LT5 Cooling and Radiators

[5ABI VT]

Originally Posted by RussMcB

The oil cooler stays in place (but you will need to disconnect the lines - just one bolt).

With the radiator out you can blow out the oil cooler's and A/C fins.

It's encouraging that your temps come down pretty fast when the car is moving.

When you go to the race, keep in mind that the coolant in the water pump begins to cavitate at high RPMs, so you can short shift to avoid that if needed.

I need to do some searching on cleaning out the oil cooler as well I recall people saying they were full of sludge etc. the event is only a half mile so it's not very long at all. I'm wot through 3-4 gears all the time and never see any temp issues . I usually watch the oil temps and they're never too high. I think for a wot run oil will have a big impact on cooling as well and with the capacity and oiling on the LT5 it does an excellent job.

As for water pumps I definitely will be moving to electric water pumps I need to do more research on available setups but after having one in my last 388 lt4 build that I used at high rpm all the time for extended periods .. Worked wonderfully (with a stock rad).