LATE LIFE TOY LOVER

Newbie, still learning..
Have read several members installing a TUNNEL PLATE But can't really figure out why and what for. Please share some knowledge.
Remember many of us are new to the forun and the Vette and might not be aware of some of the info that long time members might say "this has been beaten to death in the past"
Thanks

steveB

Flecker

PM willfulone (Chip) on this forum.
He is a vendor and makes them.
Worth it too.

Flecker

Pm to chip, Willfulone.
He isa forumvendor and manufactures them.

talon90

Many members install a tunnel plate to reduce drive line heat to the center console and interior. Additionally it may reduce driveline noise in the cabin. By design is stiffer than the OEM tunnel plate and should increase rigidity by reducing torsional flex in the chasis and should reduce heat and noise. Here is one of the first by a forum vendor.

http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/T...late_Link.html

shopdog

The tunnel plate closes out the driveline tunnel in the C6 Corvette. This serves two purposes, it stiffens the body, and it reduces radiant heat from the exhaust getting up to the center console area. The factory plate is thin and uninsulated. The aftermarket offers stiffer plates with ceramic insulating coatings.

Realize that the Corvette is of body on frame construction. Suspension loads are handled by the frame, which is very stiff in a Corvette, not by the body, which is non-structural. So adding a stiffer tunnel plate does not affect the way the car handles. It can reduce body flex, and the annoying popping sounds from the top. Most importantly, an insulated tunnel plate can reduce center console heating. That's its real value in this car. With the OEM plate, the center console area does get quite hot. An insulated plate can drop that temperature by 20 degrees.

OregonC6

IMO the tunnel plate corrects a design deficiency in the car. If not a design deficiency then the thin cheap part is just another example of saving money and shifting cost to the owner. Console heat is way too high for many without the plate.

Other examples of design deficiency and/or cost saving are the brake rotors, pads, and clutch-none of which IMO seem up to the hype about the level of performance of the car.

If the clutch pedal of your brand new Z06 sticks to the floor is that performance?

just my opinions. I think GM needs to put more $ into the car and less into the pockets of superfluous could car less salespeople and dealers.

Spyder207

The installation looks pretty straight forward. Is this something anyone can do, or is it best left to a trust worthy shop? Has anyone had problems doing the install them self?

Thanks

ByByBMW

If you are mechanically inclined then this is a no biggie. Biggest problem is getting enough clearance under the car to get to the area. If you have a lift available, use it. I did mine using ramps and even though it was doable, I would not reccomend it. A lot of twisting, working over my head, etc. But basically it's just a matter of unbolting the exhaust tubes from the downcomer, unbolting the old tunnel plate and putting in the new one and bolting the exhaust back up. Took me about 2 hours start to finish.

Wayne O

Although I never found heat emanating from the console area in the cabin to be excessive, many (if not most people) install a thicker, better insulated tunnel plate to reduce cabin heat.

When modifying my car...my reasons for upgrading the tunnel plate were twofold. First and foremost, the thicker tunnel plate provides improved frame rigidity. Secondly, the installation of long tube headers would relocate the cats further back towards the console area creating the potential for increased heat transfer into the cabin....I tried to minimize this potentiality.

To quote an excerpt from the August 2005 “Corvette Fever” magazine in evaluating the Elite Engineering tunnel plate for the C5 Corvette………..

“…A beefier tunnel plate applied here provides significant benefits, and it’s easy to see why. Tying together the two main chassis rails with a heavy-duty and rigid tunnel plate effectively boxes the chassis rails into a “U-channel” form, a structure that’s inherently stiff. While the factory tunnel cover offers little torsional rigidity, the aftermarket stepped in with a replacement tunnel plates that offer a real advantage. The concept is simple: add a thick aluminum plate in place of the flexible stamped-steel stocker to substantially buttress the structure.

A tunnel plate such as the unit offered by Elite Engineering can add impressively to the solid feel of the C5. The difference can be felt in handling, reduced noise, and noticeable reduction in flex……While the improved structure provided by the tunnel plate is reason enough to consider this mod, another is reduction of heat transfer into the car...With the potential to offer added chassis stiffness, a more solid feel, reduced noise, and better isolation from heat, the tunnel plate mod is a real winner for any C5…”

shopdog

How do you figure that? The tunnel plate doesn't attach in any way to the frame. It bolts to the balsa wood floor of the body. The body isn't a structural member in a body on frame car like the Corvette. The body is isolated from the frame by rubber donuts.

PaBlueCoupe

I installed the SS ThermalAbs directly on top of the stocks plate and used the stock bolts. The aluminum plate comes thicker, but I understand aluminum transfers heat even better than SS.


I would consider Elite's pedals too!

gota07

After looking at the temp charts and directly asking Elite about the difference in heat rejection between the stainless and the aluminum Thermal ABS plates, both sources stated the aluminum one performed the best at not only heat rejection, but body stiffness also.