Winter Grille Cover

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Schurkey

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anyone ever use a Winter Grille Cover, not sure how much that might lower transmission fluid temperature.
Around here, they're called "Winter Fronts", and they're a big part of the Truck Customizing business. High profit, low risk, and they can hire a high-school kid to do the actual work of installing the snaps around the grill that the fabric snaps to.


Winter Fronts are substantially LESS efficient than a sheet of cardboard cut-to-fit and placed BEHIND the grille, against the various coolers directly.

In the old days, they'd position the cardboard right on the front of the radiator. In my time, it got put on the A/C condenser. Now, with stand-alone Trans coolers, oil coolers, PS coolers, auxiliary fans...it's getting hard to find enough space for a sheet of cardboard.

Point being, a cover over the grille blocks some wind, and does some good--but there's still plenty of air coming up from below the grille. A sheet of cardboard directly on the heat exchangers is more efficient at blocking airflow. So much so, that you'd need to cut a hole in the cardboard to allow SOME air flow.
 

Caman96

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So I got one on today and was able to do a short test. It was definitely better. Longer test tomorrow.
 

454cid

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A sheet of cardboard directly on the heat exchangers is more efficient at blocking airflow. So much so, that you'd need to cut a hole in the cardboard to allow SOME air flow.

I've put cardboard in between the radiator and condenser before ...stays put with no hassle. Just make sure its tall enough to grab a hold of.
 

dryslk

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I use a Piece of Rubber Back Carpet Tie Wrapped 2 grill .Fyi when you cover your grill you still have 30% air flow on the bottom of the rad where i live it can get down to -25 f with the wind up to -50 sometimes its Colder here than at the NORTH POLE Winterpeg Manisnowba is home
 

1998_K1500_Sub

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Like others, I've used a piece of cardboard situated someplace convenient so I can remove it when spring arrives.
 
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ChrsLytn

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For the record there is no fluid “flow” question. Just wondering if any did any grille block-offs to cover transmission cooler from cold air(as in wind chill on highway). That absolutely happens as while on highway w/ambient temperature even at 30 degrees my transmission temperature not rising above 109. When I’m on backroads it instantly starts rising. I would say that proves cold wind driven air is affecting your the transmission cooler. I’m making a cardboard cover, wrapped entirely in aluminum tape and sprayed with rubberized undercoat to prevent the cardboard from deteriorating in wet conditions. We’ll see how it works, certainly not the first adding a cover.
BTW- Numbers in picture below show gauges on highway. These numbers never changed by adding a duel core radiator!
I've got the Torque Pro app on my
98 k1500. It shows trans. temp. I don't look at it that often but I think it's usually about 10 degrees less than the engine temp. Ain't got a clue where or if a temp sensor is located on a 4l60 trans.
I noticed we've got the same fuel gauges, the needle seems to favor the red zone near the "E".
 

Caman96

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I've got the Torque Pro app on my
98 k1500. It shows trans. temp. I don't look at it that often but I think it's usually about 10 degrees less than the engine temp. Ain't got a clue where or if a temp sensor is located on a 4l60 trans.
I noticed we've got the same fuel gauges, the needle seems to favor the red zone near the "E".
They don’t come with temperature sensors although some, like myself, have installed them. That’s good info on it being on average 10 degrees below engine temperature. If you live in a cold region, check transmission temperature on a really cold day and post!
 

ChrsLytn

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They don’t come with temperature sensors although some, like myself, have installed them. That’s good info on it being on average 10 degrees below engine temperature. If you live in a cold region, check transmission temperature on a really cold day and post!
I'm in GA so I can't do any good on extreme cold. I wonder where it comes up with a trans temp or if it's even a bonafide temp?(Who came up with the word bonafide? Had to be some of them latin dudes I reckon.) We do get in the teens occasionally I'll see what it says if we're fortunate enough to get get some good bug killing temps. That's usually January and February. Late December and January is when the rut gets going in Alabama. I'd love to find somewhere in AL. to hunt when it's cold and they're chasing does. Which has nothing to do with temp of a transmission. So I'm crawling back under my truck.
 

Supercharged111

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Am I the only one whose trucks run thermostat temps in the winter time? On a balls cold day, my trans will struggle to crack 100, but on a ~30 degree day it's fine.
 

Caman96

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Nope, mine runs t-stat temps as well. Supercharged111 how are you getting temps? OBD2 or gauge?
 
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