New guy from Detroit

[Savage913]

Hi. My name's Ryan and I'm new to corvairs. They're a really cool car and I've always wanted one. I saw a 63 for sale that just needed a parking brake cable and turn signals that didn't work so I pulled the trigger and now am a proud owner. The old girl runs well but my tail lights, brake lights don't work well. And no reverse or blinkers. Hopefully the knowledge here will point me in the right direction. So thanks for having me. Ryan PS I'm not sure how to post a picture but once I can I'll show the car off lol.

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

If you are having problems with the rear tail lights, you might start by checking the plastic 8-pin multi-connector in the engine compartment. It is located below the voltage regulator on the left front portion of the engine compartment, near the firewall. This aging connector is subjected to moisture, heat and vibration. Eight wires in the wiring harness are joined at this point. Even if the two halves of the plastic shell appear to be tightly plugged in to each other, the metal pins inside may be corroded, loose or bent, which can cause a bad connection internally. Disconnect the battery ground cable, and then separate the two halves of the connector. Inspect the condition of the metal contacts inside. Contact cleaner, a wire brush, etc. can be used to try to improve the electrical connection between the two halves. After inspection and cleaning, carefully plug the two halves together again and check to see if the taillight function has improved.

The link below will provide you with a number of useful websites for the Corvair owner...

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

Corvair Forum viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6007

I would like to encourage you to expand on your initial post and tell us more about yourself, your Corvair, and your goals for your Corvair. If you can describe your personal assessment of your mechanical skills and abilities, that would help a lot. Members of the Corvair Forum love to be helpful in assisting other Corvair owners with technical support and advice, but it helps a lot if we have some understanding of your technical background and mechanical abilities, Corvair-related knowledge, etc. Helping us to know more about you and your Corvair will help us to write comments to you that are tailored to your needs and experience. Pictures are great too, because pictures of your Corvair will help us to visualize where you are with your Corvair and its condition at the present time. Knowing your location is also useful, because knowing where you live can sometimes suggest possibilities to resolve some issues or problems.

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Here is some material on posting pictures on the Corvair Forum. Please let me know if you have any questions...

Photographs can be hosted on other public websites, and then shared here using the photograph image URL. Facebook is another URL source option. Alternately, individual photographs can be uploaded directly to the Corvair Forum.

If you are not familiar with posting pictures on the Corvair Forum, here are some guidelines. I wrote these instructions a while ago to try to help new members of the Corvair Forum with posting pictures. There are two methods. Hopefully these guidelines will help you...

To be able to post pictures, always use POST REPLY — not QUICK REPLY — to open the full-featured editor.

There are basically two ways to post a digital photograph on the Corvair Forum. The first, illustrated below, involves inserting an image URL address between two Img markers. The URL image address is copied from an existing picture on the Internet. The source image can be another picture already on display within the Corvair Forum, or it can be just about any picture, artwork, or graphic image that is publicly viewable by anyone on the Internet. You simply need to copy the source image URL temporarily to the computer "clipboard", and the paste that URL address within the text you are writing on the Corvair Forum (between the two Img markers). Once you have posted your text, the Corvair Forum software will simply grab the image from the source URL and will display it embedded within your text (at the location where you embedded the Img markers and source URL).

For example, I am embedding the First Place and Avatar images to the left of this post within the text here by copying their URL addresses between two Img markers.

Here is what the above text looks like unsaved...

For example, I am embedding the First Place [img.]images/ranks/COTBLACKPLATE.png[/img] and Avatar [img.]download/file.php?avatar=2689_1344285003.jpg[/img] images to the left of this post within the text here by copying their URL addresses between two Img markers.

Maybe this illustration will help...

You can manually copy images and pictures from other Corvair Forum posts that were embedded as uploads by right-clicking each image in the source with your right mouse button and selecting Copy image URL from the menu choices. Doing so will invisibly copy the image URL address to the computer temporary data buffer called a clipboard. Using the Img button at the top of the editor screen, and the standard PC copy and paste technique will allow you to paste that URL address data from the clipboard into your Corvair Forum text (surrounded by bracketed img markers), which will display as the original picture or image when the post has been saved for display. It illustration below depicts the process.

Click on image to enlarge for better viewing...

NOTE: This same technique will allow you to copy just about any graphic, photo, or other displayed image from any public website, Facebook, or other website that is not secured and is publically viewable by right-clicking the desired image, obtaining the image URL, and then pasting the URL with Img markers into your Corvair Forum text.

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The other method of embedding pictures involves uploading the images that you have physically stored on your computer. Simply scroll down in the editor and click on the Upload attachment tab >> Choose File >> Add the file. You can upload many pictures, but you have to add them one at a time. The Corvair Forum operating system does not allow for batch uploads of multiple files.

Either way, the pictures you upload will not be visible as photographs until you click on Preview or Submit.

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There is also an online help section on the Corvair Forum. See...

How to post a picture (and start a new topic)

CorvairForum Site Topics ‹ Site Specific Topics ‹ Site Features and How to Use Them ‹ How to post a picture (and start a new topic)

viewtopic.php?f=196&t=618

[b74eqcm]

Welcome Ryan!

My experience has been that most rear lighting problems in Corvairs are related to poor grounding. If you have a multimeter or test light, see if you are getting power to the socket. If so, it's a grounding problem. If either the tail light works or brake lights, but goes out when both are on - grounding problem. If you remove the lens from a rear light, you'll see two more screws. loosen but do not remove them, turn the light assembly counter clockwise about a quarter turn, and the slots will line up to remove the light. Clean ground connection points with a dremel or sandpaper. Reassemble and test. This fixes many rear light problems.

Jim T.
Bethel VT
63 Monza Coupe

[Savage913]

Okay great! Thanks for the info. I was tinkering with it last night and got them to work. The ground right to the battery was loose. But I still have no flashers or reverse. I'll check the other connections. Also my left tail light bulb is actually pretty loose in the socket. I'll need to figure that out. My corvair is a coupe and I think it's maybe been lowered? Maybe they just sit that low lol. it's the two sp powerglide. 147ci 700. My mechanical skills are pretty good but I'm not really a car guy. My mechanical skills are with antique motorcycles. But looking at this motor it doesn't seem to be too different. I love this car though. I see where the passion comes from. I'll get some pictures after work and play with the car and then post in the appropriate areas. Thanks for the help so far! Ryan

[Savage913]

I hope this photo works. If not I'll figure it out lol

IMG_20151004_161636.JPG (67.47 KiB) Viewed 800 times

[funvairs]

The reverse lights are actuated by the neutral start switch attached to the back of the shifter.

The turn signal switch is a push-pull switch operated by a cable. It is mounted at about 11:00 towards the base of the steering column. It's not uncommon for the grease in the switch to have dried out making the switch too stiff for the cable. The switch can be disassembled and cleaned. Start at the top and remove the horn ring and associated parts. Make sure the parts attached to the turn signal lever are connected. Disconnect the cable at the switch and make sure it moves. Then move the slider on the switch and see if the signals work.

Don't rule out a bad flasher unit

[cad-kid]

Welcome, looks neat with the sun visor.

[bbodie52]

Below are three diagrams that cover the 1963 Corvair electrical system. I have also attached the sections of the 1961 basic shop manual and the 1962-63 supplement that cover the electrical system.

The tail and license plate illumination is routed from the instrument panel light switch. As previously mentioned, the backup lights are controlled by a switch that is integrated with the automatic transmission shift lever.

The most-confusing and complicated lights are the rear brake lights and the front/rear turn signals. The same 1034/1157 bulbs that provide driving lights also have a second filament that provides turn signals. In the rear, the same filament that provides turn signals also provides the brake lights. These turn signal and brake light bulb filaments are all wired to the turn signal switch on the steering column. With the turn signal switch in the neutral (off) position, the brake light power from the switch that is attached to the brake pedal passes through the turn signal switch and then on to the tail lights. So if stepping on the brake pedal illuminates the rear brake lights, you know that the wiring, bulb filaments, and ground in the rear are all good. THE REAR TURN SIGNALS UTILIZE THIS SAME WIRING AND BULB CIRCUITS.

When the driver actuates the turn signal, the side that will indicate a turn (in the rear) is temporarily disconnected from the brake pedal switch power source, and is reconnected to the turn signal flasher in the fuse block. The flasher provides on/off switching power to the rear lamp on the selected side. This same switching power from the flasher is also simultaneously applied to the front turn signal lamp on the same side (and to the instrument panel turn indicator lamp). To function properly, the flasher unit must "see" a current load from BOTH the front and rear bulbs on the selected side. If there is a fault in EITHER the front or rear (wiring, bulb filament, or ground) the current draw will be inadequate for the flasher to function properly. This often causes the electro-mechanical flasher unit to either flash too rapidly, or to not flash at all. (It depends on the proper current load from two bulbs to establish the on/off timing switching, so if one bulb is out for some reason, the flasher cannot function properly).

The side opposite from the selected turn signal remains connected to the brake pedal switch. In this way, the application of the brake pedal is always indicated on one side in the rear, while the other side uses the bulb to indicate a turn.

Understanding the common wiring and bulbs used by both the brake and turn signals, and how they receive power from either the brake pedal switch or the flasher should help in your fault isolation and troubleshooting. Faults can occur with a bad bulb, bad bulb socket or socket ground, faulty wiring, a faulty turn signal switch, or a flasher that is either faulty or is OK but not properly loaded because of a bad connection to a bulb. Careful testing with a multimeter coupled with a good understanding of how these circuits work can help you to properly diagnose and interpret the cause of your signal light problem.

1963 Corvair Engine Compartment Wiring

1963 Corvair Instrument Panel and Body Wiring Diagram

1963 Trunk Wiring Harness

In many ways working on a Corvair is somewhat similar to working on a motorcycle — similar to a car but different in the way things function and in dealing with an aluminum, air-cooled engine. If you can sort through an antique motorcycle you should not have too much difficulty in dealing with the unique Corvair.

I hope you will post more pictures of your Corvair, including the engine compartment and interior. Perhaps you can post pictures of some of your work with antique motorcycles too! I would like to see and hear about your interests with motorcycle restoration.

[Savage913]

[Savage913]

[Savage913]

[Savage913]

I love the car. Just need to chase some electrical gremlins and a rusty engine compartment. I think the carbs were rebuilt by the previous owner. There was a reciept for the kits in the parts catalogs he gave me.

[Savage913]

Also thanks a ton for the wiring info!

[cad-kid]

That engine compartment should clean up pretty easy. Then you will have a real wow factor when you show people the engine.

[Danny Joe]

Hi Ryan, nice car!

The skirts should be flamed also!

[BobWitt]

Ryan - welcome to Corvair...

You might consider coming to one of the Detroit Area Corvair Club (DACC) meetings and getting introduced around... There is a large group of early fans at the monthly meeting and they would likely be a good source for parts and information as needed...

DACC meets on the first Monday of most months, so you missed it last Monday. They are at the Elks on Scott Lake road in Waterford... They have a facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DETROITCORVAIRS.

There is also a DACC-West group that meets monthly in Ypsi..

I've had my car for just under a year, and have been to most meetings. Good group of folks...

Good luck with your car...