GMC More Cooling Grill

I pulled a heavier trailer this week 1800 miles. I have to say truck runs 15 to 20 degrees cooler under load.
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I'm trying to find the links to some studies that demonstrated that tiny mesh screens impede airflow, not only by the summation of the free hole area, but also by other aerodynamic effects that disturb the flow through the screen.

I understand about the bugs and stones beating up the radiator though. Especially with your kind of miles. You probably kill a lot of em. Between dried wings and stone hits, the forward facing surfaces of your heat exchangers might look like the craters of the Moon, with all those miles.

I'll keep looking for those studies (that motivated me to discontinue the use of screens 16 years ago). It's tough trying to find the balance to achieve optimum cooling, bug/stone protection, avoidance of ice damming, etc. That's why I leave all my grilles stock. I already know the OEM's put a fair amount of thought into finding that balance, and I want to cash in on all the engineering I already paid for when I bought the truck.

Oops I mean page 3 sheeeesh

Im curious how we made it to page 2 with no odometer pic after bigtoe gave us the math it would take to uave these kind of miles.....
:h

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
I hate to say it but I bet if you add up all the surface area of the mesh in the screen you more than likely blocked off the radiator more.

Did the math once on a race car and it was amazing how fast the little screen surface area added up. :E When in practice it got hotter. We ducted it and that ended all of our problems.

I agree in that you should run hotter with that screen short term. Long term without maintenance of cleaning might be a different story.
Sincerely my 5 million mile 2006 Ram :B

I mainly to keep out stones and bugs. Never liked stock grill anything can go through.

I hate to say it but I bet if you add up all the surface area of the mesh in the screen you more than likely blocked off the radiator more.

Did the math once on a race car and it was amazing how fast the little screen surface area added up. :E When in practice it got hotter. We ducted it and that ended all of our problems.

You would probably get better cooling if you ducted the radiator so ALL the air coming thru the grille HAD to go thru the radiator. Just use aluminum sheet to fabricate the ducting. It is what ALL the race cars do!

I don't care much about your grill, but the 500,000 miles on your duramax is sweet!!! Hows she after 500,000 and what have u done to it ??