Thanks for the tip and warning about the valve actuators!
Where exactly are you wrapping the exhaust? Before the H-Pipe?

Thanks!

 

I went to Sebring on Saturday and Sunday. I figured I would give you guys an update on how the car performed. There were 3 hours of track time each day with a 30 minute warm up. The transmission was fine for the 30 minute warm up but then overheated 90 minutes later about 20 minutes into my first 30 minute track session. I was by all means not pushing the car hard as I was unfamiliar with the track. The exhaust wrap seemed to help a bit. The transmission lasted the whole 30 minute track session when I manually shifted but trans temps were hovering around 260. I didn't finish the last 90 minutes of track time on Saturday as the car was beeping non stop after the DIC transmission overheat message came on. I cooled down the car, let it sit for 20 minutes off and even tried restarting the car 7 times to see if the beeping would stop, temp was around 180. Finally about an hour into my drive home, I stopped to get a bite to eat and forgot to fasten my seatbelt when I left. Oddly enough, once the seatbelt chime/DIC message popped up and I fastened my seatbelt, the beeping stopped.

Today I went to the dealer and they pulled all the parts required to mount the front end Z06 cooler on my car. All in all, the parts are going to cost around $1k for the radiator and lines. I'm waiting on the tech to call me back with the cost to install. I also contacted GM technical support to see if they can cover it under warranty. We'll see what happens.

 

I wrapped from just behind the frame stiffing plate covering the exhaust at the tunnel over the pipe clamp and up the rise over the axle as far as I could reach - almost to the exhaust actuator. Then put some DEI adhesive backed reflective foil on the unprotected diff cooler lines (harder to get to). That gets most of the area adjacent to the transmission. Now, don't forget, I have a 2015 M7 now, not the 2014 automatic. Effectiveness on my car of this and oil cooler shield is posted in this thread: Road Course Upgrades Review DeWitts, Wilwood Z06 Grills

 

I'll be very interested in following your experience with this - as would many others -especially with the A8 trans. Mounting the front cooler is fairly straight forward. Running the lines and connecting them to both the rear cooler and trans would seem the hard part. If you get this done lots of us would be interested in seeing where they run those lines and how they connect them. Please take pictures and give us a parts breakdown. Thanks in advance.

 

I just finished talking to GM Customer service. They told me to get a secondary cooler installed at the dealer at my own risk and cost. I don't think they even know what I am talking about it. They said unless the issue is a recall, they will not cover it.
The dealer told me that its impossible to know if this would work or not. They are also worry that programming might be needed for temperature sensors. They recommended that I trade in my 2015 for a 2016 which would have a secondary cooler. I will not do.
If its not too much trouble, Would you mind posting/PM what part numbers are need for the secondary cooler?

 

Here are the scanned copies of the printouts the parts department gave me. The First is the front section including the radiator, the second is the mid-section lines, the third is the Z06 cooler and lines and the last is the Z51 cooler and lines. To put the system together, it looks like we would need the Z06 cooler lines because the end connection is different because it connects line to line.

 

Here's an easier view of just the main drawings:

 

Be prepared it's not a bolt in solution for you. Just had mine apart last week.
1. The Z51 cooler uses two male fittings and the much larger unit and fan equipped Z06 fan uses an male and female quick connect.
2. The hard lines are mounted through the rocker and there is room on the Z06 but I couldn't even image sliding them through the Z51 rockers and the rockers are glued on.
3. The hard lines after the rocker go up and over the front wheel well. I actually said F it at that point because I wasn't taking any more of the car apart (after the rear bumper, rear quarter, front bumper, both fender liners, and my pride) so we got flex line and cut and welded from there. But again, I couldn't imagine the hard lines would fit behind the C7 front fender.
4. Last, I decided to go with a fan unit instead of the OEM cooler which I still have sitting there.

Hope that saves you some headache. I had mine apart on a lift for two days.

 

Thanks Ben and C7Z51. That's what we wanted to know: if possible and/or feasible. Looks like you've answered that on the difficulty and expense level both. Ben, have you determined whether the ZO6 rear cooler and fan will fit in the C7Z51.
Off topic: how did you get that LR fender off without removing the rear fascia?

 

Thanks for the info and pictures. Do you have a Z06 and you were replacing the lines? How did you end up running the lines through the mid section/rockers?

 

I had my 2014 A6 Z51 on the track this past weekend. At the end of the 5th 20 minute session it got a "high transmission temp" warning. I went in to the pit, and called it a day. I drove the car in (Track mode Sport 1). I didn't use the paddle shifters. I just put it in Auto and went driving.

I read all of the posts on this thread. Sounds like a problem GM does not want to fix.

My plan is to:

1). Replace transmission fluid with Amsoil (16k miles on the car) it due anyway

2). Wrap exhaust around transmission

3). install Z06 rear "scoop" air ducts

4). Light a candle at church

Thanks
Al

 

Not the news I wanted to hear.

So what would be a less complex solution? Or can we add a second cooler similar to the primary on the other side of the rear bumper?

I wonder if GM is using a different method to mount the secondary transmission cooler that they will be adding on the 2016 Z51.

 

I'm considering a 2016 Z51 w/ A8. Is GM putting a secondary transmission cooler in the 2016 Z51 in addition to the primary trans cooler? Where did that info come from? I plan on tracking the Stingray and would like the A8 but will go with the M7 if the A8 transmission overheating is this big of an issue. I live in Texas and have 90+ deg F days.

 

The Z06 cooler is big and the fan is big. The Z51 cooler fan is small and actually has an external controller that is mounted under it, the new one has the controller mounted in it. There is no way it will fit under the Z51 quarter.

Oh the whole back is off too. Just hung it back on the car once the fender was off. Seriously the amount of work done to swap that out was ridiculous LOL the tunnel cover, x pipe, and exhaust had to come down too to get to the lines off of the trans. Seriously I was only a couple of steps away from lowering the whole chassis again.

I put the Z06 wide body on mine, so I have the space, ran them right up through there in the opening.

 

Go vote for below thread. Maybe we would get an answer from Tadge.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1589714598

 

Here's two pics: one of the DEI exhaust wrap and one of the home-made oil cooler shield. No points for polished look on the cooler shield, I know. But it did lower the oil temps 45° coupled with DEI Radiator Relief (water wetter) in the rad.

 

I have done those exact mods minus the trans fluid and it did not solve the problem. Shifting in manual mode and keeping the revs a little lower than what the auto programming does kept me from getting the high trans temp warning but trans still got to 270. In auto I got the warning right at the end of a 20 min session. This was on a 90 F south Louisiana day. Not sure where to go next other than wait for a bigger trans cooler solution that does not involve disassembling the whole car. Airflow and air temp does not seem to make a huge difference to me. I have tracked in 70 to 90 ambient temps and the Cosworth data shows the trans temp varying from 270 to 290. Not enough trans cooler surface area I am afraid.

 

StingrayAl, Take a look at page 2 of this post for pics of some home-made air scoops I fabricated to test the theory of more air solving the overheating problem (with existing cooler and ducting). I dare say those things probably jammed in more air than the ZO6 "scoops" do and only delayed the trans getting to the 260 point (where it started shifting on its own) by about one minute of track time because it was rising so rapidly.
I'm not sure I'd spend the $ on the ZO6 "scoops" considering I understand the whole rear fascia must be removed to get the fenders off to get the "scoops" changed until someone whose done it posts some positive data.

 

Thanks Ben. Yeesh! Your are a glutton for punishment. :-) Sounds like something I'd do just because I wouldn't want it to get the best of me. LOL But by the time I got it all back together I'd probably have parts left over and get that sinking feeling...

About that "wide body." Actual ZO6 fenders or an aftermarket wide body fender kit? I ask because I need some more clearance for 305/650/18 race tires on the front. I'm rubbing my fender lips on hard braking coupled with cornering or cornering with bumps and already have minimal inside clearance on the inside.

 

The Z06 fender scoops can be put on without pulling off the rear fender. I did it. Took about an hour. Remove the bolts in the door. Top of the fender in the trunk and gas cap on drivers side and you can get a small hand in there to remove the bolts on the vents. Adding them did not significantly change the trans temps, but they look cool,