Deuce Operating Temps

[No.2Diesel]

I'd just like to let everyone know I finally got my deuce inspected. The mechanic was stationed in Germany and worked in the motorpool. He was very happy about seeing the truck and didn't give a crap about having no running or marker lights on the bed corners. All diesels no matter how old require an emissions inspection and the original printout must be kept in the vehicle at all times per NYSDOT. He commented that my truck had better numbers than a 1992 Mack even at a very low operating temp.

I have a quick question for everyone about operating temps.

I have hauled and towed many heavy things and never got the water temp gauge to go over 165° even in the summer. Now that winter is coming I would like to cover the radiator but don't have the money for a 300 some dollar quilted hood and grille package that was standard issue.

How much coverage of the rad. would be required for it to run 190°?

Temps can stay near 0°F for a few days, sometimes weeks. Has anyone overheated by too much grille coverage? Let me know. I will start exp. this weekend.

 

[wreckerman893]

Ref the winter front question......You can always do the "redneck winter front", i.e a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator.
When I drove a bus at Fort Benning I did this a lot since we were too far south to have the buses equipped with factory winter fronts.
This "Cornbinder" bus had no fan clutch and it took forever for the heater to work in Dec, Jan. and Feb. (the only three cold months down here).
I would cover the whole radiator until she got up to temp and then uncover about ten inches and let it roll.
Just keep a close eye on the temp gauge. Since the fan ran all the time I rarely had any overheating problems.

 

[Katch1]

At zero degrees you will need to cover the entire radiator, unless you are really working it hard at low speeds. My idea would be a piece of plywood with a shutter to help with air flow on warmer days. Paint the plywood O.D. and call it a big deal.

 

[Djfreema]

I got my NOS grille cover off ebay for under $30 or you can get the dimensions (for air flow opening) from cranetruck for his wood winter radiator cover. The cover helps me get up to about 180 without a load otherwise Im running about 160 even in 100 degree heat.

 

[westfolk]

I use my trucks year 'round. I never cover the grill in the winter. My trucks operate between 160-180. The weather here is pretty much the same as yours.

 

[mangus580]

Here I go again, plugging FLMV. He has the grill covers DIRT CHEAP www.flmv.net

BTW, I have one, and have yet to actually use it.

 

[Djfreema]

There's at least 2 on ebay right now, both are going for $20.00.

 

[houdel]

I bought my grille cover on Ebay, it was pretty cheap, in the $20-$30 range. I run it year round. During the hotter days in the summertime with the flap rolled up all the way I don't think I ever got above 190F or so. Now that wintertime has arrived here (8" of snow over the past two days) I'm going to close the flap all the way. I doubt my engine temp is going to get much over 180F. I'm seriously considering pulling off the fan for the winter. Doubt I'll need it and should pick up some MPG and lose a lot of noise. From what I've heard it takes 10-15HP to run the fan.

 

[ken]

Does the thermostat not stop the water flow untill the engine warms up? When i first got my truck it wouldn't get above 160 in the 100 deg summer here. I installed a new thermo and it stays at 190 now. Loaded or not. Do some thermos let some water bypass? I used STANT #13938. It said 180 deg on it. But the guage comes up to 190 and has only climbed higher once. When the rad was full of mud.

 

[cranetruck]

I'd just like to let everyone know I finally got my deuce inspected. The mechanic was stationed in Germany and worked in the motorpool. He was very happy about seeing the truck and didn't give a crap about having no running or marker lights on the bed corners. All diesels no matter how old require an emissions inspection and the original printout must be kept in the vehicle at all times per NYSDOT. He commented that my truck had better numbers than a 1992 Mack even at a very low operating temp.

Any chance of see a copy of the results? I always thought the multifuels were efficient engines...

 

[No.2Diesel]

I have the results of my grille coverage experimentation

When I first bought the truck I replaced the Water temp gauge and the sending unit thinking they were busted. I just never ran the truck long enough to warm up the water.

So this weekend I had the opputunity to test grille coverage when my ATHS Chapter had a truck run. I started out by covering the entire grill with thick carboard painted OD. Air Temp was low forties and rising to a high of about 55° for the day. I idled the truck for 5 min. and drove off to the ron day voo 30 miles away. I was thrilled to see the water temp going over 160° It took about 15 miles of hilly North Shore driving to reach 205° travelling at 40-55 MPH. I pulled over and removed the cardboard and cut an 10"x8" rectangle out of the middle and carried on. Cutting a 14"x10" hole did the trick. The needle stayed put at 185° all day even though the air temp increased.

I like the cardbaord because its free and I've never bought anything over the internet.

As for the request for my emissions printout: I will certainly post those results tommorow. I have to dig the paper out of my glove box. I don't know how many miles that Mack had on it and what engine and size was in it. Don't know if that is a fair comparison.

 

[Hookin1]

Mine usually runs about 170 with the radiator full opn on hot days.....on colder days unless running down the highway at about 55mph it usually runs about 175...in town driving it drops down to about 150 in cold weather....i use a winter front cover when the weather gets colder

 

[cranetruck]

This is my solution, had it for several years now. Use it all the time except when towing something heavy.
Yeah, I know it's been posted before. It's 3/4 inch plywood.

 

[mangus580]

Bjorn, did you use that for your entire trip to CA?

 

[cranetruck]

Yes Mike, except when towing the laundry trailer on I-80 from Colorado on West and when towing the 8x8 from Oklahoma.

 

[Rattlehead]

My truck also does not warm up easily without the grille cover, but I have talked to/heard of others that can run around in all kinds of conditions with no cover and their trucks run 180's. What is the deal, are 85% of all our deuces running around with stuck open thermostats?

 

[rmgill]

Seems like you could make a shutter out of two pieces of sheet metal. One slides, one stays fixed. Or with the plywood cover, add some angle brackets and make several panels that can be slid open or closed with a pin to keep them in place.

 

[rmgill]

Interestingly, my Dingo has a blanking panel that the driver can fit to keep the temperature up in cold weather. It has a large radiator for the size of engine and that can make it hard to keep the engine up to temperature in very cold weather. Even the intake manifold has a cooling/warming jacket for maintaining intake temperature. The radiator blanking panel is just two bits of wood, hinged in the middle with angle iron and straps so the thing can fit over and be strapped to the radiator exhaust louvers.

Here it is fitted to the back of F48582 at FIG last year in March. I ran all day with it on and it worked fine.