Manual Operating front grill opening & blocking

[marky899]

Hey everyone.

Ive heard a few people say they have blocked off their front grill but then they have added a sliding opening so when the temperature starts to rise they can then open it fron within the car.

Im looking to do the same thing as my car is getting a bit hot sometimes. Im wondering how some of you's have set up the sliding mechanism, do you just pull a piece of string or is it set up using a wire system like the bonnet mechanism? I could easily make the sliding door but i want to be able to open and close it from inside the car manually.

Im not looking for any electrical methods as im trying to keeo costs down.

Thanks

Mark

[oldtamiyaphile]

Yup, that's what a few people have done. A bicycle brake or shift cable is an easy and fairly fool proof way to go.

In fact you can use an old bike shift lever in the cabin, and you're half way there.

[The donkey CRX]

I would second Old Telly with the advice to make sure you have a reliable way to monitor your water temp before blocking your grill.

Here is a picture of the cheapest "push-pull" cable I have found. It is from JEGS racing products and was about $9 US when I bought it last year. It only has a 2" "throw" so you will need to make a lever to allow more than 2 inches of movement. Also being low cost, when the cable moves in and out, it also twists, which can cause binding.





If you what to spend more money, JEGS also has heavy duty push pull cables with a 3" "throw" for around $50 US. Here is an example of the better quality cable being used to operate a manually adjustable grill block.









Here is a picture of how the cable is mounted in the car.






Hope this gives you some ideas fro your project.