Cutting back on radiator drag

[basjoos]

Sorry about the repeat portings, I am having some slow connection problems with my dial-up service this evening and thought the posting hadn't gone through.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by basjoos

Sorry about the repeat portings, I am having some slow connection problems with my dial-up service this evening and thought the posting hadn't gone through.

I think it's not just you. THe server is slowly getting more sluggish. I'm officially taking my quest to find a better server seriously starting tomorrow.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by basjoos

krousdb, I have been going to the www.cleanmpg.com site and haven't had any problems with accessing other boards. I'll keep working on the problem and see what I can work out.

Basjoos, are you still having problems accessing cleanMPG?

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

if you engine kill a lot then you don't have to worry about engine over heating right? But wouldn't that prevent the cooling system from circulating in the engine? How about that Oil?

basjoos and krousdb can you post pics of your block? I wonder if it distracts from the car's image?

My Prius has had a bazillion starts and stops. At 63K miles, it has never been back to the dealership since the day it left. I do my own oil changes. No problems so far.

YOu can see my grille block in one of the pics in the Airspeed Indicator thread. Currently, it is made from a spare roof shingle. Soon it will be made from coroplast.

[basjoos]

I still can't log on. My username and password are apparently registered on the board, because if I enter a different username and/or password or use a different combination of lower/upper case letters, it gives me a "invalid username or password" page. When I use the correct usename and password, I first get a "Thank you for logging in" page, then it goes to the "You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page" page. Maybe my account never got activated? E-mails have been known to vanish in the aether.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

if you engine kill a lot then you don't have to worry about engine over heating right?

i have noticed that doing more engine-off coasting has resulted in my cooling fan coming on more frequently. but i think this has less to do with the grille block, and more to do with shutting off the engine after a high-load event:

if i go a couple of blocks between 2 stops, i'll accelerate approximately halfway, then kill the engine and coast to the next stop. in other words, the engine is killed just after a relatively high load (and i mean relatively - accelerating at a gentle pace), when it's generating more heat.

that heat isn't immediately dissipated because the water pump stops pumping when the engine stops (unlike the prius, which has an electric pump, and which may continue pumping after the motor is shut off).

what this means is FAS *may* subject a normal motor to higher temperature peaks and hot soaks than normal driving. also, since the stationary coolant in the radiator cools more rapidly with the engine off while coasting, the engine is subjected to wider coolant temperature fluctuations when restarted than an engine driven constantly.

it reminds me of a bit of advice a knowledgeable old timer gave me once, which is you shouldn't shut an engine off immediately after exiting the highway (high load) because the cooling system won't have had the chance to dissipate the built up heat.

whether it stresses engine components (head, head gasket?) to the point of affecting longevity, i can't answer.

something to think about.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by basjoos

I still can't log on. My username and password are apparently registered on the board, because if I enter a different username and/or password or use a different combination of lower/upper case letters, it gives me a "invalid username or password" page. When I use the correct usename and password, I first get a "Thank you for logging in" page, then it goes to the "You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page" page. Maybe my account never got activated? E-mails have been known to vanish in the aether.

I sent Tom another message. I will get back to you with what he says.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by krousdb

I sent Tom another message. I will get back to you with what he says.

Basjoos,
Please check your private messages. I will send you something.