Hi all,
First of all, I would like to say, that I find this place very helpful, thanks to all you diesel gurus. Now to the point. What do you guys do to cover the radiator intake in winter, to allow the trucks warm up to temperature and stay there? I read a few comments were cardboard is used, but how exactly do you attach it (duct tape)? I am personally not a fan of cardboard idea, but thinking maybe I could make something out of corrugated plastic that would somehow snap into the grill, and would be easily removable when needed. Just looking for some ideas... Also, removing a fan is not something I want to do either, since the weather here can be so unpredictable sometimes (Indiana).
Thanks!

 

Cardboard actually works excellent. I measured my radiator and then cut out a large piece of cardboard to those dimensions. I then made another cut on the inside (It doesnt get that cold here in vegas but my truck wasnt warming like it should and was hurting my fuel econ). Anyways, depending on your climate cut small and go bigger if the truck gets hot. Then, slide the cardboard down between the radiator and the condenser. It sits nicely in there and the bonus of the cardboard is if there is a warm day you can pop the hood, pull it out and toss it behind the seat.

 

The cardboard works good just keep an eye on the temp. I recently picked up two set of winter fronts,one set is solid for extreme cold and the other has little holes in it to let some air through. They are made by Lund but I don't know if they still make them.I scored mine off craigslist.

 

Just be careful using cardboard. There's not a lot of secrets to it but vibrations can cause wear on the radiator. Keep that in the back of your mind.

 

I just put a small one on the condensor on my truck. I used a plastic corrugated sign I "found". It's only 14" high x 17" long, and I spray painted it flat black so it's not noticeable....as much. I used bull dog/binder clips from the dollar store to attach it to the condensor. And when I installed it I made sure it was centered on the fan, not on the rad. As mentioned if you center it on the rad the fan might be pulling off one side and not the other and throwing your fan into and unbalanced condition.