Bug screen behind grill/winter covers

[Doubletrouble]

 Just a few questions:

Who has made a screen to catch bugs behind the grill? I am getting alot of bugs stuck in the radiator and a/c coil behind the grill. If you have made one what did you use, and does it work well?

 Also, does anyone run a winter cover? I know it's not winter now but are they necessary in the winter? I'm in N.W. Ohio and the past couple winter's haven't been all that bad. Just want to be prepared if I would need it.

 One last question-

My '01 is a basic model, no bells and whistles. It has the openings in the front bumper for factory fog lights but nothing in there. Just a large opening. Is there something I could place in there or is it possible that the wiring may be present for the fogs just not used?

 Didn't mean to toss all this out at once but thought it'd be easier. Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Tractorman]

29 minutes ago, Doubletrouble said:

Who has made a screen to catch bugs behind the grill? I am getting alot of bugs stuck in the radiator and a/c coil behind the grill. If you have made one what did you use, and does it work well?

 

I have made and used a bug screen for the life of my truck - almost 19 years and 343,000 miles so far.  I have found no ill side effects.  I am still running the original condenser and charge air intercooler - the two components directly in the path of bugs and other debris.

 

I use screen door material (aluminum).  Most of the bugs just bounce off of the screen.  The ones that stick to the screen just dry up and fall off or get cleaned off when I am driving in the rain.  I rarely ever need to clean the screen.  The photo below shows the typical condition of the screen.  The screen has not been cleaned for well over a year. 

 

 

 

The photo below shows part of the condenser just behind the screen.  Note that there is nothing lodged in the fins and that the fins are straight.

 

 

 

The last photo below shows the charge air intercooler just behind the screen.  Again, nothing lodged between the fins and the fins are straight.

 

 

All the above photos were taken just a few minutes ago.  You are probably wondering if I ever had any overheating problems because of the screen.  The answer is no.  I had about a two year period that I was experiencing the engine running hot while towing up long grades.  I replaced the fan - still ran hot.  I removed the screen - still ran hot.  Eventually, after reading some posts regarding overheating, I removed the radiator and found the motor side of the radiator caked with grime caused by the crankcase breather.  I cleaned it up and re-installed the screen and I have never had a heating problem since. 

 

I have had the truck twice in Death Valley, once with a camper (combined weight of 12,000 lbs).  I pulled from the valley floor (minus 200 feet) to the pass at 5000 feet. The distance was 16.8 miles.   It was late afternoon and the temperature at the start of the incline was 116 degrees and about 90 degrees at pass level.  I had the air conditioner on for the whole climb.  The engine did not overheat.   I think that was a pretty fair test. 

 

I tow a fair amount at times - most of the time the combined weight is between 12,000 to 16,000 lbs.  The screen does what I want it to do - it keeps debris from wedging between cooling fins.

 

You will probably hear different opinions about using a screen, but for me it has proven to be worthy.

 

- John

[Doubletrouble]

 Thanks for the input! I didn't know they even made the metal screen anymore. Everything is plastic now days. Lol

 Seems like it did a great job for you. 

[Tractorman]

45 minutes ago, Doubletrouble said:

Seems like it did a great job for you. 

 

Not "did", it still does!  If you decide to install a screen, I think that you will be happy with it.

 

I have used a plastic screen, but I found the diameter of the wire in an aluminum screen was much smaller so my thoughts are that the aluminum screen would be less restrictive when comparing the same mesh size.

 

- John

[dripley]

@Doubletrouble the wiring harness should run across the front of the truck with a connector at each fog light location. It may be there if you look. You have yo have the head light switch that is made to operate them. Mine has an indicater that light up when they are on. The switch knob pulls out to turn them on while at lesst the marker lights are on. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by dripley

[01cummins4ever]

16 hours ago, Doubletrouble said:

 

 Also, does anyone run a winter cover? I know it's not winter now but are they necessary in the winter? I'm in N.W. Ohio and the past couple winter's haven't been all that bad. Just want to be prepared if I would need it.

 

 

Being in the cold winter climate I am,  my winter cover is a rather cheap one,  I just use a mud flap between the cac and radiator, it’s not a high dollar manufactured one but does the job, I believe it help get the engine up to temperature in the cold sub zero temps while rolling down the highway, I usually put it in around December or so and will leave it in till about March,  Although a couple times on my spring camping trips pulling loads in the warmer country I did experience some hotter than normal engine temps when I realized I forgot to remove it.  

[Doubletrouble]

  I saw some sewn covers that attached somehow to the front of the truck. Not really a fan of them though. Last winter I cut 4 pieces of cardboard to fit the grill openings and painted them black. Looked decent. Not sure how much it helped though. It didn't hurt.

[Tractorman]

On ‎7‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 6:36 PM, Doubletrouble said:

 Also, does anyone run a winter cover?

 

I lived in Leadville, Colorado for 12 years - very much a winter climate as Leadville' elevation is over 10,000 ft.  I made a daily roundtrip going over Fremont Pass (11,300 ft) twice a day in my '91 Ford F150 4x4 pickup powered by a Cummins 4BTA engine.  I used a winter front with a zipper to control air flow.  I always left it 1/3 open no matter how cold it got.  I did this because I found that some air flow is always necessary so the thermostat on the viscous fan will sense the proper temperature.  The small opening also maintains a more laminar air flow (much less turbulence) around the fan.  On a below zero degree day I could ascend Fremont Pass with normal engine operating temperature and descend the other side with my heater still working at the bottom of the pass.

 

The fact that they salt the roads heavily in your neck of the woods will make a difference on the material to select and the method of controlling the opening.

 

- John

Edited July 26, 2020 by Tractorman

[Russ Roth]

7 hours ago, Tractorman said:

 

I lived in Leadville, Colorado for 12 years - very much winter a climate as Leadville' elevation is over 10,000 ft. 

 

- John

 

Says Proud to live in Leadville, Colorado Elevation 10,200 feet IIRC on the back of the school bleachers not far from the NAPA store.  I have used a screen on both my '01 and '02 just like yours except mine is plastic.  Mainly because I already had it and has worked just fine.