pictures worth a thousand words? - Page 4 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

wmjinman · 11-10-2012, 03:49 AM

Hey, think a grille block can get 40 mpg in a '73 Buick Rivera with a 455 engine? ----- how about 30? ----- 20?

Seriously though - this made the car run WAY too hot. I was able to drive it long enough (one set -2-way - coast-down test) to determine it DID cut it's drag quite a bit, though...

(I don't know how to make the "thumbnail" bigger here)

larrybuck · 11-11-2012, 02:28 PM

2000neon · 11-11-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmjinman

Hey, think a grille block can get 40 mpg in a '73 Buick Rivera with a 455 engine? ----- how about 30? ----- 20?

Seriously though - this made the car run WAY too hot. I was able to drive it long enough (one set -2-way - coast-down test) to determine it DID cut it's drag quite a bit, though...

(I don't know how to make the "thumbnail" bigger here)

You will need a bigger opening than that. Best way to go for the opening is right in the centre, relatively low. If you can do some ducting between the opening and the rad. Also, does the fan have a fan shroud? I had problems with my 70 El Camino wanting to overheat in traffic, a fan shroud totally fixed that.

wmjinman · 11-12-2012, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000neon

You will need a bigger opening than that. Best way to go for the opening is right in the centre, relatively low. If you can do some ducting between the opening and the rad. Also, does the fan have a fan shroud? I had problems with my 70 El Camino wanting to overheat in traffic, a fan shroud totally fixed that.

It's actually even worse than that!!! The hole you see in the front IS attached to a duct - to the CARBURETOR!!! No wonder it overheats, huh? Duh!!!

Even without the upper grille blocked, I was having some overheating problems. If you can see the strip of grey duct tape on the air dam below the bumper, that is to cover the holes I had to cut in the air dam to allow it to cool enough.

But to your remarks - yes, the fan has a shroud - the stock factory one. It probably doesn't show in this picture, but I have a "notch" in the center part of the air dam on the bottom (that is, it doesn't go down as far in the center 2 ft. or so).

The "plan" if I ever get around to doing it (haven't driven this car in over 2 years), is to put a "chin spoiler" type device from the bottom of the radiator at it's support down to about as low as the "un-notched" portion of the air dam, sticking forward at about a 45 degree angle. It would also have "sides" on it, tying into the car's existing sheetmetal, making it into a "scoop-shovel" or "dustpan" type shape. We're thinking that would do the trick. See, we think the air dam causes enough of a "vacuum" area behind it, that some of the air from the engine compartment gets sucked forward, UNDER the radiator, and just "recirculates" back through the radiator, with very little "cool, fresh air" getting in.

I just posted that picture mainly because I thought you guys might get a kick out of it.... A barge like that probably gets 12 to 15 mpg highway, and heaven knows what in the city - - - 8 or 9, maybe? So, even though the grille block was actually to test the aerodynamics for my Salt Flats LandSpeed race car, it might look like a feeble attempt to "eco-mod" it. I was just trying to be a joker - - -

Bill