It's still just a Chevrolet.....

[tommy44432]

I've been restoring, and modifying, both stock and hot rodded Chevrolets for going on 30 years. I really can rebuild a small block with my eyes closed. When I did my first Corvair engine I began kind of wary at first, new to the air cooled world. That lasted about 5 minutes as I began to disassemble the 164 ci in my wife's Corvair. It was during disassembly I recognized that despite how it is cooled it is still just a Chevy motor. I brought this up because I just spent some time reading some answers to Corvair owners that have problems with their cars and the numerous responses to the questions asked and this made me think that what makes a Corvair engine any different....method of cooling not withstanding. The answer in my opinion is not much. Everything I've learned over the years dealing with Chevrolet motors of all types...big blocks, small blocks, and inline sixes...is that despite the fins on the jugs everything I ever learned about Chevy motors applies to the Corvair engine. And yes you can adjust valves in every engine Chevy made on the engine stand with the motor not running. I read a post about a guy whose engine pinged. The responses was overwhelming and made my head spin but nobody mentioned timing too far advanced or nobody asked what grade of fuel the asker was running. People always seem to think the engine is a magical world that requires voodoo to make them work but an engine is happy with just three things...air, fuel, and spark. If they are present the engine will run. Yes a little adjusting the carbs and timing might be in order but in my world it's not voodoo. I guess what I am trying to say is to start simple. I mean I had a guy claim his car wasn't running so he was blaming the carbs, the fuel pump, the distributor, and anything else under the "hood" and was ready to open his checkbook to chase down the fix. He was out of gas. KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid....my motto.

[Hank_jackson]

AMEN to that!

[lostboy]

Which is exactly why I went back to mechinal fuel pump and will be removing my Mallory box that I'm 99% sure is causing pinging - but that's a story for another thread.

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[skipvair]

Chevy, Ford, Dodge; the principals are the same.


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[rfw66]

Thanks Tommy, well said! I’ve been trying to get the “adjust them running” myth debunked for many, many years! I try to explain that, at the factory, Chevrolet does NOT pull the valve covers off after the engines are assembled! There is not a team of workers at the end of the assembly line to adjust the lifters with the engine running!
Anyone ever see any race teams adjusting lifters in the pits with their engines running?


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[64powerglide]

rfw66 No you don't see new Corvair's being adjusted running but now that we have 50 year old engines with weak valve springs & worn out lifters a hot running adjust will quiet things down. We're on a whole different playing field.

[66vairguy]

rwf66 - What myth??? Everyone knows a static valve adjustment is needed after assembling an engine (or just removing a rocker). However 64 powerglide is correct that a hot run adjustment can get good results. Both procedures are valid if performed correctly. That said I find the hot run adjustment produces better results for the novice.

[rfw66]

Thanks for the education 64, but if you have weak springs and worn out lifters, doing an adjustment running might make “quiet things down” but it will not perform to its potential. It is putting a bandaid on your problems.
Vairguy, “everyone knows”. Is the myth,
If the novice learns the correct way to adjust valves, and therefore correct problematic valve train issues, the results would be the best repair.
50 yo lifters are shot, spend the time and money to replace them, adjust them like “the book” shows and get the best results possible.


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[1949chevy]

I agree with the poster of this thread....I try to help folks with their car problems...they will not try the simple and cheapest fix first...oh, its gotta be the most costly and hardest thing that is causing the problem....the "SIMPLE" would be embarrassing is my guess or they are non-believers.

And most folks do not realize that the last thing they did to their car is the problem if the car was running great before. That new set of " Standard" points could not be causing the car not to start....WRONG...it happened to me fixing my friends 64 Impala SS 409 and I was with him when he bought the new points. We installed the old points....cranked right up.

My SUPER mechanic was called to a garage to help with a Caddy that the mechanic had replaced the points, condenser, coil, plug wires, plugs, had the heads rebuilt, new fuel pump, new gas, etc etc....AND IT STILL RAN TERRIBLE. Arthur asked him if it would start and run....barely, he said. He cranked the car and Arthur walked to the back of the car, felt the exhaust and said that is your problem....the pipe is mostly stopped up. The mechanic said I thought of that earlier and the pipe is not collapsed...Arthur said...that year Caddy had double layer pipes and the inner had yes...collapsed. The mechanic who called Arthur and a lot of "mechanics" called him when no one could fix the problem after replacing every engine part except the block....anyway, he told Arthur to PLEASE TELL NO ONE about the fix as he had weeks and way too much $$$$ invested.

[ensys]

Well, there is that one thing...

Static adjustment is a no-brainer with solid lifters that are always constant in their length, but hydraulic lifters are always a variable. As such, the only way to stabilize their "value", is to make sure they are pumped up to their normal running condition. In addition, only a running engine allows one to simultaneously assess their operation and to identify conditional problems (like not pumping up properly).

This is not an issue with upright cylinders, as the pumping oil mostly drains back thru the head, but with horizontals, it can get messy to do the job effectively. That's why the first "tool" I fabbed for my then(1968)-new-to-me Vair , was the half-valve cover in emulation of the one used by the old-school dealer mechanic (who happened to be the only Wrench that I every paid to work on it) that mentored me during that first year of learning.

The easy way is not always the best way.