Getting the Z06 ready for track season so I figured I'd clean out the radiator stack. I removed both the top radiator cover and the the air deflector/waterfall shroud that boxes in the air from the bottom feed inlet.

Since this car is new to me, this is the first time I've cleaned the stack. First thing I found was a old dried up plum with the pit attached...lol. I ended up getting about 2 cup fulls of chaff, fuzz bunnies, pieces of grass, etc. What surprised me the most was the upper portion of the A/C condenser (about 3 or 4 inches) had a lot of gritty sand material impacted in the fins, totally stopping the flow of air through it. It was a PIA to get blown out, the majority is gone but I'v still got some work to do. I would have never seen the blockage unless I removed the large front shroud. The lower 80% of the A/C condenser had no sand or grit in the fins at all.

I'm figuring the sand and heavier dirt particulates get sucked up from the bottom feed inlet and the smash into the shroud and follow the curve all the way to the top part of the radiator stack. Wet conditions might make this even worse. This is something to think about if cleaning the stack, since just removing only the top radiator cover would not let you see the front side of the A/C condenser.

Because of the shape of the front shroud, has anybody ever done any experiments to verify if more air volume hits the top of the radiator versus the middle or bottom half? I was curious since it appears the top portion of the stack gets a lot of air velocity compared to the rest of the stack, at least in my car.

 

My first winter checking things on the car, I first used air on a long nozzle could not believe the crap that came out of the radiator,then I used a hose and even more came out, I had the hoses off so I decided to pull the radiator and on the ground with the water spray even more came out !!! I have to drive on dirt for a bit before pavement so I decided so make the next cleaning a bit easier !!!!























I used the aluminum channel to hold the screen to the top of the condenser core,on the bottom I cut a piece of wood to wedge the screen to the bottom of the radiator,made a bottom screen to get the big stuff. after three months this is what my screen looked like, but took me fifteen minutes to clean it !!!!!

 

Thanks for the info ,I cleaned my 04 last year and it looked clean but I knew is was prop. in need and a little light spray with the water hose ,I sprayed it for a hr. or more and stuff just keep coming out , I don't know were it was coming from but hand full for grass hay something ..I finely just got tired washing it out and put it back in .. Looked clean and did not over heat but was full of crap.. So if you haven't cleaned yours out in years might be a good thing to do .. Just saying..

 

Well like I said I have to drive on dirt for 250 feet, at 4 mph,when I come home the engine is hot so the fans are on full,and if I hit bottom for a split sec. all the dirt goes flying into the radiator. All my friends say how in the world do you keep your engine bay so clean ????? (you all know the answer to that)

 

Last I cleaned my radiator this was jammed up in there.



In the past I've also had a McDonalds cup jammed up in there.

 

after my first drive with the screens in place I pulled into the garage and the next mor'n I saw this and thought where in the world did

that come from.(yep a bit ****) after I shut the car off all this was stuck to the screen until the fans shut off !!!!

 

Ok, you win!! LOL

Only thing better than that would be a used baby diaper.....

 

The C5 does suck up a lot of debris in the radiator area. Cleaning it out often sure helps with the cooling of the car.

 

Interesting that it clogged up so quickly.

My folks have a cabin on a lake in northern Wisconsin. There is about 1 mile of sand/gravel to get there, along with plenty of trees to supply leaves.

I was thinking of taking the vette when I visit in the late summer, now I'm not so sure.

It would be a fun place to have it, very sparse traffic and excellent roads.

 

a bottom screen keeps the big stuff out !!!!!!!

 

Where did you get your screen?

 

I made it !!!! the parts almost cost this much so it might be a better route to take???
http://www.parts123.com/corvettecent...50c&ukey=19943

 

Thanks!

 

Yep never ceases to amaze me what you pick up jammed in the radiator just driving around, why just the other day........

 

:rof l::r ofl:

 

Hey you joke, but I drove over a cat last year. Thump Thump... haven't smelled anything but I got out and could not find it on the road. Almost impossible it lived...
It just might be up there.

 

so now you have 345 horse power plus one cat power

 

Nope, Zombie Cat

 

So that's where Lightning McQueen's "KAT-CHOW" came from (really it's "KA-CHOW")

 

Well, 405 + mods + one cat power... yes...