Hot Stick Shift
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Canonsburg PA
Hot Stick Shift
Hi all. This is my first thread about my first Corvette. I got a 1976 L48 4-speed manual. I am the 4th owner of the car. And the car has been taken care of. It has always been in a garage. It has 35,000 miles on it.
I just got my '76 in April and have been enjoying driving it, but I haven't taken it on long road trips as of yet and I'm still learning the quirks of the car. Today, I took it on a 40 mile drive on the highway. There was an accident about 10 minutes into the drive and thus it was stop and go traffic for 30 minutes. The traffic was going slightly uphill too. I don't drive my Vette aggressively, and rarely push it.
As I passed the accident and got going, I noticed that my stick shift started to get warm. By the end of the drive it was fairly hot. The **** on top was just warm, but the shaft of the stick shift was more than warm. I was in the sun while in the traffic, and it was about 85°F outside today. The water temp in the car was not hot (was reading close to 185°F).
I'm assuming the stick shift got hot because the transmission was hot. But how hot is hot? Was it from all the stop and go traffic? Or does it just get that warm? Or, is a transmission fluid change in order? If shifts fine. Any insight would be appreciated.
I just got my '76 in April and have been enjoying driving it, but I haven't taken it on long road trips as of yet and I'm still learning the quirks of the car. Today, I took it on a 40 mile drive on the highway. There was an accident about 10 minutes into the drive and thus it was stop and go traffic for 30 minutes. The traffic was going slightly uphill too. I don't drive my Vette aggressively, and rarely push it.
As I passed the accident and got going, I noticed that my stick shift started to get warm. By the end of the drive it was fairly hot. The **** on top was just warm, but the shaft of the stick shift was more than warm. I was in the sun while in the traffic, and it was about 85°F outside today. The water temp in the car was not hot (was reading close to 185°F).
I'm assuming the stick shift got hot because the transmission was hot. But how hot is hot? Was it from all the stop and go traffic? Or does it just get that warm? Or, is a transmission fluid change in order? If shifts fine. Any insight would be appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 10,628
Likes: 132
From: Duvall, WA
There is a seal that goes between the firewall and bellhousing. It prevents hot air from traveling down the transmission tunnel. If absent, your shifter can get pretty hot. Check to see if yours is in place.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 5
From: Schererville IN
Totally normal on a hot day in stop and go traffic. 
I'd be more concerned buying a 35 year old car with only 35,000 miles on it. I find it amazing how many old C3 Vettes there are out there with under 100K miles on them. Practically all of them on Ebay are low mileage too.
I'd be more concerned buying a 35 year old car with only 35,000 miles on it. I find it amazing how many old C3 Vettes there are out there with under 100K miles on them. Practically all of them on Ebay are low mileage too.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 945
Likes: 10
From: Winston Salem NC
Your story sounds alot like mine except that mine has 117k and was built in June.
I have the tranny foam insulator and my shifter gets hot too. I added Reflectix and hushmat earlier this year and that is the only part of my car that gets hot now. I would estimate 90-100deg F.
It's normal.
I have the tranny foam insulator and my shifter gets hot too. I added Reflectix and hushmat earlier this year and that is the only part of my car that gets hot now. I would estimate 90-100deg F.
It's normal.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 5
From: Schererville IN
Leave it to those honest sellers and 5 digit odometers. 
The guy I bought mine from claimed it only had 70K on it. Although the suspension was shot, the interior was shot, the clutch and brake pedals where worn down, the original engine had been replaced, and it had been repainted at least 3 times. When I questioned these things he became very defensive.
If a 30+ year old C3 has actually less than say 50K miles, it's going to look like a showroom new car right down to the carpet, seats, and suspension.
The guy I bought mine from claimed it only had 70K on it. Although the suspension was shot, the interior was shot, the clutch and brake pedals where worn down, the original engine had been replaced, and it had been repainted at least 3 times. When I questioned these things he became very defensive.
If a 30+ year old C3 has actually less than say 50K miles, it's going to look like a showroom new car right down to the carpet, seats, and suspension.
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Canonsburg PA
Thanks everyone for the insight.
I was thinking the same thing that if there are only 5 digits on the odometer, there could be 135,000 miles on it. It definitely is not showroom quality... very good quality, but not showroom.
I was thinking the same thing that if there are only 5 digits on the odometer, there could be 135,000 miles on it. It definitely is not showroom quality... very good quality, but not showroom.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 6
From: www.Z16.org North/West Pennsylvania
I've seen many 50,000 mile C3 cars that were junk and only five years old (at the time). Some people just don't take care of them.
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,972
Likes: 6
From: Chester Virginia
I have a 76 L48 small block with the borg warner S10 four speed as well. One of the things which has surprised me is how much heat this engine generates seemingly compared to all the other standard cars I've ever owned. Their underhood areas are bigger I know but the Vette engines even with the 165 degree thermostat I run still generates a lot of heat. I have my hose to my heater core valved so I can turn the hot water to it on and off and keep it off in the summer but if you drive your vette on a 90 degree day for very long the footwells warm up. Part of the reason is there is no cool air outside vent down into that area and part of it is the huge heat that passes under your car and down and around the cage. They just seem to be warm to me compared to everything else I've ever owned. This is my first performance sports car for reference. I like to drive with deerskin gloves so I don't know what the shift **** is like but I'd guess it all warms up from beneath.
Great in winter or spring and fall...t tops out, cozy warm inside the cage.
L.P.
Great in winter or spring and fall...t tops out, cozy warm inside the cage.
L.P.
