Large Pickup Aerodynamic Mods

[buckyball]

My F-350 does have a built-in fuel economy gauge. I looked at the info for the ScanGauge and that feature does not appear to be supported for diesel engines.

As for the mirrors, I have already given some thought to that very notion. This seems like a somewhat involved project, as any replacement would (a) need to use the same mounting points, and (b) withstand the shear forces exerted by the airstream and (c) still provide the coverage of my blind spots.

[MetroMPG]

The SG will work with diesel engines. Smart owners are using them (in Canada, pre-08 smarts were all diesels), as are some TDI drivers. You may want to send a message to the company to confirm your application, but I'm sure you'd be fine.

[buckyball]

DifferentPointofView,
Thanks for the suggestion about AutoZone. I found a colleague at work who is bringing his in this time. I'm sure if I continue messing around with this, that I'll either need a scanner or something like the ScanGauge.

I need better instrumentation to baseline and measure temperature changes in the engine compartment and perhaps the transmission cooler line. I am not willing to hazard a $6000 engine using only empirical observation and the gauges on the dash.

I did mods before the Check Engine light came on - you can see them in post 17:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showpost....2&postcount=17

[buckyball]

MetroMPG,
That's good information. I'll inquire further and post back my findings. Thanks!

[diesel_john]

My take on blocking off grilles.
Start blocking at the top and work your way down.
Ideally use air that would normally go under the vehicle to cool.
Thinking is if your going to divert air, divert it to a place that will create the least amount of drag on back. high sides or over top
Keep in mind the under hood temp, heat shortens the life span of most materials. battery etc.
An air dam down to the bottom of the diff. that diverts up thur the rad. is a win-win. (corvette)
Putting narrow bars in the grill closer together, typically makes it stall at a lower speed automatically blocking the grill. Allows lots of air at lower speeds but limits air at higher speeds when you have plenty.
Got to go my internet dies if the temp drops below 14 degrees.

[buckyball]

Update on the Check Engine light mystery.

It appears to be related to the fuel sensor (OBD-II code P0460), which jives with some bizarre behavior I observed recently; the fuel gauge pegs to "below-empty" when the ignition is turned on sometimes. I have scheduled a (expected to be) in-warranty repair visit.

So, the mods I made do *not* appear to be related, but I intend to proceed more carefully with any mods and monitor (as much as I can) the temps under the hood.

[elhigh]

Whew!

Regardless of whether they've caused your Check Engine light to come on, you may want to pull your grille blocks before taking your truck in for warranty work. Some service writers can be real sphincters about vehicle mods vis-a-vis warranty violations.

I think you're right about the vertical grille openings, though - they're probably safe to block off. And what little bit of your tow hooks is projecting through your existing blocks shouldn't be an issue.

Hey, I've got a funky fuel gauge too - at fill-ups, the gauge goes to the top, but it drops to E over about the next 75 miles. 325 miles later, the warning light comes on.

[buckyball]

Regarding suggestions to replace the side mirrors, how about these:

http://www.autoanything.com/generic_...4668&p_id=3021

[AndrewJ]

That should work, mounting it being the tricky part. If you're going with something like that though, you should be able to buy those (maybe for less) at any large auto parts store. The one by me sells smallish generic side mirrors for $10-15. If you want something easy to mount, there are the OEM non-telescoping mirrors, they'll just bolt right up.
Here's the passenger mirror, they're more expensive, but it's also OEM fit. Not sure how big it is, though it looks smaller than the telescoping mirrors.

[diesel_john]

the side mirrors on some vehicles are in a low pressure area, that is why they put them there. check around it with your hand or better yet tape little pieces of yarn to it to see whats happening before you panic. i know on my car the air is coming off the windshield more horizontal at the sides and doesn't get back to the window until half way back. keep in mind when you change something up front it changes the flow around things on back. i had one configuration where i diverted most of the air around the sides, then the mirrors made a difference.