Rain.... On a Twin Turbo..... ???

[HoldHard]

So lets say that I get caught in a sudden unexpected rain squall and there is no bridge to stop underneath anywere in sight. I now have water going into the intercooler (top) hood scoops.

Is it going to hit the intercooler and vaporize?

Is it going to end up on top of the hot engine and produce steam?

Is this going to do any damage to anything under the hood?


Thanks in Advance,
HoldHard

(Still waiting for the paperwork to get finished so I can arrange transportation from Denver to Detroit for '91 TT #53))

 

[SurfnSun]

If the engine is hot, i would think the h2o will evaporate. I have heard from other guys you need to be careful when washing with a cold motor or the intercoolers will rust.

The thing Id worry about more in the rain is water splashing up on the turbos. The thought of cold water splashing up on a turbo makes me uncomfortable.

 

[TurboLuigi]

Living in tropical South Florida, it has happened to me.

No, your engine will not steam up and NO the intercoolers will not begin to rust. Actually, there is a low pressure air flow over the nostrils which stick up over the hood and very little water can get in there unless it is directed (by a hose). The older style NACA ducts however have a problem with water leakage. You have more of a chance of getting water in there by washing your car.

If you raise the hood immediately after washing the car, water trapped around the edges of the nostrils will drip down on to the intercoolers as you raise the hood. The intercoolers are aluminum and will not rust.

I keep my Rams-horn and intercoolers well polished and there is generally no evidence of water marks.

As to water spashing up on the turbo's, definitely do not purposely drive through puddles, particularly with a hot engine.... This is common sense, however you will notice that Callaway has a shileld/shroud on the turbo's. This is to protect the hot turbo's from sudden temperature changes, ie getting spashed by water on the road. The shield protects them from the normal water mist of the road but if you drive through a huge puddle there is the possibility of letting water enter the shield and damaging the turbo by cracking from a sudden temperature change.

You will notice that a lot of thought and engineering has taken place to produce these cars, some improvements by trial and error.

Luigi
:cool

 

[EricVonHa]

..to be careful when washing with a cold motor or the intercoolers will rust.

Is your car one of the rare limited edition models with the chrome rather than aluminum intercoolers? Zaino man. Zaino!!

 

[Rain]

Spooked me there man!:duh

Thought "I" was spose to be on a twin turbo.. or at least someone had found me the deal of the century on a Callaway....

Back to work, Rain

 

[SurfnSun]

Is your car one of the rare limited edition models with the chrome rather than aluminum intercoolers? Zaino man. Zaino!!

which Zaino do you use?

8388 was actually the one who told me about being careful when washing the car.

 

[90Callaway]

We all drove back from the Carlisle Fairgrounds last summer in a driving rain storm with no ill effects. Very little water seems to enter through the air intakes. Just drive like you've got an egg between your foot and the gas pedal when the road is wet or you may find yourself in a spin.

I do believe that cold rain water splashing on the exhaust housing of the turbos is probably the single biggest factor in cracked housings. Watch for standing water. Mine has cracked 4 over the years in 50K miles.

 

[8388]

which Zaino do you use?

8388 was actually the one who told me about being careful when washing the car.

When washing the Aerobody car, you want to avoid letting water get thru the air intakes (hood scoops). The intercooler can OXIDIZE which is what I think Josh really meant to say, and any of the polished aluminum hardware will spot, if water or moisture is not removed right away. The one item you want to keep from RUSTING are the exhaust manifolds, these are custom made for the Callaway and would probably be hard to find and not to mention rather expensive to replace.

 

[*89x2*]

Sam, I spoke with an owner who has had both the NACA ducts on an 87 and the "Blisters" . He mentioned the water tended to run into the blisters with greater ease than with the NACA's - said he drove his 87 in torrential rains without worry...

Here is a shot of the engine - Hard to believe this thing has EVER seen dampness

 

[HoldHard]

Thanks for all the responses. Update on the car:

Funds successfully wired and acknowledged. Title work has been completed (a major accomplishment in Colorado as the owner did not have the title, the finance company did. He was told it may take up to seven weeks to get the title. It took just over ten days after he paid off the balance).

Transportation has been arranged through Intercity but they are tap dancing on any sort of pickup date committment.

Man, this waiting (and beening Corvetteless) is a PITA!!!

The good news is that the 2003 Tahoe is a really great vehicle. It fills the roll of "tow vehicle" very nicely. Now all I need is to wait until the end of the summer (and the end of race season) and pick up a 22'-24' enclosed trailer.

HoldHard

 

[*89x2*]

Now all I need is to wait until the end of the summer (and the end of race season) and pick up a 22'-24' enclosed trailer.

Awesome

 

[SCVette]

HoldHard,
It sounds like you bought Alan's quasar blue TT beauty. It is a spectacular car that has been well taken care of. I have a motor picture on my website from a couple years ago at
http://www.cruisenights.com/vettenet060400.htm
its the fourth picture down.

Have fun and keep the dirty side down. Oh wait, there isn't a dirty side to that car.
Later,
Taylor

 

[HoldHard]

SCVette,

Your pictures from the June 2000 cruise are excellent. Who owns the yellow Aerobody ZR1? That looks clean!!

Yep, the Callaway is sitting in Alan's garage, all tucked in and covered, awaiting transport. Just looking at the car (and the underside) you can tell it's led a pampered life. It's going to continue that same lifestyle. With the GM Tech center holding the Corvette America show just a few miles away, that may be the only place it gets driven. Ok, maybe to the Corvette club meetings, which are less than 5 miles from the house, but only if there's absolutely no chance of rain!!!!!

If Intercity keeps tap dancing on the delivery date, they are going to loose the business. There are two other reputable companies that I'm contacting to see who can deliver the vehicle.

I keep telling myself "Have patience, your going to own this car a long time". Then the "other" little guy on the opposite shoulder says "Why waste the transport money, buy the trailer, hitch it to the Tahoe and go get the car this weekend. It's only 1,260 miles each way.......

Lets see, if I drive with a co-pilot and we each do 4 hour shifts, that would only be about 48-50 hours straight, plus loading time.......

HoldHard

 

[SCVette]

If it was guaranteed not to rain or get sucked up in a tornado, I would say drive her home.

 

[HoldHard]

Taylor,

As you know, Alan went to great lengths to take care of this car and it shows. It's going to continue that lifestyle as I've been looking for a Callaway in this condition for over ten years. Be assured that the Medium Quasar Blue is going to a good home.

Living in the Detroit suburbs, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting ten C5s and at least five C4s. There are some serious collectors around here and the cars are truly magnificent. One gentleman in Birmingham has one of each Corvette generation and built a separate garage to house them all. Another club member has six Corvettes and then there are the sons of Les Stanford (of the Stanford Chevy dealership). I've lost count of how many they have, but the one that stands out is the 1995 ZR1 that has never been titled. It still has the seat protection plastic wrap and original window stickers in place.

I did come across your web site and you have an impressive set of red (and silver) vehicles. Did you replace the amber turn signal lenses with clear on the Aerobody or did it come that way? Are the turn signal bulbs amber?

HoldHard

 

[TurboLuigi]

HoldHard,

At some point in recent years it seems like the manufacturer of the Aerobody lens has been using clear material on the turn signals as well. There is a dye that can be applied to the turn signal lens to turn it into to the orange color of original year Aerobody's.

If you are interested in this I'm sure some of the other folks who were privy to the conversation (and remember) can chime in... Or you might start a thread on it.

Luigi
:cool

 

[*89x2*]

Living in the Detroit suburbs, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting ten C5s and at least five C4s. There are some serious collectors around here and the cars are truly magnificent. One gentleman in Birmingham has one of each Corvette generation and built a separate garage to house them all.

That is so true There are even a few Callaway's up in that area
I have spent a decent bit of time in that area and found the car scene to be simply awesome - esp. the car dealers ALL over town dealing in older muscle and unique cars.

Enjoy your Callaway - hope the transport portion sorts itself out soon - the wait must be killing you!!!

 

[SCVette]

The turn signals came in the clear color. And to tell the truth I don't know off the top of my head what color the bulbs are. But since I have to reattach one f the bulb sockets to the fascia, I will find out.

Enjoy your new ride.
Taylor