Patman

This is a question I don't think I've ever seen here, but I was wondering if you get any sort of combustion chamber cleaning done if you're driving your Vararam equipped C5 in heavy rain? I know that water decarbonization is a time proven method that works to "steam clean" the combustion chamber of engines to remove carbon. And often when I'm driving in heavy rain on the highway and the cars in front of me are shooting up a steady stream of rain towards the front of my car I can't help but wonder if my Vararam is helping to suck in a fine mist of water which would clean things out? Or is the air filter simply going to stop most of that water? I have heard of a few rare cases where cars with cold air kits have gotten hydrolocked engines from driving through very deep puddles, so obviously the air filter can't stop all the water from getting through in those cases.

AU N EGL

No - you might get hydro lock

to clean the combustion chambers, drive it harder.

change fuel brand and drive hard

hard driving on fresh fuel ( 92 or 93 octane ) will decarb

Patman

Why would driving hard with fresh fuel decarbonize better than if the fuel was a few days (or weeks) old?

max'svette

All the "mist" will get captured by the filter which will then become wet.

If it becomes too wet water will soak through and possibly hydro-lock your engine.

DARRYLZO6

This is probably the reason that Im glad that I dont have a Vararam. I would be a lot less worried about fuel decarbonization and more about water locking up that motor. Especially in my neck of the woods because its been raining buckets all week and its about to start up again tonight.

Jistari

Lets not get ntuz now it takes a fair amount of water before you have to worry about hydro locking the engine. Many many people here DD their C5's in all kinds of rain. Droplets hitting from the front isnt going to lock it, even with a vara ram.

A puddle, is another story (even a small one).

Patman

Exactly! My C5 has been my daily driver for 6 years now, I bought it with 32k on it and have added another 83k. 57,000 of those miles have been with a Vararam on it, and I've driven in very heavy rain many times and the engine has never given me any hint of trouble. I've just always wondered if I'm getting any kind of combustion chamber cleaning done while I'm driving in the rain. I do notice that when I'm driving in heavy rain (or even in drizzle) that the engine seems more responsive, which leads me to think that maybe I'm getting a similar effect as if I had a water injection system (which would also clean out carbon)

Jistari

Well, its probably cooler air so that may help the charge.

chevy406

With the vacuum your engine is pulling through the intake manifold, any liquid water will flash to vapor before it hits your combustion chamber. You won't be getting a free combustion chamber steam cleaning simply by driving in the rain. You also wont hydro lock a Corvette with Vararam unless you completely submerge the car's nose and air intakes. There are enough of us high mile, daily drivers with Vararams to put that fear to rest.

CCA Corvette Parts

Non submerged C5's, Hydolock, myth or reality...

Peace
Chip

HowlinC5

Anyone else think this would be a great Mythbusters episode?

dobewillie

It would but not with my car

SCM_Crash

I'm not worried... I don't really drive in the rain and I live in Southern California.

When we do get rain, I just don't drive because I work from home. I'm thinking about picking up a sedan of some sort as a beater anyway.

DDing a Vararam'd Vette isn't a big deal unless you live in a bowl.

JWAddington

Installing the vararam this weekend, whats the first thing i am going to notice? Throttle response? Codes, lol?

SCM_Crash

Busted knuckles.

J/K

You'll notice throttle response right away. After about 30-40 miles of driving, you'll notice a very hard pull above 2000RPM in every gear and each shift up will progressively feel better!

mtndv8

Z06Electron

Yeah I went that route, beaters kept getting nicer and nicer till I had two Corvettes Damn it!

SCM_Crash

LOL! That may happen. God knows I want a 91 6-speed.

Z06Electron

My first vette was a polo green 91 with auto and FX3 suspension. That thing was SOOOOOO stiff it slammed my head into the ceiling causing me to see stars from hitting a railroad crossing at 30 mph.

Why the 91? You an L98 fan?

sager303

This is so stupid. The small amount of water that would make it to the "combustion chamber", even without a filter of any kind will turn to a gas as soon as it is heated. Rain will not hydro-lock your engine. Submerging it will.