NEW...To Me Anyway!

[66vairguy]

Sorry to see that damage, but maybe the block and crank are usable. If the crank looks good I'd at least have it magnafluxed to check for cracks.

Over the decades I've seen a few Corvair engines on forums were the rod failed, but usually it looks like the rod cap came LOOSE! This doesn't seem to be a factory issue as most failures were "rebuilt" engines. I do know that torquing the rod cap nuts is NOT easy because of access. Maybe they were under torqued, maybe over torqued.

I ALWAYS have new rod bolts installed when I have the rods rebuilt. BE AWARE that the ARP rod bolts have a torque specification that REQUIRES you use their special lube!! Without lube or plain oil will NOT give the same torque reading as the ARP lube will.

[65Monza140]

Good to know. Is ARP a brand? I've not shopped around at all for this. The one time I did get into the engine was on a '61 wagon engine, and I actually pieced together a working engine from a parts engine as well. It ran for years reliably for me after that, but I did not replace rod bolts, which now that i think about it is a little scary. I didn't push that engine much. I wanted it to last, and it did until I gave it to a good home due to financial hardship.

The original 110 I had, that engine worked real hard after rebuild when I was in HS. But it held together very well too.

ANY rebuild now will be with new high stress parts. Just not worth the chance.

Where would you start shopping for rod bolts? Clarks?

[65Monza140]

Clark's has the rod bolts & nuts. They don't show the special ARP lube. Where does one find that lube?

[joelsplace]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-100-9909

[66vairguy]

See ARP instructions. Important to use THEIR lube and torque to THEIR numbers. Note they state to resized the big rod end after installing new bolts. That is standard procedure to have the rods resized and checked for alignment when rebuilding an engine.

[65Monza140]

Thank you for that great information on the rod bolts!

I need to start keeping notes from all the great posts here. This is a lot of info.