Radiator cover

[ramdough]

Anyone ever feel the need for the radiator cover installation?

I read the TM, but the temperature they mentioned installing one was not all that cold. Barely freezing.


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[Awesomeness]

I have mine installed right now. I usually install it around Halloween, and run it all winter until about March.

 

[ramdough]

I have mine installed right now. I usually install it around Halloween, and run it all winter until about March.

How easy/hard is it to install?


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[Awesomeness]

It takes about an hour to get it on there nicely. It's not complicated or difficult, and helps to have a friend, it's just that there isn't a lot of room to get your hands in there to position it correctly. You can see in the TM, you raise the cab, take out one bolt on the top and bottom of each side of the radiator (4 total), carefully fish the cover up from the bottom into the small gap between the radiator+intercooler and the bumper/hoses/etc., and reinstall the bolts.

The cover makes a big difference when it is really cold. (Actual "cold", like below freezing and below zero, not "I need to wear a sweatshirt today" Floridian-cold.) Otherwise, the engine may not even be able to ever warm up. If you're not working the truck hard (e.g. towing, heavily loaded), you can run the cover even while it's quite warm (e.g. 80°F outside) and the fan will still keep up, but the fan will be running a lot. I probably wouldn't bother running the cover unless you're going to have days in the 40's or lower, and nights below freezing, fairly consistently.

 

[Karl kostman]

When I ran my truck in the winter the cover went on in early November and was on till Spring it made I bet a 20 degree difference in the cab at 0 degrees. The engine heats up a lot faster and they are easy to put on and take off, also protects the front of the truck.

 

[Awesomeness]

protects the front of the truck.

How did you have it installed? The one I have just goes over the radiator, under the cab, so the front of the truck remains unprotected.

 

[Reworked LMTV]

Would be nice to see picts of your work : )

 

[Green Mountain Boys]

The cooling system on these trucks is quite large and designed to keep the truck cool while operating loaded at high temperatures. So at cold temperatures the truck tends to run cool even when loaded. I have run my truck loaded and in mountain driving at temperatures as low as -30F. At that temperature the truck cannot be at operating temperature even when fully loaded without a cover. From my experience, I prefer to have a cover when the temperature is less than 20F if not fully loaded. If fully loaded then I will run without a cover down to about 0F. Certainly would not hurt anything to run the cover at warmer temperatures.

 

[snowtrac nome]

where do you all get the covers I have run mine the last 3 years with out the cover it makes pretty good heat but today it dropped to 0 for the first time this year when it gets cold like that it just never warms up . I have thought about trying to engineer a shutter system for it .

 

[ramdough]

An auction site that is popular has the for $25






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[Karl kostman]

Hey guys after reading this it looks like your installing this weather front on a 1078? My winter front was on a Deuce, it came with the heater kit I picked up for my truck. It had a whole bunch of fasteners that your supposed to drill in the grill guard etc. then screw in fasteners that attach to the actual front itself, I never felt the need to get so elaborate on my install. I got everything aligned and used stainless steel wire ties to attach the weather front, it went on easy and in the Spring just cut the ties and your ready for summer! IF your talking about the 1078 I did not see where that was the truck in question.
Karl

 

[coachgeo]

Hey guys after reading this it looks like your installing this weather front on a 1078? My winter front was on a Deuce...
IF your talking about the 1078 I did not see where that was the truck in question.
Karl

Tis the FMTV forum.... so its sorta assumed?

 

[HotTubTimeMachine]

I had mine made in Anchorage at Alaska Tent and Tarp. They did a good job putting it together. Patterned it off the truck itself.

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[hs10]

I had mine made in Anchorage at Alaska Tent and Tarp. They did a good job putting it together. Patterned it off the truck itself.

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This is a great idea. Would you say it performs the same as the standard cover? Much easier to install and remove!

 

[Awesomeness]

This is a great idea. Would you say it performs the same as the standard cover? Much easier to install and remove!

He's in Alaska, so it must work "good enough". However, logically I would say that the stock cover will work better, and/or more consistently. The stock cover blocks the radiator surface directly, always cutting off a predictable amount of airflow. The custom cover above is only covering the holes in the grill and bumper, so air is still drawn in from below/behind the bumper and flows through the entire radiator.

 

[Third From Texas]

It's the only way I would go. I'm from Texas and especially down South *if* we see a freeze it may be back in the 80's the next day. I'd much rather pop a few snaps on the grill than have to crawl around reaching up inside the rad when you need it.

 

[Awesomeness]

It's the only way I would go. I'm from Texas and especially down South *if* we see a freeze it may be back in the 80's the next day. I'd much rather pop a few snaps on the grill than have to crawl around reaching up inside the rad when you need it.

In places like Texas you probably never need the cover, and in places where you do need it, you can leave it on until spring. The manual says something like not to put it on until you have sustained temperatures below 40°F, and then you don't need to take it off until sustained temperatures are over 70°F. It's been a while since I read it, but it's a pretty wide range.

 

[Big Tom]

I put mine on when in oct till April , it does help in warming up the motor and keeping me warm in the cab !!!!

Big Tom

 

[ramdough]

In places like Texas you probably never need the cover, and in places where you do need it, you can leave it on until spring. The manual says something like not to put it on until you have sustained temperatures below 40°F, and then you don't need to take it off until sustained temperatures are over 70°F. It's been a while since I read it, but it's a pretty wide range.

It would be nice if there was a small Velcro flap that you could reach for us southern people that get weekly temperature swings all season. It was 72 last week and 34 today.


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[Big Tom]

With the front flap all the way open you could leave it on there in all but extremely high summer heat .

Big Tom