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09-11-2019, 05:49 PM | #1 |
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Grill screen air flow
I have always discouraged the use of screens of any kind in front of the grill because it reduces air flow to the radiator needed for cooling, especially at very high ambient temperature. But, I've never tested my theory until today.
I bought an anemometer to use on my boat trip on the Columbia River a month ago and used it to measure air flow from a household fan. First, I measured the speed of the air coming out of the fan with no screen. It was 8 mph. Then, I measured the flow through a piece of standard home window/door screen. The house screen reduced the flow in half to 4 mph. Then I measured the flow through what is called a "pet screen" which looked more open to me than the house screen. That screen only allowed .6 mph flow. Finally, I measured the flow through a genuine Ford grill screen made for my car. It was 6.9 mph, 86% of the full flow. So, even the very open grill screen made by Ford reduces the air flow to the radiator by 13%. What that means is that even the Ford grill screen reduces air flow through the radiator the same as if 13% of the radiator was plugged with bugs. That's a lot of bugs. I'll continue to drive without a screen and just brush the bugs off of the radiator once in a while when they pile up.
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Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome) "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness Last edited by Old Henry; 09-11-2019 at 06:04 PM. |
09-11-2019, 06:02 PM | #2 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Good to see you back on the barn!
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09-11-2019, 06:54 PM | #3 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Plausible.. or busted... as the busters would say ?
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09-11-2019, 07:32 PM | #4 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Thank you for the research on this. It is good to know. And...welcome back!
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09-11-2019, 08:30 PM | #5 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Prof.
Glad to see you back. Bruce
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09-11-2019, 08:33 PM | #6 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
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The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... "Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!" "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0 |
09-11-2019, 08:49 PM | #7 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
old henry, thanks for the scientific facts, your experiments are always well done, and welcome here. i'm sure we all miss your travel tales, but your new hobby makes you happy and thats what life is about. welcome back, best wishes, and let us know when the old ford goes out touring again
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09-11-2019, 09:09 PM | #8 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Glad you're back.
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09-12-2019, 01:27 AM | #9 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
That air-flow meter blows me away !?!?!?.........good to hear from you.... hope all is well... Mark
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09-12-2019, 07:23 AM | #10 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Craig: thanks for the info, hope to see some more road trip videos in the future.
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09-12-2019, 09:00 AM | #11 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Interesting test results. I do see the screen having a purpose to prevent the occasional rock from damaging the radiator. Pretty much standard equipment driving up the Alcan.
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09-12-2019, 11:27 AM | #12 | ||
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Quote:
Quote:
My most recent "road trip" in the boat was 400 miles on the Columbia River from The Dalles to the ocean and back a month ago. What an adventure! The anemometer I used for these tests I bought for that trip to measure the wind we were often up against. Next week I'll take 4 grandsons to Lake Powel for some sight seeing of that most gorgeous lake.
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Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome) "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness Last edited by Old Henry; 09-12-2019 at 12:09 PM. |
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09-12-2019, 03:48 PM | #13 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Have boated the Columbia many times. Your 2nd photo looks like the area where the movie "Maverick" was filmed for the river scenes. Glad to hear from you again!!
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09-15-2019, 08:07 AM | #14 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Henry, I found your information interesting but I use screens in every car I own, Why the screen works for me is because I put the screen next to and on the back side of the grille. In Mo. one has to do something for the bugs, especially the grasshoppers, they are messy. Installing screens this way increases my volume of air coming so the radiator doesn't see a flow restriction in my opinion. My radiators all look like new and I don't have any heating problems. This theory doesn't work as well on a 32 Ford grille shell but it doesn't seem to hurt me any either except in stop and go traffic on the 32's. The one 32 even has a chopped smaller radiator and the engine temp usually runs 185 all the time. Sorry if I'm argumentative but results speak pretty loudly too. Have fun with the boating.
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09-15-2019, 01:25 PM | #15 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
I got suspicious of grill screens on a cross country trip in a full size dodge van many years ago. I bought and installed the screen that went clear across the front of the van. Eventually the van seemed to be running at noticeably higher temperatures than normal. I suspected the screen was reducing air flow so removed it and the engine temperature returned to normal.
Different strokes for different folks.
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Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome) "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness |
09-16-2019, 06:31 AM | #16 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
Hey Prof., is that a Tower of Power Merc. on the transom? Heck, i'd tow the boat with Old Henry...a Ford tow'n a "Merc." ....just say'n. mike
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09-16-2019, 07:43 AM | #17 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
I would think it would be obvious that any type of screen in the airflow path would reduce the airflow.
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09-16-2019, 09:59 AM | #18 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
What actually causes the reduced airflow is the pressure loss across the screen. The finer the screen the higher the pressure loss.
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09-16-2019, 12:14 PM | #19 |
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Re: Grill screen air flow
The outboard motor is the Mercury Black Max V6 200 hp.
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Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome) "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness |
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