Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

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WinginEngineer
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:31 pm

Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by WinginEngineer »

So I've posted a few times about my saga, but to clear through the mud (created mostly by my ignorance), let's start with a clean slate.

I have a pair of '62 4-doors bought on a "bargain". Pretty sure I was lied to (big surprise), but regardless...

I have one engine with great jugs, clean block, free spinning crank (to my feel anyway), but needs rings (0.040" gap), valve guides, and was dissmanteled long ago so all the pieces/parts are scaled and rusted... oh yeah, and there's about 0.030" play in the rod bearings just using my finger tips.

Engine #2 has cruddy, nasty, worn out jugs/rings (0.094" gap), one of the heads has a set of valve seats that look like someone used a punch to try and deform the aluminum in the head to hold on to the seats (punch marks done like stitches all the way around the seats), and 5/6 rod bearings have about 0.010" play while the 6th has about 0.150" :eek: ... not to mention the crank is almost impossible to turn by hand (now i know why my starter cooked).

So long story short, I have two engines in need of full rebuild, one of which may have a crank far past machineable.

Here's my problem, life happens. Our lives just took a turn that makes it so I NEED this car... like NOW.

I don't know any machine shops in the Phoenix/Mesa area that will even work on corvair engines, let alone do a quick turn around. I looked on the interweb and the only prebuilt motors I can find are on ebay for $3000-$4000 (trying not to choke on my tongue typing that). I can just buy another running car for that. I can't find any used motors in decent shape either.

So I either need:
1) A rebuilt motor I can afford
2) A motor I can rebuild/get running without machine work
Or
3) A machine shop that can turn it around quick (like a week, maybe 2 tops)

Any suggestions?
Kevin - Phoenix/Mesa, AZ
1962 Corvair 700
gnrand
Posts: 277
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:10 am
Location: Wildomar,Ca

Re: Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by gnrand »

I recently started rebuilding a spare 140 engine and decided to have Paradise Motorsports in San Marcos Ca. do the rods, jugs-pistons (big end of rods resized, jugs final honed, rods attached to the pistons) . Turn around was quick and rates reasonable. The reason I bring this up is to check out some aftermarket VW air cooled performance shops in your area.
Jeff
1965 140 Corsa
1968 140 Monza convertible 4 speed
1965 Corsa Convertible
1966 Crown V8 383 435hp
1986 Buick GN V6 600hp
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terribleted
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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Re: Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by terribleted »

I you fully go thru a Corvair engine the parts and machine work costs generally run in the $2,000-3,000 range or more. It is also very unlikely to be able to produce a thorough rebuild in only 2 weeks. I think the running car option is your best option.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
WinginEngineer
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:31 pm

Re: Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by WinginEngineer »

terribleted wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:04 am I you fully go thru a Corvair engine the parts and machine work costs generally run in the $2,000-3,000 range or more. It is also very unlikely to be able to produce a thorough rebuild in only 2 weeks. I think the running car option is your best option.
My cam and cam bearings aren't bad, the distributer is new, the carbs are rebuilt, the valvetrain is good minus the punch work, I already have the rings & gaskets, push rods & lifters are good, jugs are good, and I'm only into it about $400 for the engine so far. Add $350 for main & rod bearings and i'm only at $750. I need the crank ground/polished, the mains line honed, and the rods checked/honed. If a machine shop charges $1300-$2300 for that, something's wrong.

The rebuild in 2 weeks is not the issue. The machine work is. Hince my dilema...
Kevin - Phoenix/Mesa, AZ
1962 Corvair 700
Scott V
Posts: 707
Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 2:31 am

Re: Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by Scott V »

you dont want to line hone the mains on a vair. if the mains are out........get another case.

clarks has everything you need.....if you cant find a good shop to do the work.

-Scott V.
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terribleted
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Re: Engine Rebuild Help/Suggestions

Post by terribleted »

WinginEngineer wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:55 am
terribleted wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:04 am I you fully go thru a Corvair engine the parts and machine work costs generally run in the $2,000-3,000 range or more. It is also very unlikely to be able to produce a thorough rebuild in only 2 weeks. I think the running car option is your best option.
My cam and cam bearings aren't bad, the distributer is new, the carbs are rebuilt, the valvetrain is good minus the punch work, I already have the rings & gaskets, push rods & lifters are good, jugs are good, and I'm only into it about $400 for the engine so far. Add $350 for main & rod bearings and i'm only at $750. I need the crank ground/polished, the mains line honed, and the rods checked/honed. If a machine shop charges $1300-$2300 for that, something's wrong.

The rebuild in 2 weeks is not the issue. The machine work is. Hince my dilema...
I was not aware that you had a bunch of new parts already. I just talked about the expected cost of thoroughly rebuilding a Corvair engine excluding labor which can easily run into $2-3,000 and is likely to entail a parts delay for something or another that might make a 2 week timeframe not so doable. Now you can order motor in a box from Clark's and simply build the engine when the parts get there. That would make a 2 week timetable pretty doable if your parts list is complete.

I would be leery of using a Corvair inexperienced shop to do any cylinder work like honing or boring (Clark's prices for bored cylinders has always been pretty reasonable). Make sure any machine shop that plays with your pistons and cylinders knows what proper maximum clearances are. They are likely tighter than the old water cooled stuff they are used to and excess piston to cylinder clearances while fairly easily fixed while the engine is apart can cause big issues after assembly:) Crank, rod and headwork is not particularly specialized and most good machine shops should be able to produce a reasonable result, except for possibly machining the headgasket seats which I have had machine shops screw up before (they must be fixtured just right and cut an even amount across the head) . If you buy a Corvair engine that is already rebuilt and the current owner really did much to it I would expect the prices to be in the 3k or more range.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
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