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Not sure if your car has the 8 valve SPI like my car or the 16 valve zetec, I believe it's the latter. My car has a fan activation temp of 220* and normal operating temperature is about 193*. When I tried to cover the entire lower grill opening in warm weather leaving only the small upper opening coolant temp would frequently climb up to 220* and driving on the highway would be 5-10* higher than normal. I could cover the entire lower opening in the winter without these issues, but it just seems to need more airflow in warm weather. As to where the best FE would be, I doubt there is a huge difference between 190* and 220*.
As far as safety goes, as long as it is not getting above fan activation temperature it is very unlikely that you would damage anything. But since you car is an automatic you also have to consider trans fluid temperature. Remember your radiator doubles as a tranny cooler. Does your Scangauge have X gauge capability? I know on my Escort I was able to program in a trans temp gauge. The first warm day when I had the car on the highway with the full lower block still on the trans temp climbed to 215*, much higher than the usual 170-180* that I would see on the highway. That is definitely not good for the transmission. I cut an opening in my lower grill block and the temps returned to normal.
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