After spending most of my day cleaning bugs from the radiator (and condensor, trans cooler etc), I decided that I needed some kind of screen. I did a number of searches on various sites, and found that some who used screens had an increase in operating temps, while others did not. As I started looking at window screen, I noticed that it comes in two mesh sizes. Typical window screen is 18x16 mesh (number of strands per inch. Strand size is usually .011"). I also found that some of the light grey window screen comes in 18x14 mesh. I'm thinking that the 18x14 would flow air through the coolers much better than the 18x16. Mesh is measured by using a ruler and counting strands in an inch. My problem now is that I want black screen, but want the 18x14 mesh. None of the stores I found open today had such an animal. All the 18x14 is grey. For those who have used window screen for your radiator covers, did you happen to notice the mesh size? If so, is there such a thing as fiberglass charcoal 18x14 screen? Edited by: Roegs

I used aluminum charcoal screen. It was laying in my basement leftover from when they did my screeen porch back in 1990. Came from a huge 48" wide roll.

Roegs,


I made mine (http://community.webshots.com/photo/63497470/143988631ilyawe) from a cheap external tie-on type bug screen I found at Wal-Mart. The screen was designed to cover the whole front end so there was more than enough for making a behind the grille screen. The screen also has larger holes than conventional window screen. I made mine such that it's held in place with velcro loops (http://community.webshots.com/photo/63497470/143988838fOKlOT) on the screen and hooks (http://community.webshots.com/photo/63497470/143989277zfIuuy) behind the grille.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif

Remeber this will restrict air flow quiet a bit so if you tow heavy loads keep that in mind. For a test just open a screen door when the wind is blowing hard and you will see what I mean.





Greg

I have heard that conventional bug screen restricts as much as 50%. Something like what jbplock did would probably be best.

I used the screen behind the grill technique, at first it rose my tranny temps by about 10-20 degrees. I then cut out the area of the tranny cooler being covered. Temps went down, but not back to where they were before the screen. I took it out last April because it had alot of bugs on it from road trips. Hit a swarm of bees a while back and that made me finally pull it. I'm looking for a screen with larger openings to avoid bringing up temps. Nice to know that the screens come in different sizes.


LA DMAX

I am using the Lund plastic grille screens. I think the transmission runs a bit hotter with them in place, but remove them when towing the trailer. Running MT today 98 degrees, screens in place, 75 mph, eng temp 194, trans 170 max in hills. Air Conditioner still sucks though..........60 degree air at best

This was my solution for my 2002:

1. Take off the top plastic shroud (pop up 7 plastic buttons)
2. Remove grille (turn 5 plastic hold downs and R&R one bolt)
3. Take a piece of black bug screen 3.5' x 2' and stretch it
over the 5 plastic pegs on the back of the grille piece.
I purchased it at Orchard Supply Hardware store.
4. Cut small openings in the screening where the hold downs are located.
5. Cut edges of screening to fit only the interior grille area.
6. Replace the grille, then the shroud

Total Cost: $1.98

The bug screen is completely hidden, and when it gets
clogged with bugs I use a power wash to remove them.
If it is really bad, it's easy to replace.

It has never affected my tranny or engine temps and I've
pulled my trailer up some heavy grades during the hot
summer months.

Pictures of install at:
http://community.webshots.com/album/66442811RZerfP
Edited by: 56Nomad

I spent most of the day working on this, and have looked at more screen than most probably do in a lifetime. Here are my thoughts:


1. As mentioned above, there are 2 sizes of window screen. In the Minneapolis area, the largest fiberglass mesh I could find was 18x14. This is what I installed today, using a method similar to 56nomad's. My 2003 GMC grill was not all that easy to remove. If this screen does not work, I'll go to an external solution over the front of the grill.


2. I did a very quick test (very un-scientific) having my daughter hold a piece of screen out the window while I drove down the freeway. There was some resistance, but IMHO, not 50%.


3. Any kind of covering will offer air resistance. Keep in mind however that bugs, small stones, paper, cottenweed, etc (all the junk I cleaned out of my radiator) also offer wind resistance. A person needs to decide which poison is worse...


4. I looked at one of the automotive bug screen kits today. I measured the size, and it was 18x16 mesh. Each corner had a gromet to assist mounting. Otherwise is was plain window screen. JBPLOCK...I'd be interested to see what your mesh is sometime when you take yours out for cleaning etc.


5. I spoke with a tech at FIA (www.gofia.com (http://www.gofia.com)) today. They make the screens for Cabelas, etc. He told me they use a 11x9 mesh. I saw one of their screens at Camping World and measured it. It was standard 18x16 mesh.


6. If the 18x14 mesh I installed in the grill today causes higher temps, there are two other screens I will try. One is from www.windtrapper.com (http://www.windtrapper.com), and the other is http://www.redden-net.com/vexar.cfm. I guess the vexar is used at a lot of grocery stores as netting (I think red) under pre-packaged meat.


Thanks for all the comments on this!Edited by: Roegs

I have a solution for your bug problem...move to New Mexico...I think all of the bugs are dead from no rainhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

... I looked at one of the automotive bug screen kits today. I measured the size, and it was 18x16 mesh. Each corner had a gromet to assist mounting. Otherwise is was plain window screen. JBPLOCK...I'd be interested to see what your mesh is sometime when you take yours out for cleaning etc.


Roegs,


I measured a left over piece of screen from the kit I used and it has 16 strands per inch - holes are 1/16 inch square. They are smaller than I thought http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Embarrased.gif ... Time for new bi-focoal's...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


Also, The Dupont Vexar screen (3/16 mesh) you found looks pretty good! I may tinker with my setup this week to see if I can notice a difference in temps with and without it on. Temps are supposed to be in the 90's. If I see a difference then I can justify buying some new material. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


Edited by: jbplock

My solution,


Take the factory winter front you received from GM. Cut out the center section with the logo in it. Go to screen supply store and acquire the largest opening material available. Have it stitched in(or stitch it yourself if you have the machine). The beauty about this method is it looks very clean and factory. It snaps on and off in seconds with no visible hardware showing. This also allows you the flexibilty of pulling it on and off anywhere. Typically after I was clear of the central valley area here in California and was heading towards the desert I would take the screen off. My coolers are free of all bug remains. This also protects the rocks from penetrating cores as well.


I have pictures if you are interested. My entire cost for modifying the upper piece of the winter front was ~ $25.00


Jeff

Duramax Dually...I'll be doing your method if my screen behind the grill does not work out. The hard part seems to be finding screen that is slightly larger than standard window screen. So far Vexar screen seems to look like a candidate. I may go to the grocery store this evening to see if they use it in the meat section. Apparently many do.


jbplock...thanks for checking your screen mesh. Please let us know how your testing goes next week. I'd be very interested. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

Just a quick update on my behind the grill screen (18x14). Took a 300 mile camping trip this past weekend towing oour 7800 lb travel trailer through Wisconsin (some rolling hills). Outside temp was 88 degrees. I did not notice any higher temps for either the engine or transmission. In fact, my family noted how cold the AC was, and asked if I could turn it down!


I liked having the screen in place every time a bug splatted on the winshield, knowing that those critters will no longer clog the coolers under the hood. I picked up an extra winter front cover so that I have one if I decide to try making a vexar based screen that would go in front of the grill (same way others have modified their winter fronts). For now, the 'behind the grille' method is working great.Edited by: Roegs

Roegs,


Thanks for the update! I haven't had a chance to compare my temps with and without the 18x16 mesh screen yet. I'm guessing I won't see any difference running unloaded seeing you didn't see any differences while towing your trailer with the 18x14.


Also, I saw a nice add-on screen on a GMC the other day. It was custom fit to the Grille opening and mounted on the outside. Not sure how it attached but it looked pretty nice.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

Roegs wrote in part:

"I did not notice any higher temps for either the engine or transmission"

As I have previously posted, my bug screen has not raised the temps at
all. We have travelled thru some incredible grades along with very
high summer time temperatures...... desert and Sierra Nevada's .

No bugs and all my coolers look brand new!

I saw some really nice screen yesterday that looks as if it would be the perfect size for the front grille installation. Its larger than window screen, but small enough to catch the bugs. Problem is, I don;t know where to get more...its the screen in the air intake just below the bottom of the windshield. In my '03 (and I suspect others), GM has this great looking black screen to keep out leaves, twigs, etc. In my opinion, its the perfect size and would provide minimal resistance to air flow. I like what I have now, but any blockage from cottenwood trees, and other lint types of debris could begin to block air. GM's screen would help prevent this...but I'm sure the chances of finding who makes it are slim to none.

I just ordered a bug screen 4x4 (I hope it's big enough). It is fiberglass screen designed specifically to be used as an automotive bug screen. I should have it in a couple days. I will let you know how it works out.

Max Power...I'll be interested to see what you think. What brand did you order?

fia

Max Power...see my notes on Fia screen sizes above. Please let us know what the screen size they use. Thanks!

Will do!

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif It is just normal bug screen. If anything the holes are smaller http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif At least it's black.

Max Power...thanks for the update. In a way its nice to see that they are using normal screen, as it 'semi' confirms that normal screen will not impact the air flow that much. (I'm assuming that a company that sells bug screens has done some homework on air flow) Let us know how it works when you hook up your 5ver.

Maybe I will remove every second strand to allow more airflow. http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif Edited by: Max Power

Max Power,


Just remove the ones that are REALLY blocking airflow instead.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


Dennis

I was not really looking into the bug screen till the trip out to Montana and back.

On the way back we went through and irrigated section at night and I had to stop and clean off the windshield because it got so bad.

The next morning I took it to the car wash and spent the first $1.50 just getting the bugs of the front end. I have never seen bugs that bad.

Then that night going through Minnesota was almost as bad.

So I guess I am going to be rethinking the whole thing now.

Greg

Greg...my situation was similar to yours, except on a smaller scale. I took off the front grille to clean the coolers, and hope to not have to do that job again. I sure enjoyed just brushing bugs off of the screen on my last camping trip. There have been a number of good ideas mentioned here. Let us know if you come up with anything new.