Fly screen to protect radiator?

[KidDingo]

A quick question for those who might have some experience....

We intend to do a fair amount of summer highway driving. In order to protect the radiator from insects and the acids in their bodies, I am considering putting some fly screen behind the front grill as a temporary protective barrier.

Obviously, the main concern is a severe reduction of airflow through the radiator. But I'm not sure if it will be severe enough to cause problems, or if the screen will allow enough air to flow through so as to be no problem at all.

Has anyone ever tried this? Any idea if it works?

[brackie1]

I have not tried it, but these babies are prone to overheating under the best of conditions. Guess I would use as open a mesh screen that Icould find. just saying.

[carl]

I don't think many of us thought that bugs in the radiator would be a problem but you could try some screen door screen attached to your stock grill and see what happens.

My Miata didn't even have the grill that spiders have and never noticed a problem.....how many bugs fly at 1-2 feet off the deck?

carl

[toplessexpat]

Why not just check the radiator at each stop and scrub off the bugs?

[KidDingo]

I don't think many of us thought that bugs in the radiator would be a problem but you could try some screen door screen attached to your stock grill and see what happens.

My Miata didn't even have the grill that spiders have and never noticed a problem.....how many bugs fly at 1-2 feet off the deck?

carl

The flying insects here tend to be lazy and don't get a lot of clearance.

I'm hoping to avoid having to pick insects out of the radiator, and just pull a loaded screen out when I get home, much like a lint filter on a clothes dryer.

I might give it a whirl and see what happens.

[manoa matt]

I've done it with aluminum screen material. Pulled off single wires from the screen to wire it to the back of the grill. After having the radiator re-cored I wanted extra protection. I have a stock 78 motor, 34ADF carb, electronic ignition, 4-2-1 exhaust and removed the heater core. Its hot year round here and I've never experienced the engine even getting hotter than normal, it actually runs on the cool side.

Run it with the screen, if it runs hotter than normal, install a cooler radiator fan switch to activate the fan at a lower temp.

[KidDingo]

I've done it with aluminum screen material. Pulled off single wires from the screen to wire it to the back of the grill. After having the radiator re-cored I wanted extra protection. I have a stock 78 motor, 34ADF carb, electronic ignition, 4-2-1 exhaust and removed the heater core. Its hot year round here and I've never experienced the engine even getting hotter than normal, it actually runs on the cool side.

Run it with the screen, if it runs hotter than normal, install a cooler radiator fan switch to activate the fan at a lower temp.

There's the voice of experience I was hoping for!

Thanks, Matt. Will follow your example. Have already installed the lower temp fan switch, so I'm good to go.