Screwed up my intercooler install - but fixed it

[ZO6 Bryan]

Originally Posted by Boother

Is that the 3/8" port on the passenger top corner? Can it be opened without removing the bumper? Does the factory fill procedure use that bleed screw or are there more instructions in the service manual?

Yes, that's it. And there is a drain just like it on the driver side lower corner.

[E. Bryant]

The easiest way to bleed the system is with a vacuum bleeder like the Airlift:

http://www.uview.com/index.cfm?dsp=p...productid=5120

Amazon sells it for around $125, and it's money well-spent - especially if you have other vehicles with tricky-to-bleed cooling systems.

[Boother]

How is a vacuum bleeder going to remove the air from the top of the heat exchanger that is above the outlet?

Originally Posted by E. Bryant

The easiest way to bleed the system is with a vacuum bleeder like the Airlift:

http://www.uview.com/index.cfm?dsp=p...productid=5120

Amazon sells it for around $125, and it's money well-spent - especially if you have other vehicles with tricky-to-bleed cooling systems.

[winterboy8]

Originally Posted by Boother

How is a vacuum bleeder going to remove the air from the top of the heat exchanger that is above the outlet?

Well, if it's anything like it's name, it will "vacuum" out the air, hence removing it. But that would require that the connection port to the air is liquid free, unless said vacuum system can handle both liquid and gas, which I doubt it can. So, you'd need to partially drain the system so that where you connect this to is above any fluid. Then do a vacuum load, which is technically the best way to do it.

So, just went and looked at that system. Very nice, even has a load port. So, this would be extremely easy to use for any cooling system. I guess the question for our S/C application would be the pump. I'm not sure if it "locks" when it's off. If it will free spool, no problems.

[jayno20]

Originally Posted by LagunaSecaZL1

The problem occurred for me because I swapped out my heat exchanger on my ZL1 and didn't verify the coolant flowing. I did fill up over the course of 5 days, and now I don't believe the system was purged of air pockets.

On my Z06, I knew about the potential for cavitation and air pockets. I created the problem when I added an aftermarket reservoir. I was careful during installation and lost a very small amount of coolant.

Verifying intercooler coolant circulation is very important because you will not get a code or DIC message, and the ECM will pull timing if there is an issue. If you can monitor IAT2, which is not the easiest thing to do, then you will see the spike in temperature.

Do you have water/water wetter in your intercooler system or is the coolant pink in the vette?

[Boother]

Does anyone have the actual service manual procedure?

[hawk02]

Originally Posted by Boother

Does anyone have the actual service manual procedure?

See post #4

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=402468

[KaBoom1701]

Originally Posted by jayno20

I'm about to refill the intercooler system with distilled water and water wetter anyway so I figured I'd give this a shot while I'm at it. Did you notice any cooling differences yet?

Haven't driven the car since purging. Busy work week. But I plan on seeing what the differences are soon.

Originally Posted by E. Bryant

The easiest way to bleed the system is with a vacuum bleeder like the Airlift:

http://www.uview.com/index.cfm?dsp=p...productid=5120

Amazon sells it for around $125, and it's money well-spent - especially if you have other vehicles with tricky-to-bleed cooling systems.

I may just go this route.....seems a lot of time is wasted waiting to purge the system of bubbles....

Originally Posted by Boother

Does anyone have the actual service manual procedure?

I have the service books but they dont really tell you much. Basically vacuum bleed the system. lol

[Boother]

Originally Posted by KaBoom1701

I have the service books but they dont really tell you much. Basically vacuum bleed the system. lol

Except according to the service manual pages in the link from Hawk02, there is no vacuum used in the factory procedure. Pulling a vacuum on the top of the system will not remove the air from the top of the heat exchanger as it is a high point. The air will not travel out of the system through the upper house, it will just be stuck in top of the hx. The bleed screw must be used while filling to get the air out and coolant in the dead space in the hx.

[E. Bryant]

Originally Posted by Boother

Pulling a vacuum on the top of the system will not remove the air from the top of the heat exchanger as it is a high point. The air will not travel out of the system through the upper house, it will just be stuck in top of the hx.

No, it won't get stuck. The air will be pulled out and displaced by fluid. Trust me - when the bleeder pulls enough vacuum that the hoses start to collapse, there ain't any air left in the system

Vacuum bleeding is not an uncommon service procedure for other makes, and it's typically how the cooling system is filled at the assembly plant.

[jayno20]

Originally Posted by KaBoom1701

So I did this last night. Did about 6 times. Bleed a lot of air bubbles from the system. Still some small air pockets but nothing like the first few times....

I read the responses and you guys are right. The RD does have a bleeder on the upper left. So do I redo all this and crack the bleeder scew on RD ?

I bought a 1" inner diameter hose and it fits over the top fitting fine. The problem is when I turn on my intercooler pump it almost instantly fills the tube (24"/2 feet) and it will start running over... How did you do this and not have that issue?


I just switched to water/water wetter in my intercooler system with my rotofab reservoir and wanted to do this as a final step just to be sure it was all bled. I let the pump run for about 10 minutes with the cap off the reservoir to make sure any air bubbles were pushed out, but still wanted to do this method here.

Any ideas why mine is going to run over?

[KaBoom1701]

Originally Posted by jayno20

I bought a 1" inner diameter hose and it fits over the top fitting fine. The problem is when I turn on my intercooler pump it almost instantly fills the tube (24"/2 feet) and it will start running over... How did you do this and not have that issue?


I just switched to water/water wetter in my intercooler system with my rotofab reservoir and wanted to do this as a final step just to be sure it was all bled. I let the pump run for about 10 minutes with the cap off the reservoir to make sure any air bubbles were pushed out, but still wanted to do this method here.

Any ideas why mine is going to run over?

I used at least 12" of tubing with an funnel.

[jayno20]

Originally Posted by KaBoom1701

I used at least 12" of tubing with an funnel.

Mine is 24" with no funnel... I tried putting a funnel at the end as well and it was still filling it up.

[GODZL1A]

Originally Posted by jayno20

Mine is 24" with no funnel... I tried putting a funnel at the end as well and it was still filling it up.

I'm thinking it might be the water wetter from what I understand it foams up really bad maybe try the Lucas super coolant

David