I cut a piece of black foam core poster board to fit behind the grill and held in place with tie-wraps.
This will be the 5th winter I’ve used it.
When I posted what I did 4 years ago I got a mixed response; one person went as far as to call me crazy.
Now I’m careful about what I share here, nothing unconventional.
Jeez…if there’s something inherently wrong with being crazy, I’m in serious trouble!
Our lives are filled with things invented by people that were called “crazy”. Thankfully, they ignored their accusers. Personally, some of the most successful solutions I’ve come up with over the years were highly unconventional…some might say “crazy”.
Maybe I do not know enough, but even in -48 real temp in Grand Forks ND always had the block heater working while off duty, but never blocked off the radiator. Mostly deisel I see in wi that have one, willing to learn.
Ah, sweet memories! GFAFB was where I was stationed for three years.
@circuitsmith, since I commented in that thread, Ford has started using a shutter system in its grill to do the same thing you did, so I guess I stand corrected. I think it’s a part of Ford’s “eco-boost” package.
@FoDdaddy–Thanks for the update on school buses. The last school bus I rode was made in the late 1940s–a Superior body on a Chevrolet truck chasses. I was one of two of the biggest kids on my bus route. I did get to ride in the front seat where it was warm if there was a lot of snow, but I had to get out with the other big kid and we manned the shovels at corners so the bus could make the corner. I am not sure whether it was worse to sit in the back of the cold bus or to ride where it was warm only to get off and shovel.
I would think shoveling would warm you up some, as opposed to sitting still in a cold seat.
@Whitey, I figure that the grill block is more useful for a small all-aluminum block like I have.
It definitely gives more interior heat (below freezing, stop-and-go) if nothing else.
@circuitsmith Yes, those small 3 cylinder GM cars built by Suzuki could not get enpough heat out of their heaters, so many ownwrs just blocked off the rad in winter. The cold air blowing over the heater hoses was another reason to block the air flow.
With vehicles with internal combustion engines, we do have a source of heat. As long as the engine is not air cooled, we can effectively block off part of the air flow to the radiator.
However, I wonder what the most efficient way is to heat an electric car. Electric resistance heating isn’t feasible. An air to air heat pump is not too efficient below 40 degrees F. The battery powered Citicar of the 1970s had an optional propane heater, which according to the test report in Consumer Reports, caused the windows to fog up pretty badly.
I’m trying to figure out if a liquid cooled internal combustion engine used to generate heat and help power the car as well in cold weather would be more efficient overall than a fossil fuel heater that has an efficiency rating of 94 or above. Nothing seems as simple as covering the radiator grille with a feed sack as we used to do.
A small gas turbine on an EV could do some battery charging and provide heat.
It could be very compact and run on a wide variety of fuels.
Even more radical: in the summer it could power an absorption chiller for AC.