Mounting Coroplast for a Grill Block

[GasSavers_Jack]

Just got 'er done. Got my foglights installed at the same time however I didnt yet wire those to the switch due to some problems getting the wire into the cabin.





Yes I know it looks like crap zip-tied on but I am more for function than looks anyway.

[UfoTofU]

I plan to do this as soon as I can find some coroplast.

I have an 88 CRX and the front end looks nearly the same as Ben's over on his writeup :

http://crxmpg.com/grillblock.html

You can see from the pictures of his front bumber that Ben's intake space is divided into 3 horizontal sections. He covered his by leaving a square opening in the middle.

Mine is divided into two spaces :



The red outlined portion is the area that I would like to block off rather than leave a square opening in the middle. I think it will look a bit cleaner. My radiator spans the whole width of the intake area and I would effectively be blocking off roughly half of the area.

I live in Maine and it's been average about 65 or so during the day and dropping to the forties at night. I have a 21 mile commute but never get up over 3k RPMs and usually cruise at 55 MPH @ 2.5k RPMs (I have an automatic). The temp gauge on my dash always reads at 1/3 of the way up. Do you guys think that it woudl be OK to do this?

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

[GasSavers_Jack]

Originally Posted by UfoTofU

I plan to do this as soon as I can find some coroplast.

I have an 88 CRX and the front end looks nearly the same as Ben's over on his writeup :

http://crxmpg.com/grillblock.html

You can see from the pictures of his front bumber that Ben's intake space is divided into 3 horizontal sections. He covered his by leaving a square opening in the middle.

Mine is divided into two spaces :



The red outlined portion is the area that I would like to block off rather than leave a square opening in the middle. I think it will look a bit cleaner. My radiator spans the whole width of the intake area and I would effectively be blocking off roughly half of the area.

I live in Maine and it's been average about 65 or so during the day and dropping to the forties at night. I have a 21 mile commute but never get up over 3k RPMs and usually cruise at 55 MPH @ 2.5k RPMs (I have an automatic). The temp gauge on my dash always reads at 1/3 of the way up. Do you guys think that it woudl be OK to do this?

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

I am sure you will be ok leaving that space. I just blocked off all of mine. I am just going to watch my temp gauge a bit for a while. I have seen another civic here with the entire front blocked so I think I will be ok. If not time to cut in a hole.

[krousdb]

I have everything blocked except for a 4x2" area for the summer. I run completely blocked in the fall, winter and spring. You should have no problems.

[GasSavers_Jack]

Originally Posted by Jack

I am sure you will be ok leaving that space. I just blocked off all of mine. I am just going to watch my temp gauge a bit for a while. I have seen another civic here with the entire front blocked so I think I will be ok. If not time to cut in a hole.

****UPDATE**** My second day of driving the VX I was keeping carefull watch of the Temp gauge and if I had not I would have overheated it. So I had to pull over and cut the grill block off and toss it in the back of the car. So now I will cut holes in it and have to put it back on.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by Jack

****UPDATE**** My second day of driving the VX I was keeping carefull watch of the Temp gauge and if I had not I would have overheated it. So I had to pull over and cut the grill block off and toss it in the back of the car. So now I will cut holes in it and have to put it back on.

Can't really tell from the pic's but the red outline looks like you only blocked half the opening and it still over heated? Was it stop and go and how hot was the OAT. I've got a full block and it gets to 100 and the temps never gone over 213(the gauge never moves) which is where the fan kicks in. Most of the time it runs around 195-200.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by Jack

****UPDATE**** My second day of driving the VX I was keeping carefull watch of the Temp gauge and if I had not I would have overheated it. So I had to pull over and cut the grill block off and toss it in the back of the car. So now I will cut holes in it and have to put it back on.

That is surprising to me. I have both small side openings and the complete grill blocked except for 8 in2. My temp gauge didn't budge. What made you believe that you were about to overheat?

[GasSavers_Jack]

Originally Posted by krousdb

What made you believe that you were about to overheat?

I was going up a long hill and watched my temp gauge go from 2/5 (where all honda temp gauges seem to sit) to just under the red line (when I pulled over) in about 3 or 4 minutes) I am sure that if I continued I would have hit the red and bad things would have or could have happened.

[ZugyNA]

Danger Will Robinson!

I had my 3.0 L overheat in winter messing around with blocking the front.

Has an air dam and a rad that is slanted forward at about 45*. I covered the opening thru the dam where the air is forced in by the car's movement...but it was still open below it.

Problem is...this area is actually under a partial vacuum caused by the air dam.

No damage, but it was close.

If you don't see a lot of steam and bubbling it should mean that you didn't get it hot enough to create pockets of vapor...which is where the damage is done. Vapor doesn't remove heat.

[krousdb]

I'm just wondering if there isn't a problem with your cooling system. I have some long steep hills that I regularly drive with no problem.