smokinram99

hi guys! cold is arrived and I'll look at a front radiator bra or similar that help warm up a little fast my cummins; I cannot find any product on the web for 94 02 ram, is there any brand that sell one? can I fabricate one myself?
with what material?

thanks for help me!

rob

mrclean

There are winter fronts available commercially, don't know about cost though. I was thinking about using Plexiglass and making inserts for the grill openings. Use a small bolt/washer/wingnut to hold each piece in place. Cheap and easy to remove as needed.

GFB

I used a large piece of thick black plastic that fits behind the grill and used zip ties to hold it on.

stevenl

this thing just blocks ari flow to warm up faster???

GFB

Yes, and also run with warmer coolant temps.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Put a piece of cardboard behind the Inter cooler and tranny cooler but in front of the radiator, that keeps everything working properly

Mike D

You might even "bomb" that piece of cardboard with a couple of strategically place holes if it runs too warm.

Red3quarter

I didn't have any cardboard on hand at the time so I ended up using an old rubber mudflap off a semi. I cut a 11 inch hole in the center of the mudflap for air movement. Stick it in the same spot between the radiator and the innercooler. Works great and warming the truck up fast in the winter and was cheap to do. I've had it a couple yrs now.

stevenl

i thought u dont want things to run hot though??

atc250r

You don't want things to run hot but you do want to get the engine warmed up quickly and to stay at a decent temperature. I used to put a flattened box from a Budweiser 18 pack in between the rad and IC, it fit perfectly and since the cardboard is coated it doesn't fall apart. I got a winter front from Cabella's. Here's a link to it:

Winter Front

It also comes with a screen for summer time.

John

GFB

If your cooling system is up to par you shouldn't have any problems unless towing heavy. It's a good idea to have a hole for some air movement to relieve stress on the fan (if you use the cardboard method). If it runs all day at 200* the truck will love it.

infidel

I have four plexiglass inserts that snap into the grille but never noticed any real difference in warm up or running temps in the cold. Sure makes a difference when you forget to remove them and it's 80° though.
I think plenty of air can flow up from under the engine though the radiator no matter what kind of cover you have in front of the grill.

I tried the cardboard route with a 6" diameter hole in the center but noticed it made my auto trans and intake temps shoot up higher than I liked.

Best solution I finally found was to just remove the fan for the winter. Great warm ups and you can't believe how much quieter the engine is without the fan.

When it gets really cold I don't think you even need a radiator, the heater core is more than enough to keep the engine cooled. I've noticed when it's -20°F or so that just switching my heater position from recirc to a position that draws cold outside air though the heater core will make my temp gauge instantly drop 20°.

But with climate change I haven't done anything for a few years, it just hasn't been getting cold in Montana like it used to.