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72 350 4 speed. Center console gets really hot. When I do a general search I see this is an issue with C6's. Is it common in a C3 as well or might there be something wrong? Oil temp is under 200, car is moving at a normal speed, everything else seems fine. Thanks!
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
do you have the horse collar foam insulation installed around the bell housing? that helps keep engine heat out of the tunnel. Also ceramic headers if you run headers or exhaust wraps.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
it should be you may need a flashlight. It should fit at the beginning of the trans tunnel on the top of the bellhousimng, it is an open cell foam collar. Usually just held in by pressure. You could make one or buy one about $40 if its not there
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
And you may have to climb under the carr but there is a fiberglass and tinfoil reflective shield that is on the underside of the tunnel as well. both are in the pics on this search https://www.google.com/search?q=c3+c...t=gws-wiz-serp
You can put the collar in place without dropping anything, but it would be much easier with the trans out of the way and the bell housing dropped down a bit.
As I remember the collar is kind of sticky and messy to install without making your bell housing messy. The Transmission insulation cannot be installed with the trans in place.
Getting it in and then the trans put back always causes some damage to the insulation and I always have some of the home AC foil tape to repair it.
If you have to install the trans insulation then that would be the time to install the collar. If you have a manual then your crossmember is welded in and makes dropping the trans more difficult.
I can be done as I have laid under my car with the Vette on jack stands and dropped the trans on top of me with fender covers on me and then slid out from under the car. Fun job.
Of course, if you didn't want abuse you wouldn't have bought an old car.
Normal for these cars. The engine heat is somewhat blocked by the "horse collar" foam but a tremendous amount of heat is generated in the clutch and transmission. That's where the fiberglass and foil tunnel insulator is absolutely necessary. Some folks still don't like the residual heat even with those two pieces and add insulation under the carpet.
The foam collar can be put into place and held by friction (no adhesive necessary) between the bell housing and the tunnel - it's about 4"-6" into the tunnel from the firewall (right about where the firewall to tunnel panel seam is). The tunnel insulator is held by clips that are riveted through the tunnel wall. The clips keep the insulator against the wall and not dropped down onto the trans. If you do need the tunnel insulator, pick up a set of clips as the prongs break off easily when trying to unbend and rebend them. Also a good time to change the positive battery cable to the starter because it's secured to the tunnel wall too.
Here is a good thread for your year with pics. I felt that the horse collar stopped the air from blowing up through my emergency brake handle and heating everything up as the number one fix for a 79 manual
Just to add a bit more. In a Corvette your feet to knees are next to the bell housing & transmission - just a few inches away on the other side of the tunnel wall. In any other passenger car from GM, the trans was next to your feet and ankles, but the body was more "on top" of the drivetrain rather than nestled around it. I remember playing with Hot Wheels in both of the rear foot wells and driving up and over the 4" driveshaft hump in our station wagon. More like a 10" mountain in a Corvette!
Normal for these cars. The engine heat is somewhat blocked by the "horse collar" foam but a tremendous amount of heat is generated in the clutch and transmission. That's where the fiberglass and foil tunnel insulator is absolutely necessary. Some folks still don't like the residual heat even with those two pieces and add insulation under the carpet.
Originally Posted by 67:72
Just to add a bit more. In a Corvette your feet to knees are next to the bell housing & transmission - just a few inches away on the other side of the tunnel wall. In any other passenger car from GM, the trans was next to your feet and ankles, but the body was more "on top" of the drivetrain rather than nestled around it. I remember playing with Hot Wheels in both of the rear foot wells and driving up and over the 4" driveshaft hump in our station wagon. More like a 10" mountain in a Corvette!
I agree with all of the above.
While fiberglass is often used as an insulating material, in the thin molded form it's in as a Corvette body panel, it offers little to no heat insulation. In 76 Chevrolet replaced the fiberglass floors with steel ones in an effort better insulate the interior from the increased level of interior heat caused by the catalytic converters installed starting in 75. Additionally, the engine set back and low seating position of the Corvette places the driver and passenger beside the transmission, not above it. The Camaro's seating position is similar but not quite as low, but they have steel floors.
I know people have figured out ways to install the tunnel insulator without dropping the trans, but at minimum to do it you have to remove the shifter or cut the insulator to clear the shifter.
Trans tunnel and interior heat was always an issue with Corvettes, 63-67's came with the tunnel insulator too. The shifter handle in my 62 gets so hot sometimes, it's hard to touch.
“or cut the insulator to clear the shifter.”
That’s what immediately came to mind. That, and/or using the self adhesive foil faced insulating sheets that are avalable, along with foil tape.
72 350 4 speed. Center console gets really hot. When I do a general search I see this is an issue with C6's. Is it common in a C3 as well or might there be something wrong? Oil temp is under 200, car is moving at a normal speed, everything else seems fine. Thanks!
I have a High compression HOT running 427 under my hood and I have never suffered from excess heat inside the Corvette. The Tunnel Horse-shoe insulation and Tunnel insulation do an incredible job at keeping the heat under control.
While I had my engine out we pulled the transmission out and replaced the shifters worn parts and replaced the insulation. My engine was re-installed by an expert mechanic and he ensured that the parts were in the right places during the re-install. This was done over 30 years ago and the insulation still does a great job as my interior has never been HOT in the first place.
I did seal the holes in the firewall to prevent HOT air from entering the cabin. Not having air conditioning makes you notice where the heat is coming from.
I had a (not well maintained) 75 and after 45 mins or so on hwy it'd bake you like an oven. My well maintained 77 that's got everything around tranny intact from factory is amazingly well insulated. I drive it 140 miles (mostly hwy speed) round trip every Monday and even in the 98 degree Gulf Coast summers the interior stays amazingly bearable, especially when considering that as mentioned you are leaning on and up against the tranny.
In the summer (not the cooler months though) the shifter **** will get VERY warm on the hwy but not too hot to touch like the 62 mentioned
I can recall on an unusually hot 90 degree plus UK day getting caught in a traffic hold-up. And yes the horseshoe collar is long gone on my '68 big block coupe (and I don't think the trans tunnel insulation is in good shape. Anyway I was debating whether or not to turn the engine off (knowing that a re-start if the traffic sudenly moved would be 'challenging') I was admiring the view ahead of all the other cars through the windshield and over the sides of the front fenders and enjoying the mirage like vision of cars perhaps 1/4 mile in front seemingly dancing up the the air (just like a mirage in one of those old monochrome desert war films). When we eventually moved-off the heat that came out from under the dash was like being lose to a blast furnace and my eyes watered instantly.
But.........the engine never overheated. Its one of the few cars that once warmed-up doesn't need a heater (even with the roofs off!)
My 70 BB coupe has both the horse collar ant trans tunnel insulation ( both newly installed) and ur shoes/ feet will bake after 45 min of driving. The exhaust pipes are routed right along the transmission tunnel. If u have the collar n tunnel insulation installed, I would wrap my head pipes with the insulation material and look to install the aluminized foam insulation under the carpet n tunnel. This really helps mitigate the heat infiltration and also acts as a sound barrier as well.
Center console getting really hot
I agree with all of the above.
