reducing C6 under hood temperature
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 359
Likes: 153
From: Clinton, Illinois
Not so sure
I'm probably gonna get some crap for this but, my understanding is that things like a 160 degree thermostat and removing the heat shields under the plastic coil covers doesn't help the engine produce more hp. I talked to an engineer from Chevrolet when the Bloomington Gold event was held at the Indy Raceway. He said the LS engines are designed to run hotter that the old school small blocks. He referred to oil flows and fuller combustion burns when at the proper operating temp, which can be defeated with a 160 degree thermostat. I did try one, and saw no difference, but I'm not sure I know enough to question the guys who designed these engines. So I put the original back in and have had no problems.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
heatshield products : Is this the company? Reviewed 3/2016 motortrend
heatshield products i-m shield
test: More horsepower for less
more horsepower for less: Heatshield products i-m shield thermal barrier can add 20 hp and 20 lb-ft of torque to your vette for just $50! Test showed 43 degree temp drop on intake manifold
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,295
Likes: 236
From: Oshawa Ontario
My old Camaro track car was setup by a "creative" individual who tried for everything light-weight and to make the car as track-worthy as possible. However, it had a MASSIVE overheating problem. It took an experienced racer to notice that I had no seal at the rear of the cowl. Once I replaced it, my engine temps went from ~230°+ down to a very manageable ~190 - 200°. It was night-and-day.
A vented cowl, on the other hand, is allowing airflow out in the MIDDLE which is BEFORE the high-pressure zone at the rear of the cowl, thus, it does not adversely affect the cooling flow, rather, improves it
.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
Reducing air intake temp. on C6 Grand Sport for HP gain
Drifting
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,741
Likes: 671
From: Lakeland, Florida
Intake Manifold Heat Shield LS3 (140021) - Gwatney Performance
Not certain if it's worth the coin. I've also seen a YouTube video of a guy laying a rectangular cut piece of heat shield directly on the valley plate to stop heat at that location. Maybe the intake heat shield AND the heat shield on the valley plate would work well at reducing intake manifold and under hood temps ???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
I was looking around for intake manifold heat shields recently, here's one for example :
Intake Manifold Heat Shield LS3 (140021) - Gwatney Performance
Not certain if it's worth the coin. I've also seen a YouTube video of a guy laying a rectangular cut piece of heat shield directly on the valley plate to stop heat at that location. Maybe the intake heat shield AND the heat shield on the valley plate would work well at reducing intake manifold and under hood temps ???
Intake Manifold Heat Shield LS3 (140021) - Gwatney Performance
Not certain if it's worth the coin. I've also seen a YouTube video of a guy laying a rectangular cut piece of heat shield directly on the valley plate to stop heat at that location. Maybe the intake heat shield AND the heat shield on the valley plate would work well at reducing intake manifold and under hood temps ???
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,106
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
100% WRONG approach. That seal is there for a reason. The area at the back of the hood / base of the windshield is a HIGH-PRESSURE zone, meaning, removing the rubber seal at the back of the cowl will allow air to force IN under the hood, increasing engine bay pressure, effectively REDUCING the airflow through the radiator, ie: the front of the car is also a high-pressure zone, and it's the high-low differential which maximizes flow through the rad.
My old Camaro track car was setup by a "creative" individual who tried for everything light-weight and to make the car as track-worthy as possible. However, it had a MASSIVE overheating problem. It took an experienced racer to notice that I had no seal at the rear of the cowl. Once I replaced it, my engine temps went from ~230°+ down to a very manageable ~190 - 200°. It was night-and-day.
A vented cowl, on the other hand, is allowing airflow out in the MIDDLE which is BEFORE the high-pressure zone at the rear of the cowl, thus, it does not adversely affect the cooling flow, rather, improves it.
My old Camaro track car was setup by a "creative" individual who tried for everything light-weight and to make the car as track-worthy as possible. However, it had a MASSIVE overheating problem. It took an experienced racer to notice that I had no seal at the rear of the cowl. Once I replaced it, my engine temps went from ~230°+ down to a very manageable ~190 - 200°. It was night-and-day.
A vented cowl, on the other hand, is allowing airflow out in the MIDDLE which is BEFORE the high-pressure zone at the rear of the cowl, thus, it does not adversely affect the cooling flow, rather, improves it
.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 4
I was looking around for intake manifold heat shields recently, here's one for example :
Intake Manifold Heat Shield LS3 (140021) - Gwatney Performance
Not certain if it's worth the coin. I've also seen a YouTube video of a guy laying a rectangular cut piece of heat shield directly on the valley plate to stop heat at that location. Maybe the intake heat shield AND the heat shield on the valley plate would work well at reducing intake manifold and under hood temps ???
Intake Manifold Heat Shield LS3 (140021) - Gwatney Performance
Not certain if it's worth the coin. I've also seen a YouTube video of a guy laying a rectangular cut piece of heat shield directly on the valley plate to stop heat at that location. Maybe the intake heat shield AND the heat shield on the valley plate would work well at reducing intake manifold and under hood temps ???
WISAUTO Aluminized Heat Shield Thermal Barrier Adhesive Backed Heat Blanket (12'' X 24'') $14.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Drifting
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,741
Likes: 671
From: Lakeland, Florida
DIY heat shield (you can use double thickness): Heat Shield Adhesive Backed Aluminized Fiberglass Heat Sheet Protection Barrier Cover Aluminized Heat Shielding Mat for Auto Use Heat Insulation Sheet Heat Reflective (Silver, 36 x 48 Inch)
WISAUTO Aluminized Heat Shield Thermal Barrier Adhesive Backed Heat Blanket (12'' X 24'') $14.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,290
Likes: 231
From: Round Rock Texas
I would say header either stock or aftermarket are your biggest heat producers. So if they were coated/wrap with some kind of heat reducing material this would lower temps a lot. Also if you had some way of venting that out the sides.
The vents in hood would not do much during forward motion as the high pressure would come in effect. Now stopped they would help
The vents in hood would not do much during forward motion as the high pressure would come in effect. Now stopped they would help
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,290
Likes: 231
From: Round Rock Texas
From another board
A friend of mine has a '37 Ford coupe street rod with a 400 Chevy engine, power steering, AC etc. It would run about 210-215 on a hot day and it always worried him. His car had the louvered hood sides so I talked him into taking them off and trying it that way. With out the sides it dropped below 200 so he would just put them in the trunk and then put them back on when he got to the car show.
A friend of mine has a '37 Ford coupe street rod with a 400 Chevy engine, power steering, AC etc. It would run about 210-215 on a hot day and it always worried him. His car had the louvered hood sides so I talked him into taking them off and trying it that way. With out the sides it dropped below 200 so he would just put them in the trunk and then put them back on when he got to the car show.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,106
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
I would say header either stock or aftermarket are your biggest heat producers. So if they were coated/wrap with some kind of heat reducing material this would lower temps a lot. Also if you had some way of venting that out the sides.
The vents in hood would not do much during forward motion as the high pressure would come in effect. Now stopped they would help
The vents in hood would not do much during forward motion as the high pressure would come in effect. Now stopped they would help
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,999
Likes: 1,684
From: Southeast TX
The intake manifold heat shields delay the bottom of the intake manifold getting up to the operating temp of the rest of the engine. They don't prevent that from happening. If they had pressurized freon running through them, it would be different. They don't.