Air dam for a 94 camaro...

[Camaro_SLP]

Hey all...long time reader, first time poster!
Anyways, I was looking under my car and noticed my air dam was snapped off..All the bolts are still on, but there is no plastic hanging down to collect air. My question, Is it worth buying a new air dam? Will it really help cooling that much? My temp gauge is usually alittle above half way, but when I turn on heater, it dramatically lowers very quickly. Thanks!

-Adam

[JML97-3.8]

I would replace. That thing sends all the air to your radiator.

[Brett Garret]

YES, that is a critical piece in cooling your engine. I consider running a little bit higher than half running a tad hot.

[hockeyman]

Believe everyone here when they tell you to replace it. Warmer weather is on it's way, and the air dam plays a bigtime role in cooling the engine.
GM part # 10229657 and costs about $26.00. Pay that much now, or alot more later.

-Marc

[black34v6]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Camaro_SLP:
Hey all...long time reader, first time poster!
Anyways, I was looking under my car and noticed my air dam was snapped off..All the bolts are still on, but there is no plastic hanging down to collect air. My question, Is it worth buying a new air dam? Will it really help cooling that much? My temp gauge is usually alittle above half way, but when I turn on heater, it dramatically lowers very quickly. Thanks!

-Adam<hr></blockquote>


so heres a great answer to that question, sure fire yes answer and proof to back it up. when i was in South Carolina for the winter, i pulled mine off cause i was doing some work on the car...well i forgot to put it back on..eventually left SC and went to San Antonio for a month, stayed there (again winter..not that warm, didnt really go that fast..)

well here i am driving home to LA after a month, and all of a sudden i notice the lights are on, so i look..lo and behold my car has overheated!!
:eek: (i had never had this happen on any car i had driven previously)

so i pull over, let the car cool down...and it does so pretty quick...well i get bakc on the road and proceed to drive to LA (i had only been driving like an hour..) im going like 70 through a town, and get outside the town and accelerate to 85... after about 10 mins the lighs come on again..i was like..w-t.... so i pulled over and let the car cool down again (it had overheated again...seriously worried). got back on the road.. i get up to 80 and watch the guages...sure enough, after 2 mins the temp guage starts creeping up. i set the cruise control at 80 and watched...and the temp creeped up...creeped up..got to like the third mark before the red, and i turned off the cruise control and slowed down to 70 and stayed there. as soon as i slowed down the car started cooling down.

so apparently, at 80+ the aerodynamics of the car is so good, air cannot be sucked into the radiator without the help of that air dam. i would reccomend LEAVING it on/replacing it if yours broke as its not a good thing to not have on there...esp in summer. (mind you i found all of this out in the middle of WINTER...)

anyway..just thot i should tell you my little tale..sorry bout the long post.

-R