EcoModder.com

EcoModder.com (https://ecomodder.com/forum/)
-   Aerodynamics (https://ecomodder.com/forum/aerodynamics.html)
-   -   Good news everyone! I made a grill block! (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/good-news-everyone-i-made-grill-block-25986.html)

Xist 05-26-2013 09:22 PM

Good news everyone! I made a grill block!
 
3 Attachment(s)
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1369616080http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...2&d=1369616080http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...5&d=1369616303

Edit: I barely drove two miles and was not yet on the freeway when my Ultragauge began warning me of overheating, so I removed this and decided to try again later. Unfortunately, I had already given up when I realized that the Ultragauge itself was overheating, not my car, although my engine must have been warm if I turned on the heater--the Ultragauge was right in front of a vent. Also, it seemed impossible to shrink the plastic without creating holes. Despite having most of the plastic left, I have never wanted to attempt this again because even Ecomodders were ridiculing me.

Original post:
This was an abject failure. It was It was 89°F and 81°F when I did my "A" drives on a 51.3-mile route, 46.1 miles on the freeway and 92°F when I finished the grill block and attempted the "B" drive, but my car started overheating before I got on the freeway. I tried again at sunrise, when it was 66°F, but my engine reached 219°F and I got 31 MPG compared to 31.4-31.5 for my "B" runs, with a cooler engine.

The idea was that the plastic would be less noticeable and I chose the aluminum tape because I thought that it would withstand my heat ray better, but it certainly is visible, especially with the pieces covering the random holes.

I do not know if it is possible to shrink the plastic tight without creating holes. I do not plan on using this material again.

I did my baseline run just after 1pm. I live 2.6 miles from the freeway entrance and I chose a loop that allowed me to stay on the freeway as long as possible.

A: 89°F
Precipitation: 0%
Humidity: 7%
Wind: 4 mph [according to Google, not everything can be deduced]

I put my Ultragauge on page four so that I could see my engine temperatures. They stayed between 192 and 199°F as I accelerated to seventy and coasted to fifty. Curiously, the engine cooled seven degrees as I accelerated and then warmed back up as I coasted. Note: Eighty-nine outside, no functioning air conditioning, so I was sweating. I probably should have used ear plugs and rolled down the windows, but I would not have gotten:

31.5 MPG (Not fully calibrated).

B: 92°F
Precipitation: 0%
Humidity: 6%
Wind: 2 mph

My Ultragauge started screaming before I got on the freeway, so I slowly drove home.

So much for the hope that my car would be so aerodynamic that it would run cooler.

Hopes are not always rational.

I had planned on installing a fan indicator. As we discussed elsewhere, run wires from the fan fuse through the firewall to an LED where I could see it. Would I need to do anything special? Someone wrote that you always wanted to put... something... (a fuse?) ...whenever you added wiring, and they talked about speaker systems.

I did not figure out the details beforehand, so I decided to do it later.

mcrews 05-26-2013 10:34 PM

very clean!!!

Xist 05-27-2013 01:22 PM

Second attempt:

Tempe, AZ
Monday 7:00 AM
Mostly Cloudy
71°F
Precipitation: 0%
Humidity: 18%
Wind: 0 mph

Everything was warmer than my "A" run yesterday as I approached the freeway, cool enough for me to make the attempt, but warm enough that I turned on my heater, having forgotten two very basic details:

UG°F refers to the temperature of my Ultragauge device, and my vent blows directly on it!

I will probably try again later, once I purchase more foil tape. If I leave out the grill block, I should be able to drive when it is around the same temperature that it was yesterday, but if I actually drive at 5am tomorrow, I should be able to drive with the full block.

I hope that I did not damage the plastic too much.

jakobnev 05-27-2013 04:12 PM

As a bonus it also protects your car from chlamydia! :D

Xist 05-27-2013 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakobnev (Post 373303)
As a bonus it also protects your car from chlamydia! :D

Allegedly, that is the name of a woman, and I would not even know where to begin explaining how overcome with concern I have always not been about my car getting Chlamydia.

kach22i 05-27-2013 08:00 PM

Interesting experiment, also known as the car condom.

I love foil tape.

Xist 05-27-2013 08:11 PM

I sure would have saved myself some time had I known this would be the result.

gone-ot 05-27-2013 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kach22i (Post 373322)
Interesting experiment, also known as the car condom.

I love foil tape.

When you walk up to your vehicle, do you mentally ask the question: "...do you know where your car has been and what it was doing?" (wink,wink)

Xist 05-27-2013 10:06 PM

So, do you guys think that the all-in-one upper- and lower-grill block, fog lamp cover, and gap seal will work? Do you think that my engine will be able to keep itself cool at sunrise, or will I need to remove that section? Do you have any suggestions? Have any of you tried blocking this much at once?

MetroMPG 05-27-2013 10:25 PM

It's a unique (!) approach, but in summer temps, a 100% block is too much. You'll need to open it up some.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:18 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com