Grill block on a Silverado - Page 8 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

apc · 08-07-2011, 01:46 PM

I've removed the grille block and valance blocks on mine. while the temp gauge never got higher than normal (a little under halfway), I did find the fan clutch tightening up a lot (in fact I think it's shot now), and my transmission started dripping from the breather tube. this tells me the tranny fluid was boiling, which is of course bad.

BamZipPow · 08-07-2011, 04:42 PM

Did you have an aftermarket transmission cooler installed? I installed duals on mine along with the stock radiator one...

apc · 08-07-2011, 04:46 PM

mine has the auxiliary one from the towing package in addition to the one in the rad, but it doesn't have the surface area of an aftermarket.

darcane · 08-15-2011, 04:11 PM

I tracked down my earlier observation of increased temps as being caused by having the A/C on. Without the A/C, it never creeps over 195°F even at 90°F ambient.

I've got the same auxillary cooler as apc, and I've noticed no abnormalities with coolant temp (well, other than the A/C), fan, or transmission with my grill blocks. I've now driven over 20,000 miles with a grill block in one form or another.

I did recently remove the lower half, but that was due to going on a long camping trip with our trailer. My 90-day average mileage took a big hit due to this, but hey, it's what the truck is for.

slowmover · 08-17-2011, 01:19 PM

I see you have your truck listed at 4,600-lbs. Is that with driver, full fuel, the usual junk on a certified scale? Also, what was the scaled weight of the truck, solo, loaded for camping, as well as the trailer weight (with separate tongue weight) both empt and loaded? There is some tweaking that can be done here to improve FE, and the addition of weight can be seen against solo for future predictions (what I think this is all about: work per gallon over distance).

My efforts empty and solo help offset the work the truck can do in overall fuel cost. But towing is open to adjustments 95% of those towing do not make which will help FE and road performance.

The fuel log shows above 15-mpg. All towing? Pics of rig?

.

darcane · 08-17-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowmover

I see you have your truck listed at 4,600-lbs. Is that with driver, full fuel, the usual junk on a certified scale? Also, what was the scaled weight of the truck, solo, loaded for camping, as well as the trailer weight (with separate tongue weight) both empt and loaded? There is some tweaking that can be done here to improve FE, and the addition of weight can be seen against solo for future predictions (what I think this is all about: work per gallon over distance).

My efforts empty and solo help offset the work the truck can do in overall fuel cost. But towing is open to adjustments 95% of those towing do not make which will help FE and road performance.

The fuel log shows above 15-mpg. All towing? Pics of rig?

.

Recent pic of the truck:

4600lbs is the dry weight shown on the door placard. After dropping off a load of junk at the dump, the weight with a full tank and me in it is about 5300lbs.

Camping trailer is 4800lbs dry IIRC, and gets loaded up quite a bit from there in spite of my pleas to "pack lightly". I estimate the trailer to be about 6000lbs fully loaded, but I didn't get it weighed.

My fuel log shows 14.05mpg for the tank towing the trailer. This was a little over 200 miles towing the trailer (Ultra-Gauge reported 11.8mpg average while towing) the remainder was mostly driving around the campsite or nearby towns.

slowmover · 08-18-2011, 07:37 PM

Glad to see your truck isn't any heavier. My 2001 Dodge Ram V8-318 was at 5,218-lbs "empty" (driver + full fuel). 12-mpg isn't bad in consideration, it's better than what some report for towing. That truck of mine had neither decent mpg nor towing power which is why it was traded for what I have now.

The tweaks I mentioned have to do with setting up the weight-distribution hitch according to certified scale readings. The adjustments to bring the combination to "fingertip control" in all situations may take several tries. But the reduction in steering and braking applications per 100 miles will drop dramatically (noted by Kenworth and Cummins as central to improving big truck FE). It will also help in dialing in the best tire pressures across the rig, and make any readings of temps or pressures otherwise as low as possible (to complement or make clear of error your other FE changes).

Travel trailer axle alignment, a set of shock absorbers & balancers, plus the elimination of brake drag on both vehicles (and on the truck: any -- even minute -- steering gear-induced "wander") are the balance.

.

darcane · 08-18-2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowmover

Glad to see your truck isn't any heavier. My 2001 Dodge Ram V8-318 was at 5,218-lbs "empty" (driver + full fuel). 12-mpg isn't bad in consideration, it's better than what some report for towing. That truck of mine had neither decent mpg nor towing power which is why it was traded for what I have now.

The tweaks I mentioned have to do with setting up the weight-distribution hitch according to certified scale readings. The adjustments to bring the combination to "fingertip control" in all situations may take several tries. But the reduction in steering and braking applications per 100 miles will drop dramatically (noted by Kenworth and Cummins as central to improving big truck FE). It will also help in dialing in the best tire pressures across the rig, and make any readings of temps or pressures otherwise as low as possible (to complement or make clear of error your other FE changes).

Travel trailer axle alignment, a set of shock absorbers & balancers, plus the elimination of brake drag on both vehicles (and on the truck: any -- even minute -- steering gear-induced "wander") are the balance.

I wasn't real thrrilled with how heavy it is, but it certainly could be worse. Mine is a 2WD work truck so it doesn't have many options or a heavy front axle to push around. That long bed adds a fair bit of weight, especially with the canopy and it means an extra 10 gallons of fuel when full.

I need to fiddle with my hitch a little to get it set just right. I think I still had too much weight in the rear so I need more preload. I might be able to get some slight gains while towing, but I'm not expecting a lot. I've only got the 4.8L V8 which I wanted for optimal mileage during most of my driving (not towing) even if it may not be optimal (but still adequate) for towing.

One thing to note, around here there aren't many flat roads like I remember in Texas. It's generally either up a hill or down one.

slowmover · 08-19-2011, 10:55 AM

You're welcome to PM me on some formula how-to's in re WDH to make it simple. A certified scale is required (before/after height measurements not enough).