envelope.

Here's a pix of the actual artwork that will be printed.



Here's a closeup.

The piece attaches on top via 4 zip ties running through eyelets on the piece. Its held up fine so far on mine.

If interested, let me know!

 

[djsherif]

CanuckSafari,

Can you elaborate more on these different thermostats?

If it isn't coming up to running temp within 15-20 minutes of driving around town, then perhaps you have the wrong thermostat in there and it is opening too soon. I know for my TD4.2 there are 3 OEM thermostats to chose from depending on the climate you normally operate in. Its a good idea to make sure you have the right thermostat in there. Not only will it help your fuel economy; but, it will also keep your engine running cleaner.

 

[canucksafari]

Manufactures generally have a few thermostats for their engines based on what environment they will be typically working in. For our situation, you will want a thermostat which opens later and allows the engine to heat up quicker to proper operating temperature. Now if you live in Australia where you see 40C days on a regular basis, that is not a concern. A thermostat which opens early is fine because you know that you will soon have the engine at operating temperature. It is important to bring a diesel to operating temp quick as this is the temp where you get the best combustion - hence the temp where you get the best fuel economy and engine performance (torque and power).

I suggest you call or email one of the MUD Canadian Land Cruiser vendors and ask them what thermostats they have available and which one they recommend for your environment. Most dealership here don't have a clue about diesel Land Cruisers.

 

[djsherif]

Thanks I'll do that

 

[peteinjp]

What I don't understand is why the thermostat doesn't close if the engine temps are to low? To me it seems that this would negate the need for the shutter. I always thought he shutter was for keeping the coolant in the radiator from freezing in the case that the thermostat is mostly closed.

Pete

 

[SuperHatch]

I think the issue is that the thermostat is not a instant Zero Flow to Full Flow when it hits it's operating temperature. It should be fully open at the set point, but it might be partially open at temperatures below the set point. When the environment is so cold, even the small amount of flow passing through the radiator at partially open conditions is enough to keep the engine too cool.

 

[markthemenace]

What I don't understand is why the thermostat doesn't close if the engine temps are to low? To me it seems that this would negate the need for the shutter. I always thought he shutter was for keeping the coolant in the radiator from freezing in the case that the thermostat is mostly closed.

Pete

Diesel engines generate very little heat compared to petrol engines. The blocker you see on big rigs helps them maintain optimal engine temps. When the engine isn't working particularly hard, like pulling a load or going uphill or even idling, well the engine temps will drop below optimum. The blocker helps alleviate that.

 

[torqueluvr]

I'd be interested. Would it fit a 70 series? I used cardboard this winter, looks awful.

 

[markthemenace]

I'd be interested. Would it fit a 70 series? I used cardboard this winter, looks awful.

They can be custom made to fit just about any size. I'm waiting on measurements and photos for someone with an HDJ81. if you measure your grill and show me a photo of it with the measurements I can then figure what size to trim it as well as where exactly to put in the grommets.