Quote:
Originally Posted by CAPTAIN CHAOS
Very clean looking. 
I would be a bit worried about the OSB supports (doesn't look like plywood in the pics) rotting from rain/snow/moisture. If the pan proves beneficial, it may be worth a quick trip to the lumber yard to get a 1/2 sheet of treated plywood. also, keep an eye on the zip ties, I've had them break just keeping a grill block in place at highway speeds.
Keep us posted with any results. I have a Ford Expedition myself and it doesn't take an aerodynamics master ninja to see that there is a LOT that can be done to clean up the airflow under the front of a truck. I'm anxious to see if you see any significant increase in mpg's with your Dodge.
As far as warm-up, are you still running a belt fan? Those things circulate a TON of air, even with a clutch. Might be worth looking into an electric setup. Just for a test, try taking it off and running without a fan to see if it warms up any quicker. I know diesels can be a lost cause as far as warm-up (I'm assuming a diesel from your screen name) but surely you can get to temp in less than 25 miles! |
Yes, it is OSB. It's technically "exterior" OSB, but it is OSB nonetheless. I'm not really intending this to be "permenant". If it works well, then I'll probably make a nicer-looking one with some better materials. Also, everything I build always comes out better looking the second time. This one is sort of my "trial version".
I do not have a belt fan. I have a clutched, mechanical fan (electrically=actuated clutch). It's almost always off. I've verified that it comes on very briefy on startup (<1 min) and then goes off. Even then, however, I don't think it's on "fulll strength". When it comes on on the highway, I definitely can hear it inside the cab. That hasn't happened in over a year , BTW (even with the grille blocked). One thing I probably should check is whether the fan kicks on every time I bump start during EOC P&G. I might be able to check that with mu ODB scan software. At this point, however, I doubt the fan could do much to hurt warm up with the grille blocked and the belly pan in place.