Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Has any one out there hollowed out the heater grid

[Huff N Puff]

To improve the flow of air, looks very restrictive to me . I know in colder weather you'd need it, but in the hotter weather if it would increase horse power and drop EGT's was wondering if any one had tried it. Would appreciate any input. Merv

 

[Diesel Freak]

I only know of one person that has done it.



Maybe they will chime in

 

[keimmmo]

I think a light bulb just lit up in my head! I have been wondering why the ones who connect the boost gauge in the air horn seem to get higher readings than those who connect it to the intake manifold. That grid could be the reason! I would hate to take it out on my street driven truck, but it might be worth it for the competition guys.



This also makes me all the more sure that I want to install my boost gauge in the manifold. That will measure the boost the motor sees better than in the air horn.



Steve

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I haven't really had occasion to closely inspect the grid heaters in relation to potential airflow restrictions - but as I recall my intake system theory, intake flow when supplied under significant PRESSURE behaves quite differently than when under vacuum - as in carbureted gas rigs - and FAR less streamlining, smoothing or porting is needed, or beneficial for reasonable airflow - if so, I doubt the grid heaters are likely to really sacrifice much efficiency or boost psi.



On my old '91 Dodge, it had no intercooler, being an early '91 - I added the Banks intercooler, and even with all the ductwork and intercooler itself, only lost 2 psi max to the intake manifold...

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Some time ago I tested a dual air intake setup and did not put a heater grid into it. Splitting into two intakes from one line coming from the intercooler sounded good, but the dyno didn't care at all. So, it doesn't seem that the dyno cares about the heater grid either. I have my stock grid in my Ram and am using the stock air intake setup.

 

[RobbyRam]

I saw HVAC's rig and he has the grid heater disconnected and therefore only needs one battery. (Half Moon Bay is not that cold).

Anyway, you might ask Nowell about this. I can't remember if it was still there.

Bob

 

[Whitmore]

I can only relate on this topic speaking in fluid flows so this may be different, on a liquid pump doing flow measurments it makes no diff in flow with a 50 mesh screen or a 20 mesh screen. This blew me away because a 50 mesh (50 squares per inch) looks like almost like a blind plate

Now on air flow, we do at our plant have alot of air blowers our here and they all have in place a flow measurment device that looks like honeycombs being about 3/8 of an inch each and is usually 2" thick, they fill the whole circumfrence of the inner pipe, to get the flow calculation it measures the DP across the device just like an orfice plate would for liquids. The DP is so minimual that it doesnt even represent a minute fraction of the flow.

The answer can be found simply by someone measuring the psi before and after the grid heaters, this will give you the delta-p



My guess is that you will not see squat on a normal gauge, you would need one that breaks down to ounces.



Mdemello------------------Kudeos to you for the thinking outside the cab hehehehehe



cheers, Kevin

 

[Huff N Puff]

Hey Joe

I'm not sure the dyno is a sure way of evaluating air flow and boost, cause I can consistantly attain 48psi of boost on a 1/4milerun, but cant break 40psi on the dyno. Merv

 

[ob1kobi]

Merv,



Andy from Advanced Diesel Technologies has removed his heater grid, give him a call and talk to him about it.



Just a word of advise, my turbo used to hit 48 PSI consistantly also, then it stopped. Now I have a new turbo that i don't push that high anymore. You have a very strong truck there. Give me a call if your ever over my way over the winter. By the way, I never said thanks for all the help you gave me that day at the Big Rig National a few months back.



Take Care,

Ted

 

[HVAC]

Robbyram

I removed my grid heaters and the block that houses them. Then I added my custom 4" intake from the CAC to the head. The High Ram has nuthin' on this



This is pretty old news. Prolly been about three years that I've been minus grid heaters.