My Corvette Cool Down Procedure
06-30-2018, 08:21 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
My Corvette Cool Down Procedure
I have my own ritual I'll describe below, but I was wondering how many of you Corvette owners have your own ways of giving you Corvette a little TLC. I realize todays Corvettes generate a huge amounts of heat underhood, so when I pull in that garage after exercising the "Red Head" as I call my Z06, she's really hot.
Before I climb out, I pop the rear hatch and pull the hood release. I walk around back and plug in my Corvette BatteryTender in the rear outlet and close down the hatch. I then walk to the front and open the hood and place my big round shop fan in front of the car blowing at high speed fan setting towards the inlet openings and the front of the car. The ambient air blows through the heat exchangers, and around the engine and also down under the chassis exiting from the rear of the car and out from the garage. I then go in the house and many times pop a cold one. About 15 to 20 minutes later I go back out and walk around behind the car. By this time the air I feel exiting from behind the car is now warm, not longer the hot rush of air I felt earlier when I first started. I figure this performs a couple of important things.
First it continues cooling down the engine by blowing through the radiator, sure the fan and water pump aren't operating, but the gradually cooler fluid in the radiator sets off a natural circulation of the cooling fluid removing some of the latent heat in the block & heads as well as the supercharger. Second by opening up the hood and blowing air around the engine, I remove all that trapped heat which is baking all those plastic engine and trim pieces that live under your Corvette's hood.
I believe that over time, this process along with wiping the hoses and plastic fitting with protectants will greatly add to the longevity of the engine and hoses and the underhood youthfull look will be retained much longer.
So who else has the **** tendencies........lol
Before I climb out, I pop the rear hatch and pull the hood release. I walk around back and plug in my Corvette BatteryTender in the rear outlet and close down the hatch. I then walk to the front and open the hood and place my big round shop fan in front of the car blowing at high speed fan setting towards the inlet openings and the front of the car. The ambient air blows through the heat exchangers, and around the engine and also down under the chassis exiting from the rear of the car and out from the garage. I then go in the house and many times pop a cold one. About 15 to 20 minutes later I go back out and walk around behind the car. By this time the air I feel exiting from behind the car is now warm, not longer the hot rush of air I felt earlier when I first started. I figure this performs a couple of important things.
First it continues cooling down the engine by blowing through the radiator, sure the fan and water pump aren't operating, but the gradually cooler fluid in the radiator sets off a natural circulation of the cooling fluid removing some of the latent heat in the block & heads as well as the supercharger. Second by opening up the hood and blowing air around the engine, I remove all that trapped heat which is baking all those plastic engine and trim pieces that live under your Corvette's hood.
I believe that over time, this process along with wiping the hoses and plastic fitting with protectants will greatly add to the longevity of the engine and hoses and the underhood youthfull look will be retained much longer.
So who else has the **** tendencies........lol
Popular Reply
06-30-2018, 08:43 PM
Instructor
Oh good lord.... 
06-30-2018, 08:45 PM
#3
Lol. It's just a car. I shut it off and go in my house 😄
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06-30-2018, 08:55 PM
#4
Team Owner
Well I do plug in the battery tender and get rid of any suicidal bugs on the front end with detail spray. But that is about it.
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06-30-2018, 08:58 PM
#5
Team Owner
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06-30-2018, 09:10 PM
#9
Safety Car
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I plug in the charger and sometimes I pop the hood and turn on the shop fan, use shop compressed air to blow off the car as well as the wheels, blows most if not all the brake dust off the wheels and then run over the car with duster and quick detail any bugs and walk away. Five minutes max.
Last edited by bjones7131; 06-30-2018 at 09:18 PM.
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mjdart (06-30-2018)
06-30-2018, 09:15 PM
#10
Team Owner
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06-30-2018, 09:32 PM
#12
06-30-2018, 09:47 PM
#13
Drifting
Wouldn’t trying to cool the engine down rapidly cause metal fatigue sooner?
06-30-2018, 09:55 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
Wow, I pull mine in the garage and shut it off. That’s what I have done with all my cars including my Porsche that cost twice as much as my Vette. Same with my 47 year old C3.
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UsernameProtected (07-01-2018)
06-30-2018, 10:19 PM
#16
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Really slow rate, I work at a big public utility with advanced combustion and steam turbines, don't exceed 100 degrees and hour and you're good, aluminum cools off much faster thats why I only cool for 15 to 20 minutes
06-30-2018, 10:32 PM
#19
Racer
I'm old school...but not old..59, I've had my share of old cars big blocks (motor)...opening the hood was quicker way for engine compartment to cool down, so yes...I do the same with C7 just got back from 1,5 hour drive pulled in garage and popped the hood, garage door still open may wait another half hour shut garage door and leave hood open till tomorrow am do quick detail and out the door again for a summer drive.
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capt. sam (07-01-2018)
06-30-2018, 10:42 PM
#20
Race Director
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I push the "stop" button.