Engine Water Temperature Question
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Kansas
Engine Water Temperature Question I am leaning towards taking the Z28 (2000 M6) over to the drag strip tomorrow night to play around a bit during test and tune. My question has to do with the water temperature of the engine and the performance of the engine.
My 95 Z28 with the LT1 used to run its best at lower water temperatures, just off the 160 peg.
I have no experience with the LS1 and am curious about where it performs the best in regards to water temperature.
Thanks in advance for the information/advice.
My 95 Z28 with the LT1 used to run its best at lower water temperatures, just off the 160 peg.
I have no experience with the LS1 and am curious about where it performs the best in regards to water temperature.
Thanks in advance for the information/advice.
I have this habit (may be good, may be bad), that I always push my car to the front of the staging lanes, and start it at the very last moment, to go to the line and do the burnout. It's great to have lower ECTs for IATs, but however it is better to have a warm engine oil temp. My theory has always been that by the time I do a burnout, and have to sit on my transbrake for a good 3-4 seconds, my oil temp is decent enough to make a run. Just my experience though.
Both our LS1 cars go faster with heat. We have about 800-900 runs between 2 cars and I can assure you the closer between rounds the faster they go. We make it a point that they are at temp before a run. I especially make sure the trans has good heat in it.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
Likes: 89
From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
My car has always run a better time when hot lapped. I never do that popping the hood **** to cool down either, I mean think about it, by the time you idle up, burn out, stage and go its already back hot again.
Friday night I hot lapped 4 passes, only stopping long enough to make some shock adjustments. Only about 2 minutes. The fourth pass is when I ran the best. All night it was running 7.40-7.45 at 94-95 mph. Last pass went 7.36 at 97. I was surprised it picked up 2 mph.
Rob
Rob
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Kansas
This is good to know. Also, this is the exact opposite of the way my LT1 behaved. Thank you for sharing your experience.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Kansas
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
Not an LS1, but I like to get all fluids to full temp, then open the hood to cool it back down between passes. But the oil and trans fluid is still warm, which is important. This is where driving to the track is good.
I used to be fanatical about coolant temp, but what would happen is I would pull to the line with the coolant below normal, and it turned out the T-stat wasn't open yet. Then at the end of the pass, the temp would be hotter than normal because I made the whole pass with the T-stat closed. Don't do that.
It is good to have all the metals heated and expanded to keep the gaskets intact, but then ice down the intake manifold between rounds and such to keep the IAT as cool as possible.
Al
I used to be fanatical about coolant temp, but what would happen is I would pull to the line with the coolant below normal, and it turned out the T-stat wasn't open yet. Then at the end of the pass, the temp would be hotter than normal because I made the whole pass with the T-stat closed. Don't do that.
It is good to have all the metals heated and expanded to keep the gaskets intact, but then ice down the intake manifold between rounds and such to keep the IAT as cool as possible.
Al
Mine likes the heat for sure. If the wait in the lanes is long enough I'll shut the car off but just to save the gas more than anything. If I hot lap 4 or 5 laps the last one or two are usually the fastest.