I am looking at the Lund inserts and wondering if there is a better brand for cheaper or what your thoughts are. It was 35* today and I couldn't get any heat from my heater... What do you run and do they work well if a warm day comes along, will I overheat??

 

I got one for you. A piece of card board right in front of the radiator. cheap, easy, free, reliable.

 

should I cover the whole radiator or just some of it...?

 

Yeah, unless it rains or snows. I bought stainless inserts for mine. Makes a difference on the more open roads for heat. You won't overheat unless you are towing IMHO.. I put mine in about a month ago and will keep them in until about May..

 

You should replace your thermostat. If you are turning more than 1200 rpm, you should always have enough heat to warm the cab, if not, your thermostat is stuck open and cooling system is stealing all the heat.

 

Did you buy the whole kit or just the "grill" inserts. I mean the bumper inserts are more expensive but I think I need some airflow and to be able to take some of the inserts out would be very helpful when I pull.

 

I second the cardboard way, only I paint mine black so it doesn't look quite as "tribal" and I cover most of it w/no overheating issues.

 

I made a pair out of plywood that fit in behind (on the back side) of the grill. I painted them black, and then use 4 SS screws and washwers through the front side of the grill to hold them in. Work great and are hardly noticeable.

I run them down here in NC, and with our relatively mild winters, I have no issues with over heating. When towing I remove the drivers side insert to allow air flow to the transmission cooler, but engine temperatures are never a problem.

 

I will second the thermostat. My truck will heat me right out of the cab in -20 weather. If you have no heat at 35, no grill insert in the world is going to help.

 

Cardboard with a 5" hole in the center so the Fan Clutch can "see" the cold air and not engage the fan.
Easy to slip in and out as the weather/traffic changes.
Some just remove the fan in the fall, and put it back when the weather warms up.

 

What kind of thermostat are you running? My truck will throw very little heat formiles unless I'm towing.. I live 10 miles from town, & at 30 degrees my temp needle barely moves by the time I get to town, luke warm air at best.. I replaced the thermostat 3 times, with no significant differance.. Is there a winter thermostat available for these trucks???

 

Does the temp gauge ever get to a normal temp...like while running in warmer conditions like in summer? I only ask because we've had some 30* mornings here and I'm starting to get heat blowing into the cab before the needle comes close to 140*. This makes me wonder if your problem is two fold...a heater core starting to clog and a bad a tempurature sending unit(causes the temp gauge to read wrong). This may help you determine if your heater core is clogging. Take the truck for a drive and get some heat in the engine. With the truck running, open the hood and locate the two hoses that are the "supply" and "return" lines to the heater core that go through the fire wall on the passanger side of the truck. I believe they enter the fire wall pretty high up on the fire wall. Feel the hoses first. If one is hot and the other is not pretty close to the same temp(meaning is it cold or only warm in comparison to the other?), then you got a clogging heater core. You can try to quickly squeeze and release the hoses a couple times with your hands to break loose a clog in the heater core and it does work from time to time. If it does work, then you definitely know it's clogging.

 

In my case, yes it does get up to normal, but only when I'm towing, & then it will go to where the fan cuts in & out, but it will only get up to where the fan cuts in on a hill climb or strong wind. but empty, I've never had the fan cut in, & gauge onle goes up to between 1/4 & 1/3 .. never 1/2 way up.. Got a friend, but his is an 03 truck. his gauge goes up to normal in a short bit, & his heater will blow you out of the cab, has to be turned down..

 

I am running the stock replacement, I got from Napa. 190 deg.

 

Cardboard and bailing twine will make all the local rednecks jealous. This is what I run now that ive graduated up from the cardboard.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...=cat20133&rid=


Hope it helps