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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 02:26 PM
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Default Side pipe heat 😡

Anybody come up with a fix for controlling the heat generated by side pipes on a C3?

i have chrome hooker long tubes and the heat generated in the car cabin is bad enough but the real problem is heating up of the clutch causing problems with shifting

wondering if it’s possible to do a heat shield of some kind
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 06:58 PM
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I have had Hooker and other brand side pipes for decades. They have no effect on the clutch. You have a problem elsewhere.
How did you adjust the clutch?
What brand clutch are you using?
Is your shifter correctly adjusted?
Have you turned off the hot water flowing through your heater core?

Last edited by MelWff; Jul 13, 2020 at 08:38 PM.
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 07:55 PM
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I have sidepipes and no issues with the clutch or cabin heat. I think you have issues someplace else.
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 09:02 PM
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Same. The side pipes are actually further away than regular headers
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by MelWff
I have had Hooker and other brand side pipes for decades. They have no effect on the clutch. You have a problem elsewhere.
How did you adjust the clutch?
What brand clutch are you using?
Is your shifter correctly adjusted?
Have you turned off the hot water flowing through your heater core?
ok thanks for the feedback

not sure what brand of clutch it is but it’s a Richmond 6 speed with long shifter

I just got the car a few months ago and only have problems when it is real hot out and when the car gets hot

havent done anything but put redline fluid in It which was recommended by Richmond since I wasn’t sure what f it was ever changed

When it gets hot it takes a lot more pedal travel to engage and The shifter takes more effort

when I had it on the lift one of the shifter rods did look like it was cocked and maybe it gets worse when it gets hot but that should not effect clutch pedal travel

appreciate any suggestions
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 09:35 PM
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Is your hydraulic fluid reservoir close to the headers? That could be a problem but I don’t use a hydraulic clutch so I’m not sure.

Last edited by Corvettedave02; Jul 13, 2020 at 09:36 PM.
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 09:46 PM
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Assuming this is a hydraulic clutch, is the hydraulic line insulated?
Have you tried using DOT 4 or higher fluid?

Last edited by MelWff; Jul 13, 2020 at 09:47 PM.
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by monstr
Anybody come up with a fix for controlling the heat generated by side pipes on a C3?

i have chrome hooker long tubes and the heat generated in the car cabin is bad enough but the real problem is heating up of the clutch causing problems with shifting

wondering if it’s possible to do a heat shield of some kind
Do we have a terminology problem here? If you have side pipes, the exhaust pipes will exit behind the front wheels and run backwards along the outside of the car, exhausting into the air just in front of the rear wheels. There's no way that sidepipes will cause clutch/transmission/cabin heating. That's the reason people install sidepipes. You wrote of having Hooker long tubes.......I'm wondering if you just have header's collecting into a pair of exhaust pipes running down the conventional routing on either side of the bellhousing/clutch/transmission?

Last edited by 68/70Vette; Jul 13, 2020 at 10:36 PM.
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Old Jul 13, 2020 | 10:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 68/70Vette
Do we have a terminology problem here? If you have side pipes, the exhaust pipes will exit behind the front wheels and run backwards along the outside of the car, exhausting into the air just in front of the rear wheels. There's no way that sidepipes will cause clutch/transmission/cabin heating. That's the reason people install sidepipes. You wrote of having Hooker long tubes.......I'm wondering if you just have header's collecting into a pair of exhaust pipes running down the conventional routing on either side of the bellhousing/clutch/transmission?
no they are sidepipes




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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 12:02 AM
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Originally Posted by monstr
i have chrome hooker long tubes and the heat generated in the car cabin is bad enough but the real problem is heating up of the clutch causing problems with shifting
Let's identify where the heat inside is most intense: foot floorboard behind the pedals? trans tunnel? door side of the under body? On passenger side, are you experiencing excessive heat in the same area and to the same degree?
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 07:38 AM
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You can get the headers ceramic coated, that will knock down the heat, you can get header blankets that cover the header and look like a fire resistant blanket, they will help. You can cover the foot wells and firewall with a Dynamat type heat reflective barrier and that will help. You can put in the trans tunnel shield or use the barrier in the tunnel as well.

I just added ceramic coated side pipe headers for the 69 pipes and noticed a slight heat increase at my feet. I only have the metal heat shields/ rock deflectors and the tunnel shield. I would try the header blanket first as its an easier application vs trying to place the shielding with the motor and headers installed. The shield barrier is llike putting on a giant piece of duct tape so you need to place it where yo want it then pull the back off a little at a time.....frustrating and angering. Or pu
t in in the passenger conaprtment after gutting the seat and carpet out...just put it up to thegas pedal so it doesnt change the travel and limit fuel

Last edited by Rescue Rogers; Jul 14, 2020 at 07:41 AM.
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by 67:72
Let's identify where the heat inside is most intense: foot floorboard behind the pedals? trans tunnel? door side of the under body? On passenger side, are you experiencing excessive heat in the same area and to the same degree?
floorboards on both sides mainly, I am sure there are a few holes under the carpet and it does look like the clutch boot is shot and I see a few grommets with nothing in them
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by MelWff
Assuming this is a hydraulic clutch, is the hydraulic line insulated?
Have you tried using DOT 4 or higher fluid?
not a hydraulic clutch
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by monstr
floorboards on both sides mainly, I am sure there are a few holes under the carpet and it does look like the clutch boot is shot and I see a few grommets with nothing in them
Not sure how universal throughout the C3 years GM used shields in this area, but my '72 has metal heat (some call them splash) shields for that area. Looking under the car, on each side, do you see a roughly 10"x12" metal shield with legs that stand it off from the firewall an inch or two? If yours are missing, replacing them could certainly help keep the direct heat of the headers from radiating through the floorboards.
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 02:44 PM
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Originally Posted by monstr

Really nice C3!!

Originally Posted by 67:72
Not sure how universal throughout the C3 years GM used shields in this area, but my '72 has metal heat (some call them splash) shields for that area. Looking under the car, on each side, do you see a roughly 10"x12" metal shield with legs that stand it off from the firewall an inch or two? If yours are missing, replacing them could certainly help keep the direct heat of the headers from radiating through the floorboards.
I have a 68 and they came from the factory with insulation panels/blankets that were dropped in later years. I would have assumed GM would have kept them on later years. I was surprised to discover my 70 was missing this insulation. It had only the bare metal heat/splash shields mentioned above.

Here's what you get with the 68 insulation system. Fiberglass blankets that cover approximately the lower half of engine side of the firewall, the blankets then wrap around on the bottom/underside of the car going back to the transmission crossmember. These blankets only cover the bottom of the passenger side floor and the driver side floor. The bottom of the bell housing/tranny are not covered. To protect from road damage, the panels in the engine compartment are protected by metal shields and metal shields on the fiberglass panels underneath the passenger side and the driver's side. All this stuff is pretty inexpensive and last I looked still available. The Paragon catalog has them and drawings showing their installation. I've bought a set for my 70.
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by 68/70Vette
Really nice C3!!



I have a 68 and they came from the factory with insulation panels/blankets that were dropped in later years. I would have assumed GM would have kept them on later years. I was surprised to discover my 70 was missing this insulation. It had only the bare metal heat/splash shields mentioned above.

Here's what you get with the 68 insulation system. Fiberglass blankets that cover approximately the lower half of engine side of the firewall, the blankets then wrap around on the bottom/underside of the car going back to the transmission crossmember. These blankets only cover the bottom of the passenger side floor and the driver side floor. The bottom of the bell housing/tranny are not covered. To protect from road damage, the panels in the engine compartment are protected by metal shields and metal shields on the fiberglass panels underneath the passenger side and the driver's side. All this stuff is pretty inexpensive and last I looked still available. The Paragon catalog has them and drawings showing their installation. I've bought a set for my 70.
thanks, my 69 has the Heat blankets but instead of the stock heat shields one of the PO’s installed a thin sheet of metal on the rear of the lower firewall and in various places under the car, not sure why but there are holes in it from stuff he must have taken out, lots of unused brackets and wires not hooked up, that I need to plug, maybe the metal shield is conducting more heat than it blocks
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 03:07 PM
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If it has mechanical clutch release setup (stock) then there is no way heat can cause pedal travel differences......
As far as shifting is concerned.....is the trans topped off?
As far as heat is concerned....where is your timing set at?

Jebby
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 68/70Vette
I have a 68 and they came from the factory with insulation panels/blankets that were dropped in later years. I would have assumed GM would have kept them on later years. I was surprised to discover my 70 was missing this insulation. It had only the bare metal heat/splash shields mentioned above.
Originally Posted by monstr
thanks, my 69 has the Heat blankets ...
I bet the presence and discontinuation of the blanket-type insulation was specifically for the side-pipe option. As I recall, the '68 was slated for the pipes and it was on the option sheet but they never actually made it to production. 1969 is the only year factory pipes were offered so in '70 GM decided the under-exhaust system didn't need that area protected from an unavailable option.
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 04:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Jebbysan
If it has mechanical clutch release setup (stock) then there is no way heat can cause pedal travel differences......
As far as shifting is concerned.....is the trans topped off?
As far as heat is concerned....where is your timing set at?

Jebby
fluid was just changed with redline NS per Richmond manual, took a little less then the 2 qts as expected

It’s not a timing problem, car is not really running hot, Just gets super hot in cabin and have this hot shifting problem

When I got the car it had a new 4 core copper radiator with the big tanks, a flex fan with a 180 stat and pretty much stays at that after warm up even in hot temps, except during long idling or when stuck in traffic it may go to 190 but then drops right down, It had a vapor lock problem at the same time I was trying to fix so the two were happening at the same time, which made it a lot of fun, but I fixed the vapor lock problem with a return line regulator, moving the fuel line and Adding a carb heat shield and insulator gasket

it’s not my imagination, it’s fine shifting when cold but when driving for 20-30 mins or so In hot weather it happens and when this happens the pedal catches just above the floorboard And it Also takes more muscle on the shifter too, so I think it might need adjustment due to something expanding or binding

have to get it on the lift again to see what’s going on

appreciate any and all suggestions
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Old Jul 14, 2020 | 06:22 PM
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Bring it to work one day and swing by my shop. Ill go for a ride with you and see if I can point you in the right direction. I dont think the ROD 6 speeds have a synchronized reverse gear, so it should be easy to tell if youve got a clutch release problem or a trans problem.
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