Radiator Cooling with Grillcraft MX Grilles

Has anyone done any comparisons in how well the truck cools with the Grillcraft MX Grilles vs. the stock grilles? I'm a bit concerned that the mesh will act more or less like a solid blocked off grille at normal highway speeds.

Have any of you that run these grilles noticed the fan running more often than before the install? Did anyone bother to check before and after coolant temps with a ScanGauge or other monitoring device?

With 110+ degree summer temperatures and an additional radiator in the stack for my supercharger I can't really afford to lose cooling ability.

 

Have you looked at 1) putting a fan switch in and 2) replacing your coolant with water wetter to improve your temps now??

Do you tend to run hot now??

 

not only do i have the grillcraft, but i also painted my radiator black, and live in the hot south.
i haven't seen a needle difference or heard the fan act any different.
haven't run any diagnostics or have a supercharger though, so....

 

I'm currently running stock coolant. I do plan on running water wetter when I do a flush next spring though. Currently my WT runs about 193-195 degrees at 65 mph and 106-110 degrees outside.

I'm just afraid that if I cut my grille up and install the Grillcraft I may see 205 degrees or some such. I really don't want to go there.

 

I don't think the stock fan would run any differently, even if the truck was running hot. It's not thermostat driven, it's on a belt with the rest of the accessories, isn't it?

 

Yeah...I don't blame you. The extra super cooler would make me weary too- but I think you'll be ok.

 

Yeah I live in SOCAL where it is about 120+ this time of year and I too have the Grillecraft and have painted behind it black. I do not have the supercharger however I have seen no difference in the temp since the upgrade, I can tell you that the new grille keeps the rocks and flying debris out of your radeator.

 

Ditto here in Socal. No problems. No supercharger though. The mesh isn't so small that it would restrict air.

 

Coolant temp before grillcraft grill on a 70 mile run over mixed highway and limited access backroads was between 184 and 188 on tthe scanguage.

Coolant temp after grillcraft grill on the same 70 mile trip the following weekend was between 184 and 188 on the scanguage.

I too was curious about the effects so I did check it.

For those of you considering this mod and planning to rattle can your radiator.

ONLY USE EASTWOOD RADIATOR PAINT. Anything else does not have the correct heat dissipating properties and could potentially adveresly effect your cooling. One can of the eastwood radiator paint is about $12, So yes it does cost more than a can of krylon, but it is worth it in my oppinion.

 

Thanks for the info. Is Eastwood Radiator paint an easy item to find?

Also, regarding the radiator fan on our trucks. Does it have a clutch that engages and disengages or is it always sucking air?

 

You also don't have to put a lot on. I used just enough to dull the shine off the aluminum.

 

Eastwood radiator paint click here.

The fan in our trucks is a clutch fan (technically) but the fan is always sucking air, it is just that when the clutch is disengaged it is sucking less air as the fan spins at a reduced rate of speed, and then when the thermostat reaches the perscribed temperature the clutch engages and brings the fan back up to full speed again.

Regards