jbauch357

I did some searching and couldn't find much info...

Did a HPDE last weekend in my '02 Z06, the sun was shining and track temps were in the 80's.

My oil temp was getting up into the 290 range, but no warning lights. My trans temp warning light is the one that kept coming on, and requiring me to limp for 10 laps or so - or just go park it for a half hour.

I am going to pick up a Dewitt's radiator with oil cooler built in, but was wondering about the trans cooler portion. Is the built in trans cooler for manual transmissions? What would make the fluid cycle from all the way in the back of the car up front and then back to the trans again???

Thanks in advance for the help, and sorry if this topic has already been beaten to death.

Here are some vids from the day: http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...%20July%203rd/

C6400hp

I think GM offers a transmission pump as part of the T1 package. i wonder if that would work for circulating the fluid through the heat exchanger? let us know what you find out.

AU N EGL

Yes they do.

a seperate Trinton pump and seperate cooler up front.



Trans cooler left - Oil cooler right


Many guys take out the rear brake duct extensions and put the oil cooler in one side and a diff cooler on the other side. That way the lines are not that long as in going to a front cooler

gmblack3

Less downshifting and being smoother which will help you carry more speed thru the turns will reduce the tranny temp. When I first track my old 01 Z06, I had this issue. Once I became smoother and carried more speed thru the turns, I never had the issue again.

Also makes sure you change out the fluid if its the stock fluid. The stock fluid is not synthetic. Put some M1, Amsoil or redline in the tranny. The T-56 tranny requires ATF fluid. Buy 4 quarts and you will use 3.25 to refill.

Cobra4B

I've never seen a trans warning in 4 years of HPDE use. I run Amsoil syn ATF and this past year I had my exhaust all ceramic coated turbo black 2000 degree.

Last summer I blew an air tube off my header at VIR. Luckily my father was running his car so we both used it.

At the time his car was bone stock. I instantly started seeing trans temp warnings.

After that event we did a few small mods. We pulled the factory mid-pipe and wrapped it w/ header wrap covering the area that goes under the trans. We installed a tunnel plate w/ thermal barrier, and replaced the trans fluid w/ Amsoil syn.

No issues in October running w/ Synergy and more importantly no issues a few weeks back at VIR in mid 90 degree weather.

Stock mid-pipe


Header wrapped back part


Installed

jbauch357

Thanks for the replys everybody!

I am already running AmsOil synthetic in the trans, so fluid isn't the issue. The car also has headers, cats and x-pipe that may be contributing to the heat issues. I think I'll start wih an oil cooler to get the motor temps down, and wrap the rear portion of the x-pipe with heat tape. If that and some more track experience doesn't solve the problem it'll be time for a more advanced solution...

JaxVette

Besides the items listed above, of which, the switch to Amsoil ATF is the best I think. The one item on track that really contributes to overheating the tranny fluid is the use of either the Active Handling or the Competitive Mode. If you can run without it and have a good synthetic ATF in your tranny, you shouldn't see the high temp warning again for a while. If you do, you must be running hard and fast and it's time for the cooler assembly!

jbauch357

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if I was just running the car too damn hard. On an all-corvette lapping day I didn't get passed by a single car on street tires, and even took down a car or two on slicks...

... of course I am the cockie young buck rookie, but if feels sooooo good to go run circles around "veteran" lapping day drivers!

Cobra4B

Geeze lots of **** to hit at that track.

jbauch357

No doubt, and those were the clear sections!!! Wait until I get the rest of the vids uploaded later today where I'm winding between trees on the back section...

I wouldn't know what to do with myself on a track with actual runoff!

jbauch357

uploaded a couple more vids and some pics to the link in my original post...

96GS#007

Most definitely. The whole back half of the track is basically a rock wall/trees on the left and a catch fence and a cliff that drops about 100 feet on the right. Front straight is all concrete and uses part of the drag strip. 125' of elevation change in ~.5 mile.

As far the the OP and tranny temps, really no need to drop to 2nd gear in turn 3b for an HPDE. What you gain is small, the abuse factor on the engine and tranny is large. If you were TT'ing or going w2w, then it'd be different.

Bill Dearborn

Interesting. They must buy pumps from several suppliers. My pump is a Belden Pump.

Bill

jbauch357

I was playing with sticking in 3rd through 3A/B and also saw that straight speeds were almost identical to when I was shifting down to 2nd.

Another spot that I may be able to save some abuse is to shift to 5th earlier on the front straight, instead of riding out 4th near redline...