Active Grill Shutter Fin Removal - Better Than I Thought.

[Different Drummer]

Anyone know what the stock t-stat is rated?

I have also been trying to get this information. So far I have not been able to locate a definitive answer. Just speculation and numbers that are from Jeep forums for the Pentastar use in jeeps.. I do know that if you go to NAPA and ask for a replacement Housing / thermostat that it is listed as 195*F.
That is as close as I have been able to get to a figure. After driving all day in 90*F Temps. with the center section of AGS removed I predominately saw 199*F coolant Temp. So 195*F seems like a reasonable number. I know that under those same conditions my coolant and oil temps would have been in the 220-230 range and maybe higher.

 

[OLEJOE]

The shutters on my 22’ remain open after the test cycle. I believe, don’t really know, that they stay open until truck reaches 35-40 mph. They may close if the ambient temp gets below a certain point but it’s not been that cold here yet.

 

[theclassic]

Any updates on this? Thanks

 

[theclassic]

Any updates on this? Thanks

 

[theclassic]

This is my truck with shutters in. Normal driving.

 

[Southlake]

Thought I would throw this out there. Live in the south and the heat and humidity are relentless all summer. In town I expect the engine temps to fluctuate, but it never sat well with me on the interstate. I get it, aerodynamics etc. Still, I never thought it was doing the drivetrain any good at a steady 80mph, heating up and cooling down over and over.

I've owned the truck for a few years now and it's not had any problems, but I decided to finish paying it off and run her till she drops. Accordingly, making some changes for longevity seemed worth it.

Last month, middle of the worst heat, it's clear that she feels more peppy BEFORE she's run for a long time and the engine and trans are heat soaked. I looked at the mods on YouTube for the Active Grill Shutter delete and really didn't feel like drilling and buying some kit etc. One I found, the guy just took out 6 fins and left the Active Grill Shutter as is. He left the top 2, middle 2 and bottom 2 fins and there was just 6 fins left, top row, middle row and bottom row. So, the AGS system kept working as intended, but only operated 3 rows. Maybe it took me 30 minutes. Boosted Motorsports also has a grill removal video on YouTube, it was easy! The motor still runs those 3 rows of fins and no codes get thrown but now, like, 90% of the radiator is open all the time.

Here's what I DID NOT expect! I did not do it for any other reason than keeping the temperatures more evened out so it would hopefully lower stress and last longer. Now, even on those miserable hot humid days, the temps all stay lower. Highway at 70 or 80 mph and she runs at 199 - STEADY. It feels like it's got more pep ALL the time. She used to bounce between 7th and 8th gear on the highway, all the time. Now she just hops into 8th and stays. My average MPG was pretty much always in the 18 MPG area, now it's low 21 MPG.

I think some of these performance things people get, like the cold air intake, they buy it believing it'll bring more power. The engine sound changes a bit, so they think it has more power, when it doesn't. I didn't do this expecting any performance or fuel economy added, but I think the lower temps might help performance more than expected. If you're thinking about the mod, just do the FREE one and delete 6 fins. It's been a month now and it's not just a fluke... it's been a consistent improvement.

How do you remove the fins. Can you point to a website or video. Thanks. I also live in florida.

 

[theclassic]

Active Grill Shutter "Partial Removal" Temperatures

Hello all. I am well aware that this information is already on other threads. After reading them the few threads that had some good info I decided to post my findings here and what I did. I figured the more places the info can be found the better. The truck New 2021 Ram 1500 Classic, 5.7l...

www.ramforum.com

 

[ChiefPepe]

my 2019 4th gen 3.6 lost 1/2 gallon coolant since new. dealer says it evaps thru rad cap.. you cansmell slightly when hood is up. 18,000 miles , thinking of removing shutters and getting a new cap. dealer didnt offer to replace it cause its "normal"

 

[Colt4thHorseman]

Does this mod affect fuel mileage? Thanks

Yes it does…..005 miles per gallon. Not a typo.
I posted the engineer answer to that question on a recent post. Yep, that is right. .005 miles per gallon.
I read what the engineer said, and my AGS came off that day.

 

[Yardbird]

Just bought my truck a few weeks ago. Didn't know it had the active shutters until I read here.

I checked my coolant temp Saturday at 45 MPH...213 deg.

Sunday, removed all but the top and bottom shutter. Took all of 20 minutes total.

Feel much better now. Haven't driven it to see what the new temp will be, but if 213 with what little bit I drove it, I hate to think what it would have gotten to pulling a hill.

This can't be good for the oil or the engine.

 

[corneileous]

Just bought my truck a few weeks ago. Didn't know it had the active shutters until I read here.

I checked my coolant temp Saturday at 45 MPH...213 deg.

Sunday, removed all but the top and bottom shutter. Took all of 20 minutes total.

Feel much better now. Haven't driven it to see what the new temp will be, but if 213 with what little bit I drove it, I hate to think what it would have gotten to pulling a hill.

This can't be good for the oil or the engine.

I dunno, living up there in maple leaf country, you might like the shutters when it gets cold. I live down here in Oklahoma and even though it rarely gets down into the teens around here in the winter, it does get a little chilly and it "seems" like the engine does warm up a little faster when the AGS is left intact.

It seems to me that if a person was that serious about reducing their coolant temps that instead of removing the AGS, replacing the stock thermostat with a 180 or 190° one would be the better route because when I partially deleted my AGS- the same way you did, it only reduced my coolant temps by maybe 3-5°. The engine oil temp was still around 220°.

 

[Wild one]

I dunno, living up there in maple leaf country, you might like the shutters when it gets cold. I live down here in Oklahoma and even though it rarely gets down into the teens around here in the winter, it does get a little chilly and it "seems" like the engine does warm up a little faster when the AGS is left intact.

It seems to me that if a person was that serious about reducing their coolant temps that instead of removing the AGS, replacing the stock thermostat with a 180 or 190° one would be the better route because when I partially deleted my AGS- the same way you did, it only reduced my coolant temps by maybe 3-5°. The engine oil temp was still around 220°.

The shutters are just as easy to re-install.You make it sound like removing them is permanent,not so.Lots of guys pull the shutters in the summer,and re-install them in the fall when temps drop.It also amazes me how many guys think installing a cooler thermostat in the summer is also permanent,when it's easy enough to re-install the factory thermostat back for the colder temps. Hell i install a 180 t-stat in our 300 in the spring,then put the original 203 back in for the winter,also helps keep the anti-freeze fresh by topping off with new anti-freeze twice a year.

 

[corneileous]

The shutters are just as easy to re-install.You make it sound like removing them is permanent,not so.Lots of guys pull the shutters in the summer,and re-install them in the fall when temps drop.It also amazes me how many guys think installing a cooler thermostat in the summer is also permanent,when it's easy enough to re-install the factory thermostat back for the colder temps. Hell i install a 180 t-stat in our 300 in the spring,then put the original 203 back in for the winter,also helps keep the anti-freeze fresh by topping off with new anti-freeze twice a year.

I apologize for making it sound like it was a permanent thing but that’s not what I intended for it to sound like when I recommended the thermostat but I guess unless I did it wrong, I removed my whole grille and set it upside down on the kitchen table when I removed all the louvers so yes indeed, if there’s an easier way to do it then share. But then again I figured since removing the louvers on my truck only reduced the temperature by 3 to 5 degrees, why bother messing with the AGS is the first place since the thermostat gives much better results.

 

[Wild one]

I apologize for making it sound like it was a permanent thing but that’s not what I intended for it to sound like when I recommended the thermostat but I guess unless I did it wrong, I removed my whole grille and set it upside down on the kitchen table when I removed all the louvers so yes indeed, if there’s an easier way to do it then share. But then again I figured since removing the louvers on my truck only reduced the temperature by 3 to 5 degrees, why bother messing with the AGS is the first place since the thermostat gives much better results.

Pop the plastic rad cover off,and you can reach down and remove them with the grill in place.Even removing the grill isn't a big deal on the trucks if you find it easier to get at them that way.You're making it sound like it's a hell'va job,you waste more time making coffee's during the day,then you would doing the shutter delete
lol

 

[corneileous]

Pop the plastic rad cover off,and you can reach down and remove them with the grill in place.Even removing the grill isn't a big deal on the trucks if you find it easier to get at them that way.You're making it sound like it's a hell'va job,lol

Still sounds like far too much of a job to me to fool with them that often. That’s why I said if you want cooler results, drop in a cooler thermostat and be done with it. Hell, the truck will probably run better but if you find it not so much a big deal to fiddle with the grille and those louvers twice a year then by all means, do it. I was just tryin’ to help the guy out if he really wanted his truck to run cooler and maybe if he wanted to take advantage of the quicker warm-up in the winter.

 

[pacofortacos]

Actually unless you remove some or all of the shutters the lower temp thermostat doesn't do much either.
I did like Wild One said and just removed the 2 or 3 rows below the top one - I can't remember which.
However with both stock fans, my temp stays in the 200-204 range practically all of the time (stock stat).

I had a 190 stat with all of the shutters in for a little while - it pretty much just created larger temp swings. I don't remember if it was with both fans or just electric though.

 

[Wild one]

Still sounds like far too much of a job to me to fool with them that often. That’s why I said if you want cooler results, drop in a cooler thermostat and be done with it. Hell, the truck will probably run better but if you find it not so much a big deal to fiddle with the grille and those louvers twice a year then by all means, do it. I was just tryin’ to help the guy out if he really wanted his truck to run cooler and maybe if he wanted to take advantage of the quicker warm-up in the winter.

I don't think there's a colder thermostat available for the 3.6,i might be wrong,but this is all i've been able to find for 3.6 thermostats,and it looks like it's a complete assembly.

2014-2024 Ram Thermostat Housing 4893865AC | Mopar eStore

2014-2024 Ram Thermostat Housing 4893865AC

store.mopar.com

 

[corneileous]

I don't think there's a colder thermostat available for the 3.6,i might be wrong,but this is all i've been able to find for 3.6 thermostats,and it looks like it's a complete assembly.

2014-2024 Ram Thermostat Housing 4893865AC | Mopar eStore

2014-2024 Ram Thermostat Housing 4893865AC

store.mopar.com

Being that he didn’t specify and being that I haven’t heard anybody say anything about the V6’s running hot like the 5.7, I just automatically assumed he was talking about the Hemi so in that case, being that he doesn’t have the mechanical fan, I wonder if Alfa OBD can change the threshold on when the AGS opens up being that I’ve read that you can use Alfa OBD to change when the electric fan kicks on.

 

[Wild one]

Being that he didn’t specify and being that I haven’t heard anybody say anything about the V6’s running hot like the 5.7, I just automatically assumed he was talking about the Hemi so in that case, being that he doesn’t have the mechanical fan, I wonder if Alfa OBD can change the threshold on when the AGS opens up being that I’ve read that you can use Alfa OBD to change when the electric fan kicks on.

Did you happen to notice this is in the 3.6 section,common sense would tell you,that it's the 3.6 that's being referred to.Have you been under a rock lately,lots of guys are yelling about how hot their 3.6's are running.

 

[corneileous]

Did you happen to notice this is in the 3.6 section,common sense would tell you,that it's the 3.6 that's being referred to.Have you been under a rock lately,lots of guys are yelling about how hot their 3.6's are running.

Well, what do you think? But no, I did not notice this was in the V6 section so sue me. And no, I’ve only heard about the Hemi guys complaining about how hot their engines run but you know, now that you so kindly pointed out that this was the V6 section, I guess it is true the V6 guys are complaining about the same thing… Who knew.

A lot of people don’t seem to pay attention sometimes to particular sections so don’t act like I’m the first one to do it.