Z51-9

Noob Corvette owner here.

I haven't put 1,000 miles on my new '09 C6 yet, and I probably won't average more than 5,000 miles per year (maybe 8K the first year with a few extra trips). This is clearly a long-term, non-daily driver, 3rd vehicle for my wife and I -- road trips and events with the family (father has a '77 C3 and '99 C5). Have an extended warranty to 6/50K and plan on having it a dozen years if I can help it (don't think I'll ever sell it).

My '09 C6 is just the 1LT with the Z51 and NPP (dual-mode exhaust), nothing else. While I never put the pedal to the floor because I'll wrap it around a tree eventually (the traction control does a lot, but I'm sure I'd find a way to do something stupid if I floored it), I sometimes -- being a new owner -- find great joy in the Z51's short throw, gearing and just flat out opening it up to 3,500-5,000rpm, especially the NPP opening at 3,500rpm+ (yes, I know there are add-ons with manual controls to open it sooner). I typically only do this in 2nd gear (after I have good traction and start in 1st) and not beyond the speed limit (honestly).

So my only question is ... how much am I disrespecting the LS3 + TR6060 when I do this, even if only occasionally? My C6 spends the majority of its time in cruise (keeping me honest and without citations), but I really love accelerating in the on-ramps and, when someone is really being slow'n stupid on the road, hastily accelerating past them (although never reckless). I'll let my engine open up the NPP although I'm always shifting by the time I hit 5Krpms.

I never want to throw a rod and I do want the engine and manual transmission to last. I know driving it always conservative will result in longer life and less chance of throwing a rod or doing something else. What should I expect out of the LS3 and TR6060 when I have fun like this? I don't think I'll do autocross, but I haven't ruled it out at some point. I bought a Corvette largely to ... well ... live the Corvette lifestyle and as a great, 30mpg+ trip vehicle.

But it's hard not to open it up when I hit those on-ramps in 2nd gear. Just want to make sure I respect the LS3 + TR6060 for longevity's sake. Am I running it too hard? Or am I just fine as long as it's infrequent and I never shoot past 5Krpms on those occasions? Thanx for taking such a noob question.

0Cajun @ Edgyvette

Dude it is a Corvette, stop being a ***** Just kidding bro. Drive that car like you stole it, put some cleartastic on the front and wheel wells now and enjoy the car Congrats

Z51-9

Everything I've read about the LS3 has been high marks -- performance, design, longevity, tolerance. It seems to be an outstanding culmination in the series, including being the base for the LS9 with added supercharger (that it can clearly take).

Haven't read so much on the TR6060 though. It's a manual, so I don't expect problems other than maybe my wearing out the clutch at some point.

Slo-Poc

Make sure the car gets up to temp after letting it sit and let the tranny warm up. Then start driving it within your limits. I love my 08 mn6, I feel it drives better when I don't baby it.

haljensen

Z51-9; I just read your post about your driving style and can't believe you would mention a possible AutoCross in the future. Find a local club and ride with somebody, you'll re-consider driving your car in an event.
Find a competitive driver in almost any class and hang on, you won't forget the ride.

An AutoCross event uses the suspension, tires, brakes and engine to extremes you won't see on the street.

gatti-man

I drive mine with added power to the wheels. 15k and no problems so far.

nwc6

I usually stay below 2-2.5K rpm until I get 150 degrees on oil temperature. This ensures engine and transmission internals are warmed up and well lubricated. Be careful in the colder weather, GY runflats like to be warm to stick. Many a corvette driver has found out the hard way that cold tires can get you in a lot of trouble even with traction control/active handling on. You will get used to the power, and before next spring you will be "matting" the go pedal.

Z51-9

PREFACE: Appreciate all there responses. I've been a 4-cylinder owner all my life, although my wife has had a little, sub-4L Ford V6 in a Mercury Sable and Mustang Convertible, but we never drove those hard. So this is a whole new game for me. I didn't even plan on buying a new '09 C6 (or a Corvette for that matter), but GMS + rebates made it the most fuel efficient, least depreciating purchase for the dollar (long story).

Okay, good to know, and I should know better. I've probably been guilty of hitting the gas a little too much before the oil gets over 150F heading to 190-200F. I'll keep that in mind. I'm in Florida, and typically driving when the ambient is 70F+ outside, but will definitely let that engine and tranny warm up a litlte more.

I figured 150F was a good minimum. I know it's Mobil 1 in the engine and all, and GM makes a some excellent transmissions compared to Ford (major reason for the Vette was my wife's Mustang transmission dropped at only 45K, and we never drove it hard -- 6th Mustang, first one that had any trouble before 100K) and, God help me, Chrysler (at least on the cheap models I've owned). But it's still something I want to both baby and enjoy the power sometimes too.

I still cannot believe how much power these stock LS3's have, and that Z51 package was a steal. Glad I bought the '09 Z51 before they were gone, saving a bit over having to go with the '10 Sport (which is a great package, don't get me wrong).

The Corvette is staying in Florida, although I'm avoiding the wet and cold. I've driven those Eagles in the rain once now and on the dew and have not accelerated fast or turned hard for that reason.

I'm definitely going to be putting on a non-run flat, wet-weather performance tire set, like most people have. I still love the Z51 package, but unless I'm going to autocross, I'm taking those Eagles off in the near future. I'll probably keep them on for now in Florida (have a trip planned to the Keys for the days before Christmas) and through the early summer (non-wet sesaon). This is my non-daily driver (I have a little in-line 4 Jeep Patriot for that), but by the Florida wet season next summer, I'm going to change them out. It'll probably be the month or two before the Caravan to [Corvette] Mecca.

My father is VP of the Florida Corvette Club, and has done autocross in his '99 C5 convertible before (he has a '77 C3 and that '99 C5). He didn't have any package, standard 3LT with manual without any short throw. He wore out his breaks very quickly.

So I was going to do autocross with him, me riding shotgun and letting him have some fun with the Z51, its brakes and that short throw. Still not a Z06 of course, but I figure it would still be fun. After a ride or two shotgun, I would then try it myself. I figured a few runs of that will do the Eagles in and bring an earlier life to those brakes, probably just in time to get autocross out of my system.

Other than that I'll probably just do a few events where we get to run on the track at Daytona, Road Atlanta and a few others -- something where we'll get around 100 or so, but just on straightaways, not too much breaking.

Mike McG

7k shifts are no problem! LS3 is a great engine!

Z51-9

So I've heard. Ratings vary from the stock LS3 6.5Krpm to 7Krpm+ on the LS9. I figure if I'm always shifting by 5K, I'm got buffer in case I leave that gas a little down while I put in the clutch.

And boy does that kick and then NPP "push" at 3.5K put you at 5K in less than a second it seems. 0-45 in less than 3s it seems. I'm likely not doing that as the pedal isn't floored -- and more like 10 or 15-45 in sub-3s -- but deeeamn!

GregC6

you are disrespecting it by not driving like it is meant to be

1.8t

Warm the engine oil temp to ~150deg as a safe practice and then give it hell. LS3's are very tough and will last a lonnggggggg time at stock power levels. Hell, my old ls3 had 480whp and I never had one internal problem from the car(aside from a timing chain break, which was related to an incorrect aftermarket part).

Shift the car at redline! Your not even making it to the cars peak power output by shifting so early...so stay in it and your smile will only get wider. There is a rev limiter in place to keep you from going to high, so no worries about too much rpm. In short, the car is capable of taking so much more abuse for longer than you could imagine, so don't feel guilty .

SpinMonster

Leaving it stock so it ingests lots of oil and not seating the piston rings correctly are greaty ways to decrease the car's lifespan and power.

OCD does more to damge a vette than nitrous can.

In 12 years I will have sold my vettes 3 or 4 times over. My cars serve me.

Life happens......let it.

Z51-9

Just a couple of clarifications here ...

- I've never drove my father's Vettes before. I've only driven a few performance cars in my life, largely Vettes to car shows on behalf of others, because of how shy and conservative I am with other people's property.

- This is the first time I've owned. In fact, it's the first time I've bought a new car worth more than $20K. It's only the 3rd new car (and 5th car) I've ever had, and I'm nearly 40. I'm not a kid and I was not born with a silver spoon, but a self-made consultant who travels away from his wife. I drove a new, '96 Ford Ranger for almost 12 years (paid just over $10K for it) all over the US for work and just shy of 180K miles, and my current daily driver is a '07 1/2 (first model) Jeep Patriot with 29K miles (owned outright, along with my house). I'm very conservative with my money, but finally pulled-the-trigger on a Vette as I'm not getting any younger (double-income, no kids -- DINK here ).

- I have never done autocross. I'm still debating whether or not to try it. My father has done autocross before. Never had an issue with his '99 after doing so, except requiring new brakes within a much shorter period afterwards. He started with 19K miles and is at 63K now. The last time he did it was years ago. I bought the Z51 to flirt with the idea, but largely because it's a great package for the price (I wanted a short throw with a manual, just for road driving). Some people told me not to do it and I'm taking that under advisement.

- My idea of "fast acceleration" with on-ramps is probably not as fast as others on the initial ramp. I typically keep it conservative until getting close to the road and then accelerate to highway speed very quickly, just to merge into traffic. Again, I typically drive 4-bangers and I do such so I don't cut in front of someone and get rear ended. I'm not stupid and a very responsible driver. I don't exceed the speed limit (5 over is my absolute maximum). Heck, I've accelerated fast less a dozen times now in the 700 miles I've had it. Again, I'm typically the guy that moves from 15 to 45mph swiftly, gas half-way pressed, and only when there is open, wide road.

- Several people in the Florida Corvette Club (FCC) have recommended getting away from the run-flats and go for a more wet-capable, performance tire. Everything I've read causes me to tend to agree, especially for Florida. I would either carry a spare (I typically like to buy five tires instead of just four when I replace them) and call AAA if I broke down without it when I needed more cargo space (and left it at home). If you feel the run-flats are worth the major price premium and don't have worse wet road performance in Florida, please let me know.

SpinMonster

Most of your narative shows a few things about your personality that others have qued in on here and they made statements based on some info they read into and additionally, because you asked a specific question. Your post here was about respecting your 'LS3 and tr6060. Now you are bringing into the equation, driving habits, rules of the road, incomes, ability to fix the car, ect.

No one is disrespecting you and I will take the opportunity to welcome you to the forum and also to congratulate you on a fine car purchase.

A few facts to answer what you asked about: treating your car right.

First, it has been proven beyond a doubt that proper break-in on a performance engine requires low RPM, high load to seat the rings. This means floored under 4k rpms, not low rpm babying the car. When you dont follow this break-in proceedure, you wind up with a car that never makes full power and I see them all the time.

Your transmission was designed for a higher HP application that you use it for. There are 1000HP cars on this board running weaker transmissions than your 6060. If it can handle the 600HP viper and its TQ, it can handle your car floored indefinitely for 100k miles. Powerlabs on this forum had 600rwhp or about 675 flywheel HP for 60k miles on his (driving abusively)and he never had any transmission issues. My car is nearer 800hp and has the MZ6 transmission.....no issues. You arent going to hurt your car flooring it.

Your car's power level driving abusively will last the same amount of time.

Last up is the fact that unmodded cars run far too rich and ingest oil due to an emission control set-up. This alone will result in enough carbon deposits on your pistons by 20k miles to ensure you will always be lower in power from timing retard unless its tuned properly. Most bone stock cars that are babied and left stock lose 10-15hp just from not having properly seated piston rings and carbon deposits. By the time a tuner sees the car, the heads have to come off to clean out the carbon.

So to answer your question, driving hard under load seats the rings, cleans injectors and seats metal to metal contact under load. It does not in any way hurt your car or cause an early death. In fact the opposite is true with better power, economy, and less oil ingestion. Roads racing has proven harsh on the timing chain. When they break, they take the engine with it.

Dont be that guy afraid to drive your car and certainly dont be that guy that thinks GM did everything best from tune to parts. Accountants and goverment regulation had more to do with the final product than the engineers did.

Z51-9

Oh, I totally appreciate everyone's suggestions. I was soliciting recommendations and even some critical notes. I'm a noob.

Mixed in with a few, still quite good responses off-board, was the suggestion that I would ruin my vehicle, but it sounded like my family could afford replacements easily, yada, yada, yada. Sorry I probably let that "I'm not a spoiled kid" attitude come out after that. It wasn't directed at anyone.

Your notes are appreciated. I'm also hit my brother-in-law about this thread. He's a ME with GM (hence the GMS discount I used in my purchase) and is involved with some powertrain design at GM (cannot remember what lines, but transmission-related last time I heard).

SpinMonster

I would stick with the word of specialists in how to max performance. GM knows the car but not much of the aftermarket. Tuners who turn these cars into 700HP+ monsters know what things are limit parts and what aftermarket parts maximize longevity under load.

The transmission isnt a GM product. It was designed by transmission technologies corp. If you want to know about its weaknesses you need to talk to the likes of tuners who mod the transmission. Carbon fiber synchros, billet shift forks and bronze keyways add greatly to the performance and longevity of the unit. Tuners on this board do it as do forum sponsor transmission places like Rodney at RPM transmissions.

Mine was done at Cartek years ago when I got tired of the loose feel and quirks on the stock trans.

0Philip@HPE

HANNY

stock you can hammer that engine all you want, it can take the abuse from anyone and after it will idle like kitten and still get you some killer MPG. Alot of guys go the turbo, supercharge, nitrous etc.. route to a totally "stock" engine even the exhaust and just reaming the engines to the max with only a few guys damaging (the Nos guys and guys who wing up turbos and blowers too hi)

I love to bottem out that throttle sensor and roll the tires over and For me i also get alot of enjoyment from just driving at 70 with the cruise on listening to tunes

Have no fear,,,as long as you have oil, coolant and trans. fluid full drive that baby like you stole it from the who stole

blackvetterzo6

You must auto-x and you will be hooked. Buy yourself a nice helmet, swap out some pads and fluid. Dont even worry about tires yet, and go have yourself a blast. You will be hooked on your first turn. Times a waisting, go for it tomorrow isn't guaranteed