2017 Corvette Z06 Cooling Upgrades

2017 Corvette Z06 Cooling Upgrades (Supercharger Lid)

2017 Corvette Cooling Upgrades | By: Chris Trautman

GM provided the 2017 Corvette Z06 Cooling Upgrades due to the overheating problem that some owners were experiencing on the 2015-2016 cars. 

The way GM tells the story, during engineering for the C7 Corvette performance parameters were established from a long history of proven metrics that calculated the thermal transfer of heat out of the new Corvette which makes 650 horsepower.  This new high horsepower rating for a stock GM engine eventually leads to GM updating their engineering model.  

What changed?  The engineering issue leads to overheating when driving the car hard, such as track events during warm days.  The use of lower outside ambient air temperature threshold engineering and a pro driver ultimately were discovered to upset the balance from real life everyday drivers on a track in higher temperatures found in southern climates.  Add in any vehicle modifications and all bets are off!  

Aerodynamics Are Key | Let it Flow!

So aerodynamically speaking the C7 Corvette Z06 does lack from sufficient airflow in extreme cases.  Several 3rd party vendors offer solutions that modify the front bumper to add more intake cooling air inlets.  Typically these become costly so we suggest reviewing this option closely when deciding the need.

Chances are you will not need this unless you are driving around with numbers on the side of your car full time.  Calloway, LG Motorsports are a few of the nicest options around.  They offer complete packages with cooling and aerodynamic modifications all included.  

Let's Start at The Top: The Supercharger Lid

In 2017 GM upgraded the C7 Z06 Supercharger lid design.  The result reduces heat soak inside the intercooler which sits on top of the Supercharger.  The new lid is taller and modifies the design of the top visible portion of the engine supercharger. 

Some owners also have dyno proof that this also increases power about 10 HP. 

Note: A new hood insulator GM PN 84016133 will be required to compete this upgrade. 

2017 GM Supercharger Lid

2017 Corvette Z06 Cooling Upgrades | GM Increases Radiator Size

GM has changed the radiator design several times.  The early versions are no longer available for purchase.  

Currently the PN for this new thicker radiator is ACDelco PN 84524653.

It's possible to retrofit this thicker radiator into 2015-2016 cars, but some confusion surrounds installing and what additional supporting parts or modifications are required. We suggest reading the Corvette forum post here for more information for your car.

Initially, this sounds like a promising low-cost option. But, the amount of work involved may offset the gains. We suggest an aftermarket solution.

Aftermarket Options

2017 Corvette Cooling Upgrades

Aftermarket cooling upgrades for the C7 Z06 Corvette are proven to lower coolant temperatures the most during spirited driving and provide the best overall solution to the majority of owners.  

We explore all the C7 Corvette aftermarket cooling options on our other page here.