Air dam
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,401
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From: Retired but working
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Air dam
I was in the process of cleaning out my radiator (leaves and small children) when I noticed that my center air dam appeared a but warped.
Had a run in with a small gator a few days back. Heard it thump under the car.
It was in fact bowed up in the center covering a bit of the radiator and bent so the back was away from the radiator.
Been running 196 degrees average temp.
Removed it (simple two bolts) and removed the dam from the bracket and springs.
Straightened the bracket in a vice, sanded it and repainted it. Cleaned uo and replaced the dam and the springs and put it back in the car. Looks quite a bit different (angle etc.) and my average temp dropped 4 degrees.
Check yours to make sure that the rear of it is against the bottom frame of the radiator and that there are no gaps.
Funny what a little adjustment can do.
Had a run in with a small gator a few days back. Heard it thump under the car.
It was in fact bowed up in the center covering a bit of the radiator and bent so the back was away from the radiator.
Been running 196 degrees average temp.
Removed it (simple two bolts) and removed the dam from the bracket and springs.
Straightened the bracket in a vice, sanded it and repainted it. Cleaned uo and replaced the dam and the springs and put it back in the car. Looks quite a bit different (angle etc.) and my average temp dropped 4 degrees.
Check yours to make sure that the rear of it is against the bottom frame of the radiator and that there are no gaps.
Funny what a little adjustment can do.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
I'm surprised I've never seen an air dam offered with stouter brackets. My second GM center dam is now sitting in the garage because of the flimsy brackets. I don't run over a bunch of stuff but living in Montana we do find a lot of little critters on the road and then with speed b u m p s. 
There not a lot of fun to remove if one of the brackets breaks and the entire dam is dangling and dragging from your pretty Corvette. I had to remove my first one with a borrowed pair of pliers along side the highway.
Does anyone know if a better one is available??
There not a lot of fun to remove if one of the brackets breaks and the entire dam is dangling and dragging from your pretty Corvette. I had to remove my first one with a borrowed pair of pliers along side the highway.
Does anyone know if a better one is available??
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,401
Likes: 3
From: Retired but working
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The metal is quite a POS. I do wish that someone would machine one out of aluminum or something. The 2 hangers in the center that have slots to slide the bracket into and are bolted to the aluminum frame are aluminum and are quite stout. Seems that someone could do better on that metal piece.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 105
Likes: 1
From: Westminster MD
Originally Posted by RoadReady
You got Gators in Ohio!!!! Or was it a John Deere Gator 4wd??? 
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,401
Likes: 3
From: Retired but working
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Originally Posted by 04c5ragtop
Thank you for asking, cuz I was wondering the same thing. Gators ? Ohio ? Maybe a road trip to GA or FL.
They did find an eight footer in a small lake up here after some womans poodle went missing. Long walk for one of thos short legged critters.
