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JK Show & TellWhether they're just poser shots in your driveway or hardcore action shots on the trail, if you've got photos or videos of your Jeep JK Wrangler (or any JK for that matter that you think is worth showing off, inside or out), we want to see them so please post them here! Likewise, if you are wanting to see a photo of something specific like an aftermarket JK part or poser shot with a specific setup, this is the place to ask for it.
I recently bought and installed my new grill insert.
When my friend and I were preparing to drive our Jeeps to the Arctic Ocean a couple years ago, we were concerned about rock damage to the air conditioner condenser (that "radiator" you see behind the grill). We knew we'd be driving hundreds of miles on roads infamous for such damage. So, we checked out various grill inserts, using Torque Pro to monitor the Jeep engine coolant temperature sensor on a Nexus 7 tablet. Ultimately, after finding that they increased engine coolant temperature about 20° on the 3.6L motor, causing the engine coolant fan to run in high speed mode almost constantly, we decided to use chicken wire instead. Later we discovered better inserts made out of metal with a wire mesh with large openings, and these checked out fine. Now, when I point this out to folks who install something like that flag insert, I generally get the response back that they don't have any overheating problems. So, please don't bother telling me that. I know what we measured. I'd encourage you to also take measurements with and without that insert and decide if you really want it.
FYI, the Gladiator with the 3.6L motor had significant cooling system modifications and grill redesign because it was considered by Jeep engineers to be running too hot, and that's why the diesel Gladiator still doesn't haul as much as the Sport model: Too much heat. And the Gladiator 3.6L runs significantly cooler than a JK 3.6L--about another 20° (I own a JT, too). So, I bet you're running your engine about 40° hotter than Jeep redesigned the Gladiator cooling system for that same motor. I'd get it back to that 20° higher temperature; which is already problematic. Again, please don't believe me: Take some measurements.
EDIT: Oh, BTW, that friend also owns a Gladiator. He had a local shop make a flag decal that mounts to his hood. It looks really sharp. And doesn't affect the engine coolant temp. :-)
Last edited by Mark Doiron; 12-10-2020 at 01:18 AM.
I recently bought and installed my new grill insert.
+1 on Mark's comments above. If your goal was to block as much airflow to your tranny cooler/ac condensor/radiator, then I guess you picked a great insert. Any time you place something in front of that radiator you really need to think about the benefits vs drawbacks. Winches block a lot of flow too, but at least you get a lot of functionality out of them. In your case, you're killing your airflow in order to look at a flag design (I presume you aren't really worried about rocks like Mark is on his travels).
12-09-2020, 07:30 PM
