OK , I just gotta ask. While working under my 1994 Z-28 after a recent drive (outside temp only about 75-80) I grabbed the middle of the front sway bar and almost burnt my hand. It was too hot to hold with bare hands. Is this normal ? I also noticed that the intake manifold is also too hot touch after a short drive, (had same issue with a recent 2000 Z-28 I had) Do these engines run on the hot side ? (When cruising down the road, temp gauge reads a very comfortable 160 or so). Just wondering

 

my intake also runs hot, I believe its normal. sway bar on the other hand has no reason to be hot,,,, is exhaust or coolant lines close to or touching it?

 

Your temp gauge should not read 160, Your car should have a 195 thermostat. 160 is so low it could pull your car out of closed loop but if you are looking at factory gauges they are not very accurate. They are one notch above a warning light. 215 is when the fans kick on then off at 205 if I remember right.

It is common for intakes to get hot, they are bolted directly to the cylinder head which is one of the hottest parts of the engine. Sway bars can get hot because they convert energy to heat but they also cool down very quickly. If yours is staying hot after parked see craby's post.

Maybe invest in one of those none contact thermometers. Harbor Freight has them on sale for under $20. Check other cars for comparisons. If you are getting hot pockets you could have air in your cooling system and that can hurt the motor.

 

No coolant lines or exhaust near the sway bar. So, I'm not going to worry about it. BTW I was wrong about the 160 reading. Mostlly it runs about 1/4 up the gauge. In traffic it will go about 1/2 way or a little more. Once under way. it quickly goes back to 1/4. So.......thanks all for responding but again I think It'll be fine.