It is a Corvair after all.

[Phil Dally]

Took Zonker out to ride those new to me front Koni's.

Look what I found this morning...everything is normal.

It always seems to be something with the cars we love.

[flamingchariots]

After almost 60 years, a little leakage is normal...




Kevin
Medina, OH

[American Mel]

As the Harley guys say,..... it's not leaking, it is Marking its Spot.

[bbodie52]

Most automobile engine oil pans contain their oil in a trough, with the pan gasket ABOVE the oil storage area. The Corvair oil pan, however, is FLAT — storing about 4 quarts of oil ABOVE the mating surface and pan gasket. With all that fluid stored above the gasket, the likelihood of some drippage is increased. It gets worse if the bolts securing the sheet metal pan are over-tightened (especially when using a thick pan gasket). Over-tightening the bolts can deform the sheet metal pan directly under the bolt heads, when it compresses the thick pan gasket as the bolt head is pressed closer to the aluminum engine cases. This can leave the space between adjacent bolts with inadequate pressure against the pan gasket — allowing some seepage to drip onto the floor. A thin pan gasket, proper torque, or possibly a perfectly flat cast aluminum oil pan may provide a better, more-consistent seal.

The torque specifications for the oil pan bolts is stated in the 1961 Shop Manual to be 40-60 inch pounds. In the 1965 Corvair Chassis Shop Manual, the specification was increased to 85-105 inch pounds! The bolt size remained at ¼-20 for all model years, so apparently the GM engineers changed their minds and revised the oil pan torque specifications to reduce oil leaks.



In addition to substituting a thicker, cast aluminum oil pan, Clark's now offers thicker gauge steel oil pans for engine and Powerglide transmission. Ensuring that your oil pan mating surface is perfectly flat and not deformed around the bolt holes, or substituting a cast aluminum or thicker gauge steel pan should help to get a good seal. Clark's has several oil pan gaskets to choose from, made of a variety of materials and in different thicknesses.

https://ssl.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalo ... 3&cat=SUP-




$700 to "Reseal Oil Pan"

Now you can replace them with these brand new reproductions. Stamped to match the originals exactly, these pans and covers are made from 50-60% thicker steel. This not only makes them more durable, but also improves gasket sealing. The original engine and Powerglide pans are known to distort around the bolt holes and flex in-between the bolts which makes it hard for the gasket to seal snugly. The thicker steel on the new pans reduces the distortion and flex to spread the clamping force more evenly over the gasket, improving the seal and reducing leaks. The oil pan does not come with a drain plug. The PG pan is ready for you to attach your stock PG dipstick tube. Order gaskets from catalog

Part number C2838: STOCK REPRO OIL PAN 50-60% THICKER-GSKT= *C199*SET/OIL & PG=C2838P DOESN'T INCL BOLTS-

Weight: 8 lbs 0 oz
Catalog Page(s): SUP-16,WEB
Price:
1 - 1 $ 112.00



Part number C199: CORK OIL PAN GASKET-BEST QUALITY

Weight: 0 lbs 6 oz
Catalog Page(s): 6,27A(22),30
Price:
1 - 1 $ 7.95



Total: $119.95 Est. (Plus Shipping)
...to upgrade to a thicker gauge new oil pan plus new "best quality" gasket.

Note: Oil pan leaks are often caused by excessively torqued pan bolts that are tightened enough to deform the original steel oil pan under each bolt head. This new improved design steel pan is made from a thicker gauge steel, and coupled with a new high-quality gasket and properly torqued to specifications with a torque wrench should clear any leakage. Add cost of 5 new quarts of oil and a new oil filter. An easy job that will save you about $580 over the estimated $700 price.



The other common problem area was caused by the use of rubber o-rings to seal the push rod tubes. The high air-cooled cyllinder head temperature would "cook" the rubber o-rings, and cause them to become deformed or hard and brittle, which would permit oil seepage. Changing to high temperature VITON rubber o-rings can clear the source of oil seepage from the Corvair engine.

[Phil Dally]

I'm not going to say what I said before this edit.

[scottymac]

Phil,
Were the Konis worth the bucks, or have you been able to put enough miles on them to tell?
Scott

[Phil Dally]

Scott: They were used and free to me so ultimately yes. Drove about twenty miles to go to the bank and get gas downtown. One of the roads on the way has a couple good curves. Just those couple good curves told me that I would buy new ones if available. There is no listing for Corvair on the Koni website. Clark's lists Koni's and CA Corvair list KYB's. I'm sure KYB's are comparable and they are quite a bit less bucks. Koni's can be rebuilt by Koni starting at $250 a corner...no thanks.

[jimbrandberg]

Looks like something out of the skid plate which makes it hard to pin down. On the easy peasy side of the spectrum I had 2 Corvairs this week where the oil filter just needing tightening; one Clarks filter and one NAPA. One of these cars also had loose oil pan bolts and we've got our fingers crossed for luck.
Neither one was really here for oil leaks, one for a rich Carter YH and the other for a noisy lifter and new dual exhaust.

For one of our Corvair Minnesota Activities last year we went to the lunch stop for the New London to New Brighton Antique Car Run. They had new asphalt in the VFW parking lot so they were putting cardboard under the old cars with their exposed oilers and all. I was sad to see more than a few oil spots on that new asphalt when our Corvairs pulled away.

Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[bbodie52]

» Thu Apr 25, 2024 10:27 am

Took Zonker out to ride those new to me front Koni's.

Look what I found this morning...everything is normal.

It always seems to be something with the cars we love.

594 and Counting!

[Frank DuVal]

I see what you did there.

[2LZ]

I doubt this is Corvair specific....just famous for it. When I told my 80 year old neighbor and master machinist, I bought the '65 Corsa, "Why'd you do that!? My sister had a Corvair and they leak! It made a mess of our driveway when I was young!"
I told him every old car I've had leaks. My C4 Corvette I could never get to stop leaking!

[Dennis66]

My Corvair doesn't leak. My Subaru Baja and my wife's Subaru Forester do leak (I haven't gotten to them yet). Dennis

[gbullman]

You are brave not having cardboard underneath it. I’ve slowed mine to barely leaking but still marks its territory. Believe mine is somewhere in that rear cover area since the rest of the engine is dry.