Grille Shutter Delete? Want to maximize cooling

[BlueBronco]

This thread is asking about deleting them to lower temps, and I was wondering if coolant temps seemed a bit high.

Intake temps not operating temps. Has nothing to do with coolant and thermostats.

Shudders exist to control engine warm up via higher intake temps. Also to aid in aerodynamics. They don't control air flow over the radiator. OP wants cooler intake temps not engine operating temps.

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[UM_Ftown]

Just something I never asked for, like ASS or the excess airbags

Ford doesn't really care that you live in the 1960's though?

 

[Lèòn]

Ford doesn't really care that you live in the 1960's though?

If Ford listened, we’d have V8s and sticks instead of Ecoboosts

 

[bronco100]

The shudders are just part of a big piece of molded plastic held in by 4 bolts and is easily removable (if you don't have the lux package and integrated radar sensor). Just remove it and if your Bronco throws a code I would just strip out the motor, plug it back in and zip tie it somewheres out of the way.

Looks hefty. Wonder how much weight is saved by deleting it?

 

[BlueBronco]

Looks hefty. Wonder how much weight is saved by deleting it?

Probably 3 pounds. It is just molded plastic

 

[AZ_Liberty]

Why is it useless?

Because just like the POS electric fan on my old Jeep, it's another moving part that can fail, and cause the vehicle to overheat.

I have never in my life wanted a radiator to cool less. We even used to pull the thermostats out to keep things running cooler, though I haven't had to do that in a while.

But I live somewhere where it is routinely 116 in the shade.

 

[LethalPerformance]

Morning, how are ya guys?

Simply put, never use eco mode and wanna maximize cooling when I get my intercooler as I'm doing the stock location, so whats needed, do I need to FORScan it or is it just rip some pieces out but also keep something to trick the unit?

Thanks in Advance

The Whipple megacooler comes with a bracket to relocate the sensor in front of the intercooler and also relocates the motor for the shutters. You remove the shutters completely.
https://www.lethalperformance.com/w...r-intercooler-2021-ford-bronco-2-7l-2-3l.html

 

[BlueBronco]

I have never in my life wanted a radiator intercooler to cool less..

FIFY. Shutters control flow to the intercooler, not the radiator. OP is wants to maximize intercooler cooling.

 

[kodiakisland]

Intercooler from the turbo that cools intake air, allowing denser air for better burn, not radiator cooling.
Engine temps and intercooler are not the same thing.

 

[Lèòn]

and if I were to just take the unit out without a plug, there’d be a cell.

anyone just sell a kit without the whipple intercooler

 

[strunkkl1993]

I removed the air shutters just last week for additional cooling. The removal was extremely easy as you can simply leave the servo in place and remove the louvers themselves.

I tow a small travel trailer and have found at ambient temperatures less than 70F the air shutters were completely closed at highway speeds. The intercooler did a good enough job at cooling but the sustained warmer air was enough to drive up the engine oil temp to rise to 230F+. At ambient temperatures over 70F my engine oil temperatures would fall to 195F and I found fuel economy to be improved.

Since removing the air shutters my engine oil temperature has remained around 200F while towing at all temperatures and my fuel economy while towing as increased to ~14MPG. Another added benefit is I’ve increased about 1MPG when not towing to around 20.6MPG average.

Hope this helps you. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[spuddy59]

I removed the air shutters just last week for additional cooling. The removal was extremely easy as you can simply leave the servo in place and remove the louvers themselves.

I tow a small travel trailer and have found at ambient temperatures less than 70F the air shutters were completely closed at highway speeds. The intercooler did a good enough job at cooling but the sustained warmer air was enough to drive up the engine oil temp to rise to 230F+. At ambient temperatures over 70F my engine oil temperatures would fall to 195F and I found fuel economy to be improved.

Since removing the air shutters my engine oil temperature has remained around 200F while towing at all temperatures and my fuel economy while towing as increased to ~14MPG. Another added benefit is I’ve increased about 1MPG when not towing to around 20.6MPG average.

Hope this helps you. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

How do you pop off the louvers? I disconnected the motor when I replaced the intercooler but I couldn't easily see how to remove either the shroud or the louvers so they just stay in the open position.

 

[strunkkl1993]

How do you pop off the louvers? I disconnected the motor when I replaced the intercooler but I couldn't easily see how to remove either the shroud or the louvers so they just stay in the open position.

After removing the front bumper you can remove the (4) 8mm bolts holding the air dam and assembly which contains the air shutter assembly (you don’t have to disconnect the electrical cable to the servo motor). From the back side of the assembly you can press the tabs on the outside of the louvers and then pull them outward away from the servo motor. The 4 louvers are vertically connected to one another so you will have to pop off the clip at the top of the assembly to remove the top louvers. Once complete you can re-install the air dam assembly and the front bumper.

There are some good installation videos for the Whipple kit on YouTube that helped me through the process.

 

[BlueBronco]

I tow a small travel trailer and have found at ambient temperatures less than 70F the air shutters were completely closed at highway speeds. The intercooler did a good enough job at cooling but the sustained warmer air was enough to drive up the engine oil temp to rise to 230F+. At ambient temperatures over 70F my engine oil temperatures would fall to 195F and I found fuel economy to be improved.

Since removing the air shutters my engine oil temperature has remained around 200F while towing at all temperatures and my fuel economy while towing as increased to ~14MPG. Another added benefit is I’ve increased about 1MPG when not towing to around 20.6MPG average.

Interesting that higher intake temps from the closed louvers would have such a dramatic result on oil temperature.

 

[strunkkl1993]

Interesting that higher intake temps from the closed louvers would have such a dramatic result on oil temperature.

Yeah I agree. I certainly don’t have enough knowledge of engines especially turbo charged motors to make sense of it but I’m sure someone on this forum can straighten it out for us.

I’ve been curious if it’s simply due to the overall increased temperatures in the engine bay because of the lack of air flow. I have a data logger and I’ve seen that the temperature at the air box increases ~30F when the louvers are closed versus open. I’m guessing if the engine bay is 30F warmer that would cause my motor to run warmer as well? I’m guessing the oil cooler can only do so much?

Another interesting thing is that my engine oil temperature under normal driving conditions has been between 187F and 192F over the last 25k miles. Since removing the louvers my engine oil temperature has been consistently around 180F. Again I can’t explain it but it’s what I’ve been experiencing the last week or so.

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