Corvette C7 Z06 cooling upgrade wars-the battle of the aftermarket "tuner" nitwits extends across Atlantic

Engineering is a very fun and very straight forward discipline.  In essence, engineering another name for problem solving, albeit employing a regimen of logically organized steps.  When engineer steps to the table and happens to be a competent one, equipped with not only a logical mind but professional ethics as well, two outcomes are possible:

1.  Problem is solved or...
2.  Project is deemed as a failure and promptly abandoned.

What is the involved in problem solving?

1. Identifying the scope of the project.
2. Identifying the problems.
3. Evaluating the underlying cause or causes and their origin.
4. Identifying effects resulting from the causes.
5. Prioritizing and/or combining the possible solutions.
6. Applying solutions.
7. Verifying effectiveness of solutions.

Of course, matters simplify greatly when the second possibility applies, by simply walking away from problem solving attempt and operating a piece of equipment or machine not within its intended parameters but those that have been determined as SUSTAINABLE.  Again, this is what engineering is or should be about,

However, like with anything else in life, there is always someone who will pervert this sound approach and insist on fixing something that cannot be fixed.  Nothing demonstrates this point better than the latest generation of +General Motors ALLEGED track worthy and alleged again, SPORTS CAR.

For anyone who understands the flaws of the latest generation of Corvette, the second scenario, involving acceptance of failure and operating withing sustainable parameters is a no brainer.

In essence, if you want to buy a car that can be readily used on track or in competitive driving either stock or with relatively few and basic modifications, YOU LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE, beyond the seventh generation of Corvette which by any available track and competitive driving metric is a flawed design and complete failure.

However, if you want to buy that serves as a means to boosting someone's self esteem and the car design within that person's test, there is nothing wrong with buying one of these vehicles, especially when market is so soft, forcing even the most greedy dealers to offer heavy discounts.  As long as the latest generation of Corvette is used for recreational purpose only, it should function more or less (not including any possible reliability aspects here).

Of course, life would be too simple if everyone was sensible and ethical and thus, there is that thing called Corvette C7 performance upgrade aftermarket vendors who will try their hardest to defy not just the basic principals of engineering but common sense as well.

Going back to Corvette C7 Stingray and even more so, C7 Z06, what would be the scope of a performance project?  Adding more performance?  Not at all, SUSTAINABILITY of the advertised by +Tadge Juechter performance would be the realistic scope of any attempt to fix this failed generation.

Now, identifying the problems... this one is easy, loss of performance under more demanding driving conditions, caused by heat build up and inability to extract it from the engine compartment and drivetrain.

Can this issue be fixed completely and then eliminated to the point where addition of horsepower could be supported?  ABSOLUTELY NO!!!

As this blog pointed out on many occasions, the latest generation of Corvette is not just a singular failure, it is literally a can of worms that once opened, cannot be ever closed successfully.

In his drive to create the best Corvette ever, Tadge Juechter failed on multiple levels, not only has he coordinated a design that in attempt to combine aerodynamics with efficient cooling fails on both accounts but the choice of the engine and layout of drivetrain components makes the initial flaw into a giant pile of excrement.

Not only there is no adequate air circulation through the engine compartment, combined with minimal heat extraction but the engine itself, even in its naturally aspired form has a serious problem with cooling, through both flawed cooling jackets and to make it even worse, a truly puzzling cooling system circulation pattern during elevated temperature events which happen very often.

To top it off (pun intended fully), the air intake and extraction are completely inadequate even for the base lowly Stingray and considerably worse for the supercharged Z06 which suffers from even problems related to undersized supercharger that further hampers even the stock performance levels.

The fact that items like oil cooler have been botched and even the 2017 version does not offer an air to oil heat exchanger, along with silly attempts at cooling transmission and differential and electric power steering, they are there just like the proverbial icing on the cake.

Of course, the world of Corvette enthusiasts would not be complete if it lacked those highly coveted aftermarket performance suppliers who apparently are still bent on accomplishing the impossible.

Thus, the time has come to touch upon two of rather silly albeit very pricey examples of this botched pseudo engineering attempts.

In this case, the power brokers happen to exist on both sides of the Atlantic, with one being located in US and the other, in the land of Adolf Hitler, apparently still being bent on equalizing the WWII outcome (no other reason could possibly exist to offer another cooling fix, right?).  All kidding aside, both of these unmentioned outfits (any references to Katech or TIKT or certain LG Motorsports are purely coincidental).

Strangely enough, both of these "solutions" are about identical in concept, with slight variations and include relocation of the front mounted intercooler and then, after hacking out some extra holes, installing two intercoolers instead of single OEM unit, apparently in hope of decreasing engine temperatures by exposing the engine radiator to direct air flow instead of through the intercooler.

The comedy of course, lies in the fact that in his infinite wisdom, genius Juechter decided to use coolant to oil heat exchanger instead of dedicated air to oil exchanger.  Due to AFM and those inefficient cooling jackets, the LT engines run hot even under normal conditions, thus, the oil that comes in contact with the coolant, in the exchanger is hot, really hot and the only temperature differential available is that between hot coolant and hot oil which is next to nothing.  Furthermore, there is of course the flawed PCV system that can literally spit oil into intake system, reducing performance all on its own.

Of course, it is only given that neither of these great UPGRAYEDDS offers revised oil cooling system, not as a replacement and not as an auxilary, thermostat driven design, NADA, ZIP, ZILCH.

Really guys, with all this alleged R&D, neither one of these places can figure out this part?  This is not just funny, it is right down embarrassing.

So what do these two aftermarket options include?  New intercoolers, some ducting, hoses, maybe some revised supercharger cooling piping, maybe a thermostat, maybe a different main radiator, maybe supercharger housing changes but most of all, both include those huge front intake holes, with one whacking out one big hole in the center and the other relying on extra holes on the sides of the bumper frontal area, where fog lights were on C6.

Again, as a problem solver, both of these set ups are truly hopeless, beyond stupid actually but... they do offer a great opportunity to hack up the front bumper and dress up the already visually repulsive shape with some ever popular chicken wire.

Just for fun, here is the first "fix", with all components that are included

And installed on the car, chicken wire must be extra, LOL.

And here is the Nazi take on Z06 "fix"

Although very similar in general concept, the Teutonic Knights take on addressing something that cannot be fixed is somewhat more methodical and resulting in considerably more car body and chassis alterations.

Was Wernher Von Braun involved in coming up with this "solution"?  This blog bets on Willy Messerschitt instead, LOL...

And the final product, with the single hole approach instead of two external ones, with the carbon fiber snout protruding quite prominently from the frontal area, apparently the chicken wire is painted black?

And the final product, just as ghastly and ineffective as the first one but wow, the carbon fiber!!!
Apparently the American collaborator has no problem peddling the Nazi creation?  And is there a big ass wing gracing the butt of this hacked up rig?

To rest assured, neither one of these concoctions will alleviate the actual problems plaguing the disaster called C7 Z06 and no, no credit is deserved for at least trying, outside of fleecing pockets of the numbnuts and creating extra drag, as with anything tackling EFFECT instead of CAUSE, this big failure X2.  In fact, this blog guarantees the car rigged either way will still overheat and will still retain the heat.  Again, not mentioning actual companies involved in order to ease up demand on Hanes products.