Anybody tried a louvred grill block?

[skyking]

Thank you for the link Daox. No need for me to reinvent the wheel should I choose to automate this.
khafra, initially I will manually control the basic settings of the grille. I am converting to a pair of electric fans and a controller on or about the same time. I can hook an indicator light up to show me "fan on" and then make slight adjustments to turn it back off.
I'll use an offset pivot to use the wind to help me close the louvers. This will put the load on opening them.
When I get the servo and louvers working properly I can move towards automation. I won't bother with inlet air temps other than to note and track them. Coolant and underhood temps will be the things I'll look at, and none of that will come from existing sensors. This truck is pre-OBDII and anything I do is custom from the start.

[Piwoslaw]

Weather Spotter has one. Iirc it's not automated yet, but it is push-button operated:
Lower Grill block that can open and close

I also have one, double actuated, different design:

[Diesel_Dave]

Skyking, I like your idea. I've thought a little about doing something like that myself.

I think, ideally, it's much better to use intake temp and underhood temp for control as opposed to boost pressure. I'm not really an electronics expert but I wonder if you could do something like this:
1) Take two theromstats (like a household wall thermostat, not an automotive one). One measuring underhood, one measuring intake temp. Set the thermostats at the "threshold" temp of each (the max allowable temp for each).
2) Have an electric actuator to open & close the shutters (probably could use either a solenoid or a small electric motor)
3) Wire the acuator such that the shutters are normally closed.
4) Supply the actuator power through the thermostat switches in parallel

What this would do is open the shutters when EITHER temp gets too high. Once the temp goes back down, the shutters close again.

Just an idea...

[skyking]

The trouble with inlet temp is it will vary greatly with ambient.
The other thing about inlet air is, the warmer it is the more efficient at low power output. Cooling the inlet air increases performance and fuel consumption.
The coolant, on the other hand has a thermostat on it. The goal is to use the minimum amount of air for a given condition and keep from running the cooling fans. I have a 190 thermostat in there already which works great under load. The old cummins 'stat would cycle terribly, it would get to temp, open too much, cool way down, repeat.
The new one has the temp rock solid when towing.
Driving around empty, the boost is almost non-existent. I really do not need an intercooler at all when driving for good mileage empty. I never exceed 5 PSI if I tenderfoot it. Remember I have a mechanical pump with no electronics whatsoever. It just delivers fuel to the engine according to my foot. Nothing more or less.
So now I have a solid 190 on the gauge, I'll set my cooling fans close at 195. I'll play with that for quite a while.
Then I'll close the louvers with an electromechanical servo. I'll figure out a way to get me a position indicator.
The linkage will have a slot in it, and a simple air cylinder hooked to boost. The electric system will set the standard cooling and is what would get computer automated.
The boost system would get balanced against simple spring forces, possibly a needle valve for rate input. Any time the boost comes in I want intercooling right now. The air cylinder will provide that. When the boost event is over (pulling a hill with trailer, etc) it will let go back to whatever the electric servo is set to.
Who knows, I may have the louvers substantially open when towing anyway? No way to know till I get it installed.

[skyking]

I think I can set the underhood temps with a delta system that compares ambient to underhood, that is when I go to automate it.

[Phantom]

You should be able to use any automotive temp sensor is you can get the print out of the voltage to temp reference, I believe most of the GM ones are linear and that the IAT are the same just with a different housing.

You have at least a coolant temp sensor so create a pigtail to split the connection one going to the OBDi PCM and one for your controller. All they are is a resistor that changes values with temp.

To check the position of the louver pick up a Throttle Position Sensor from the junkyard the ones from GM use a 5v reference with .3v being closed and 4.8v 100% open and it is also linear. Other manufactures sensors might run the same way but I'm not sure.