Daily Slideshow: 8 Tips for Keeping Your Corvette in Top Shape
Corvettes are surprisingly reliable and inexpensive to run, but basic maintenance cannot be neglected. This simple maintenance item checklist will keep your Corvette running for many more trouble-free years.
Your Corvette doesn't ask for much, but...
Corvettes are such wonderful machines. Despite the highly capable chassis and powerful engines, they are surprisingly reliable and inexpensive to run. 100,000 miles is nothing for a ‘Vette; however, basic maintenance cannot be neglected. This simple maintenance item checklist will keep your Corvette running for many more trouble-free years. And the best part is that you don't need to take your Corvette a mechanic. Even the most novice of car owners can do most of these maintenance projects themselves.
1. Oil Changes
Regular oil and filter changes are cheap insurance against engine wear. The modern LS/LT V8 engines are robust, but when it comes to engines, there are many metal components rotating very fast and getting quite hot, resulting in a lot of friction. As engine oil ages and breaks down, its lubricative properties are lessened, increasing friction and resulting in excessive engine wear.
Get a head start on that basic maintenance and change your oil today.
2. Serpentine Belts
Do you like having functional power steering, air conditioning, and a water pump that prevents your engine from overheating? If your answer was “yes” (and it should be), then you should not skip out on regularly replacing your Corvette’s serpentine belt. Also known as the accessory or drive belt, it powers all of your engine’s accessories via a series of pulleys on the front of the engine. As the belt begins to age, it can exhibit cracking, begin to slip as it spins, or snap entirely. Running the engine sans belt (and water pump!) is obviously not recommended. Replacing the belt once every few years is $20 and 20 minutes well spent to not be stuck on the side of the road.
If you're suspecting a worn serpentine belt or even a busted water pump, here's a handy DIY to see what's involved in replacing them.
3. Transmission Fluid
Originally, Corvettes featured a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout wherein the transmission was bolted directly behind the engine. However, as of the C5 generation ‘Vette, the Corvette Team has moved to a rear-mounted transaxle with a torque tube linking the engine and gearbox. This is great for improving weight distribution. Very forward thinking tech, but the basics still apply, namely that regular gear oil changes minimize transmission wear from the gears or synchronizers and will help retain a smooth shifting action. Consider changing the manual transmission fluid annually as $40 well spent to enjoy banging gear changes at the drag strip without issue.
Are you feeling the DIY spirit? Here's a tutorial on changing your trans fluid, if you're so inclined.
4. Differential Oil
Your Corvette’s diff takes a beating from things like high RPM drag launches, burnouts, high G-force cornering and other things that put a lot of load on the differential when 400+ horsepower and performance driving is involved. Keeping the diff cool and well lubricated with fresh oil will massively increase longevity when you’re driving the car like it was meant to be driven.
Want to change your diff oil for peace of mind? We've got you covered with the DIY goods you need.
5. Clutch Fluid
Most Corvettes have a separate reservoir for the clutch and brake fluid. This is a very good thing, as Corvettes are notorious for ruining their clutch fluid with clutch dust and contaminants. The issue is exacerbated by hard launches and other things that tend to abuse clutches. As the clutch fluid is further contaminated, gear changes are made more difficult and additional clutch wear is possible. If you’re at the 1320 and you keep missing the 1-2 shift and you don’t know why, then check the reservoir. Fortunately, the quick fix is a piece of cake, remove the old fluid with a baster or fluid extractor and replace with fresh brake fluid.
Want to know more about the condition of your clutch fluid, look here, or for further troubleshooting, here. If you want to do a more comprehensive servicing of your clutch fluid, check out this handy DIY.
6. Brake Fluid
Your brakes use hydraulic pressure, exerted through the brake pedal and master cylinder to push brake fluid through the lines, to the calipers, where the caliper pistons squeeze the brake against the rotor. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning that it is prone to absorbing moisture over time. That moisture reduces the efficacy of the hydraulic system in a very severe and noticeable way. If the brake pedal seems to sink further in its travel and feel soft and spongy, you have just boiled the brake fluid and induced moisture into the system. This can seriously reduce available pedal pressure and brake force, meaning less stopping power and a very inconvenient situation when you’re approaching T1 of Willow Springs International Raceway at 140mph.
Spooked? Don't be, we have an easy to follow how-to on replacing on changing your brake fluid: Click here for more info on this easy DIY.
7. Suspension Bushings
It’s all fun and games until a ball joint collapses. Suspension bushings allow the suspension arms to articulate and maintain the suspension geometry. Worn bushings will result in sloppy handling, worsening tremendously at the limits of grip, give you poor tire wear, and in certain cases, bring about your demise. If a ball joint is allowed to completely fail and separate, the suspension could collapse and smash the wheel into the suspension, or the body of the car. In some cases, a wobbly wheel hub and let go, and when those let go, they usually let the whole wheel and tire go from the car as well. Yikes.
Have some worn out suspension problems, issues, or just questioning if everything is rock solid with your 'Vette? Here's a little piece on troubleshooting and double-checking your ride: Click here!
8. Tires
This one sounds relatively benign compared to collapsing suspensions and imminent demises, so what gives? People balk at the thought of tires being one of the most important changes you can make to a car, at least until they try to channel 650 horsepower worth of Z06 through two worn rear tires. It’s true: no one other change will so severely affect braking; cornering; acceleration; ride comfort and general stability, like tires. Don’t be the laughing stock of your local Cars and Coffee when you crash into the median trying to accelerate quickly onto the main road. Sticky tires save lives and egos! Besides, we can save the Cars and Coffee crashes for the Mustangs.
Check out some tire reviews straight from the source (CorvetteForum, of course) by clicking here.