by induction1, October 8, 2004
concerning the front portion of the radiator (which faces relative wind), are all of the rock, insect, and other debris strikes, which dent the metal and chip the paint, detrimental in any way? i thought about covering this area with a piece of screen just like that found on a screen door. ideas?
thanks
it is possible that the radiatorcould get a hole in it, but that is quite rare. But stuff like insects can clog up the radiator, causing it to cook, and your engine overheats. If driving thru an area that is suffering from an insect plague, best you cover up your radiator, i did 6 months ago when i went out west and that area suffered from a locust plague. For insects DO NO USE FLYSCREEN!! it will cut up the insects and make an even bigger mess. use shadecloth instead.
Most experts nowadays recommend against putting anything in front of the radiator. ANY kind of screen put in front of the radiator affects it's cooling efficiency even while it is clean, because at a minimum the screen slows down the air flowing through it. While it may keep bugs off for a while, it too can eventually gets plugged up and lead to overheating problems if not looked after closely. Newer cars have less of the radiator exposed than older cars do. This means there is less chance of them getting really plugged up, and also means that having a direct, uninterrupted flow of air to the part of the radiator that IS exposed is that much more critical. In new cars, air is very carefully channeled into the radiator, largely from under the car...and nothing should be done to disrupt this. If you have A/C then the condenser is already in front of the radiator, and putting anything else there can really cause trouble. If you notice that your radiator seems to have alot of bugs and stuff in it, then just spray it out from the backside (engine compartment side) until it is clean, or use a Shop-Vac and suck the stuff out. I have never heard of any rock damage to a radiator...maybe on '60's or '70's cars which had radiators that were more exposed. I don't think that it is a problem on newer, aerodynamically styled cars. Regards, Aaron
when i had my 'insect screen' fitted, i did not notice any increase in engine temperature.
