fan belt question

[iabuell]

I recently got a 68 Monza and while inspecting the fan belt I realized it needed replaced. It looked too big and loose to be the right size so I was wondering what the right size would be. The previous owner had 7575 XL on it, but I have seen on other websites that its actually 6597. Can anyone confirm which size is correct?

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum! You've come to the right place for Corvair-related support and information. Since you are new here and this is your first post, I would like to invite and encourage you to take a few minutes and post another entry in the Introductions section to tell us a little about yourself, your interest in Corvairs, where you live, and, of course, about your Corvair. Pictures would be great too!

I think you will discover that the Corvair Forum is one of the best websites of its kind on the Internet. The people here are friendly and anxious to help. You can learn a lot from just browsing around and using the search function, but if you have a question or comment, we would love to hear from you.

As you can see, the Gates 7575XL you were using is too long (1475mm vs. Correct 6597 Belt: 1450mm).
Also, the width is a little off: (9.5/10mm vs. Correct 6597 Belt: 11mm)

PARTS AND ORDERING INFORMATION FOR THE CORRECT AND WELL-PROVEN CORVAIR BELTS IS SHOWN AT THE END OF THIS POST.

Gates Automotive 7575XL Cogged V-Belt
Description
11A1460. 363ET
Width: 25/64" (9.5/10mm)
Length: 58-1-1/8" (1475mm)

Outside Circumference :1473.2 mm,58 in
Top Width :11.23 mm,0.438 in

Replacement belt for today's most demanding engine drives. This variable notched belt tightens on the drive as it gets hot. Improved belt performance occurs by reducing tension decay and noise. Precise top width and sidewall for proper fit in pulley and quieter belt. Meets or exceeds SAE J636C specifications.

==========================================================================
According to the Gates website:
http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index ... on_id=3598

Front End Accessory Drive Components for the 1965 Chevrolet Corvair...
Alt. & Blower
Special Belt 6597
A.C.
High Capacity V-Belt (Standard) 7470

Information provided by Gates Automotive Product Application

Product Detail Correct Corvair belt is in black; Incorrect substitute belt is in red.

Product ID: 85626597 87017575

Part #: 6597 7575

Product Description: 6597 SPECIAL APPL BELT 7575 AUTO V-BELT XL

UPC: 072053024135 072053013146

Category Hierarchy: Automotive -> Belts -> Special Application Belts

Product Images
65977575XL

Belt / Sprocket Specifications

Angle: 38 36

Outside Circumference (in): 57 58.08

Outside Circumference (mm): 1450 1475

Top Width (in): .44 .41

Top Width (mm): 11 10

Packaging
Customer Pack: 1.0

Standard Pack: 40

Product Attributes
Application Type: Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

Category: Classical Section Wrapped V-Belts

Notched: No Yes

Section: HC47 HC41

Weight (Lbs.) .4

==========================================================================
Order two, and keep a spare and appropriate tools in the trunk. If a belt flips, do not attempt to reuse it! Even if it looks OK, it has likely suffered internal damage to the support wires that provide internal belt strength and limit stretching. Once a belt has flipped, it will likely not last for long if it is reinstalled!

When replacing a belt, check the main blower pulley and idler pulley bearings for rough operation. Worn bearings can promote early belt failure. A correctly tensioned belt will permit a little slippage when pressure is applyed by hand to the generator/alternator fan.

https://ssl.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalo ... IN&page=14




Again, welcome, and I hope you will choose to come back regularly and tell us a little about your Corvair hobby!

[davemotohead]

Brad some of your info is not correct, the lenght and width you posted is too wide and too long,you want the narrower belt that fits deeper in the pully so it wont ride up and flip out,There are numerous belts that will fit,,best thing to do if you can wait a day or 2 is call a corvair vendor and order one as you will get the correct belt or from a parts store get a 3V560 or other,,look at the Diminsions on this pic

[bbodie52]

I was only posting the exact Gates specifications provided by their website. It is curious that Gates website specifies the Gates 7575 belt for 1967 and 1968 Corvairs, and the 6597 for all Corvair model years 1960-1969!

I always recommend ordering the correct belts offered by Clark's, as shown in my initial posting.

[davemotohead]

The pic of the carquest belt is a Gates belt 3V560,the gates Notched belt is a 3VX560 or napa is XL 7565.

[bbodie52]

The pic of the carquest belt is a Gates belt 3V560,the gates Notched belt is a 3VX560 or napa is XL 7565.

Interesting. According to the Gates website, the Gates 3v560 and 3vx560 applications are as follows:

Applications for 3v560
Make Model Year(s)
Gilson
52032 <All applicable years> (RIDING LAWN MOWER)
52033 <All applicable years>
52039 <All applicable years>
52040 <All applicable years>
Thermo King
XKW <All applicable years> (Thermo King Reliability Refrigerated Truck Reefer)
XRW <All applicable years>
XRW 20D <All applicable years>
XRWL <All applicable years>
Yazoo
YR-60 <All applicable years> (RIDING LAWN MOWER)

Applications for 3vx560
Make Model Year(s)
Transicold
6008 <All applicable years> (Truck Tractor-Trailer Refrigeration Unit)
6008A <All applicable years>
TGS <All applicable years>

For the Corvair, Napa lists:
Alt. & Blower
Special Belt 25-6597

But as they say... if the shoe fits, wear it!

[davemotohead]

Well they are Wrong and I am right I have belts from Ca corvair also and they are 3V560 as well,I have one on my car for the last 20 years and it hasen't came off yet! I thought corvairs were riding lawn mowers??

[bbodie52]

I certainly agree that members of the Corvair Forum will often have much more expertise and knowledge of just what works on a Corvair then a belt manufacturer or auto parts store might have – since they cater to owners of all types of vehicles. But I also thought it might be useful to identify the discrepancies that I found on the manufacturer's website to help improve understanding among the Corvair owners who frequent the Corvair Forum. The fact that the belts you recommend are not specifically targeted for automobiles might make them difficult to find in a local auto parts store. And even if the store can obtain them, it may require a special order that would take several days. Because of this there may be little advantage to seeking parts through a local retailer. Their parts catalogs may point them in the wrong direction and the belt that you know will fit properly is probably not in their inventory and would require a special order.

That being said, an Internet or telephone order placed with a Corvair parts source such as Clark's Corvair Parts, Corvair Underground, or Rafee Corvair might prove to be the most expeditious and rewarding approach. Even the fan belt manufacturer may not have the best information that can be applied to Corvairs, and certainly the local auto parts store would be dependent on manufacturer parts catalogs that could point them in the wrong direction.

Since mail order is often the name of the game when it comes to Corvairs, it is likely that most parts will prove to be unavailable locally. Many Corvair owners choose to carry an emergency spares kit that contains critical items such as fan belts, a fuel pump, ignition parts, and perhaps a clutch cable or other critical items that can leave you stranded by the side of the road. That is why I recommended ordering at least two high quality fan belts from a Corvair supplier.

[davemotohead]

I agree that odering one from a corvair Vendor is best because its good for the hobby to support the guys that support us, but the Gates and other 3v560 belts are the correct belt for the corvair and Auto parts stores and Hardware stores sell them and most have them in stock if you ask for it by number,I can walk into any napa,car quest,autozone pep boys or most any other auto parts store and ask and 99% of the time they have one,even my local tru Value hardware store has them as I checked,so they are easily avalable,the Corvair vendors sell them,this pic is of the 2 I just bought from ca vairs, also here is a thread from another corvair forum : http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.ph ... msg-497977" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[UNSAFE]

I very much prefer the thinner belt that fit's farther down in the groove .

A thinner belt might be more likely to roll over but otherwise works much better.

I like the Otto belt sold by Clark's .

It's funny how some cars retain the same belt for years and others throw them often.

The only time I have a belt problem is shifting at 6800 rpm .

I am a strong believer in drenching the new belt with silicone spray and allowing the belt some time to glaze before any high rpms.

I also spray the used belt occasionally .

I may try one of LeVair's half speed fan kits if I have a problem at the Corvair Olympics this year.

[davemotohead]

Here are some pics of the wrong thick belt and the correct thin belt in a pully,,notice how the thick belt sticks out of the pully and the thin belt rides below the pully,leaving the belt a tad loose is better than making them tight,most times if you can push the alt fan pully with your finger your good. I use the silicone spray also and think it not only lubes the belt but keeps them fresh to keep them from getting dried out,,most times when I get a car with belt problems its either the wrong belt,,A bad bearing in one of the pully's or a bent Pully causing the belt to come off.

[iabuell]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, I've never gotten so detailed of an answer from a forum. I'll be heading to my local auto parts store to pick up the new belt as soon as possible.

I have another question too, but I don't feel it would be right to clog up the forum with more threads so I'll just post it here.

When I bought the car the previous owner said that the fuel would have to be mixed with lead since the engine was not made to handle unleaded fuel. I guess I was a little excited to get the car and forgot to ask him what the ratio was for the mix . (I thought about modifying the engine to handle the unleaded fuel but I was told it was quite expensive.) I looked online at different places and the answers were conflicting. Does anyone know the correct ratio for the mix? Also, what would I have to do to modify the engine so it would accept unleaded fuel and how much it would cost?

Thanks again for all the info!

[davemotohead]

You were told Wrong,,you do not need to add lead and your car will run fine,,corvairs do not need a lead additive. The higher HP engines do like premium gas with higher octane.

[bbodie52]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, I've never gotten so detailed of an answer from a forum. I'll be heading to my local auto parts store to pick up the new belt as soon as possible...

I wanted to suggest that, as much as possible, I would like to encourage your support of Corvair specialty parts vendors such as Clark's Corvair Parts, Rafee Corvair, California Corvair Parts, and Corvair Underground. Without them, most Corvairs would no longer be on the road, and Corvair ownership would likely be far-less affordable. By all means, do some comparison pricing between these vendors and between them and local auto parts stores. While fan belts may be available locally, many other parts, such as brake components, fuel pumps, etc. will not, or may be a special order issue. To some extent, the lack of sales tax on mail order purchases for most customers helps to offset shipping charges, and local stores may add shipping charges for special order items anyway. Clark's Corvair Parts has been in business for 40 years, and Corvair Underground only slightly less. A very high percentage of the parts they sell are simply not available anywhere else. When reproductions are needed, they have reproductions manufactured. Their experience helps to ensure that you get the right part, and the highest-quality part. At the very least, compare prices, but try to support the Corvair vendors we all find so essential. I have been depending on Clark's Corvair Parts since 1980 as I was stationed all over the USA and in Germany with the Air Force and with my Corvairs. They never let me down and I was never disappointed by them. They have earned their excellent reputation!

Take a few minutes and browse through the many pages of the Clark's Corvair Parts online catalog. You will be amazed! For pricing and parts availability, just click on any part number. Take the time to order something you will need, such as tune-up parts or oil/air filters, just to give it a try and to familiarize yourself with the procedures. This will give you a feel for the procedures, delivery times and costs, and pricing. A bulk shipment of multiple small items is more economical than ordering each item individually, so it generally makes sense to order a year's supply of oil filters, for example, than to order one at a time when a oil change is coming up!

Clark's Corvair Parts
http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/pages.cgi

Rafee Corvair
http://www.rafeecorvair.com

Corvair Underground
http://www.corvairunderground.com/

California Corvairs
http://www.californiacorvairparts.com/c ... category=1

Corvair Ranch (Used Parts, Machine Shop, etc.)
http://www.corvairranch.com/

I have another question too, but I don't feel it would be right to clog up the forum with more threads so I'll just post it here.

When I bought the car the previous owner said that the fuel would have to be mixed with lead since the engine was not made to handle unleaded fuel. I guess I was a little excited to get the car and forgot to ask him what the ratio was for the mix. (I thought about modifying the engine to handle the unleaded fuel but I was told it was quite expensive.) I looked online at different places and the answers were conflicting. Does anyone know the correct ratio for the mix? Also, what would I have to do to modify the engine so it would accept unleaded fuel and how much it would cost?

Don't be concerned about "clogging up the forum with more threads or questions." This is why the Corvair Forum exists! With almost 3000 members, fewer than half who frequent the Corvair Forum post to the forum regularly, and many never post anything at all! That means that many are just "listeners" who frequent the Corvair Forum to find answers and to learn. This is possible because others do ask questions and/or provide answers and information based on their own experiences. So by all means, ask your questions! When your question gets answered, it may benefit many others as well!

I don't know of anyone who adds a lead additive to their Corvair fuel. I never have, and I have been driving Corvairs for decades. My only concern with fuel is ensuring a high-enough octane to avoid harmful preignition and detonation (pinging) that can quickly damage or destroy a Corvair engine, and possibly adding a fuel stabilizer such as Sta-bil to the fuel in the tank if the Corvair is to be driven infrequently. In such cases such stale fuel can be a problem, and the switch to Ethanol makes this problem even worse because Ethanol decays at a faster rate than non-Ethanol blends.

Here is what Clark's Corvair Parts says on this subject:

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... ge=TECH-12
World's largest Corvair parts supplier since 1973


http://www.corvairunderground.com/news/gas.html
Serving Corvair owners since 1974 - Celebrating 39 years of service!

SO WHAT ABOUT GASOLINE?
Almost everyone that owns "older cars" nowadays are worried about getting gasoline that will burn well in their particular car. The lead content is almost gone (it is gone in California) and the octane ratings seem to slip each trip to the pump.

Corvair owners are very fortunate in the respect that Corvairs do not need leaded gasoline. Corvairs are one of the very few cars built prior to the mid-70's already engineered for no-lead gas! Of course that was essentially by accident - the "extreme high operating temperatures (for the time) present in an air-cooled engine forced the Chevrolet engineers to use hardened valve seats and stellite faced valves. So that solves the lack of lead. (If you are still uncomfortable about this let me tell you that we have burned nothing but "super" unleaded in our own vehicles for many years. We have driven them a lot and have experienced no valve or seat failure.) Well, that solves the lead question.

The other question - that of octane rating - is a little more complicated. In their stock forms, the early 102 hp, all turbocharged engines and all 140 hp engines really require "super" unleaded. That means 90+ octane or better. All the other engines can probably run on most "regulars" although the miserable 86 and 87 octane unleaded fuels found around the country may be too cheap. Follow the basic rule if in doubt. If you get constant detonation (pinging) try to slightly retard the timing. If you have to retard the timing so much that it effects the power (and you don't have other mechanical problems) then you will either have to use more expensive gas or "alter" your engine. And just how do you alter your engine?

If you are going to rebuild the engine anyway then this is the best time to plan your "low-octane" modifications. Mostly you will be trying to lower the compression ratio, which can be accomplished the easiest by using extra thick head gaskets and barrel gaskets. If your heads have been "milled" or you have gone to one of the larger overbores (.040 or .060) this is advised anyway. These extra thick copper gaskets are listed on page B-6. Staying away from milled heads, exotic camshafts and the like will help, of course.

If you are not planning to tear the engine apart then there are still some things you can try. Be advised that some of these "add-ons" may or may not allow you to burn trash gas. Dale manufacturing makes "recurved" distributors that are custom-made for each engine. (Because of the complexities involved we do not handle these distributors but you can contact us for information on them). Water injection sometimes work well but they seem to have gotten hard to find and a bit expensive. A last resort is to use octane booster although that is quite expensive and should not be necessary in normal use. We used to carry some octane booster with us in the 180 turbo when we go on a long trip in hot weather because you never know when someone in Gritzl Forks*, New Mexico may slip you 75 octane gas on a 120 degree day!

Anyway, when it comes to the Corvair we have it pretty good. We can burn unleaded, gasohol, whatever, as long as the octane is high enough - this should guarantee that we can keep driving our cars as long as some sort of gas is available.

* A fellow from New Mexico asked me where Gritzl Forks was. I told him I didn't have the slightest idea. You get the picture.

[iabuell]

I was given a Clark's Corvair catalog when the vehicle was bought. I assumed It would be more expensive than a typical auto store so I tossed It aside and it was only used for reference when looking for a few parts. I also am not the biggest fan of waiting for shipping either. But your completely right, It would be detrimental to the few specialty vendors still around that sell Corvair parts. I'll try to order as much from Clarks as I can from now on.

Regarding the fuel, it says in the excerpt that you have to add thicker head gaskets or base gaskets. Directly below it though it says that the guides were good enough to support it. Which is correct? Again and again I see that a specific octane is needed. Is this acheived using unleaded? Or would a higher grade fuel be needed such as super unleaded?

[davemotohead]

What year is the car and what engine? I personaly always run premium but the 80hp and 95hp engines will run fine on regular unleaded as long as your cooling system is working properly and carbs are jetted correctly,,these are air cooled engines and the head fins and air passage ways need to be clean and free so air will flow to cool the engine.