New to corvair

[ObstructGenius]

I recently bought a 61 Corvair Monza 900, and know nothing about the car. It is my first car and I'm ignorantly ping into an attempt to restore the car and have a few problem. The car runs but has a dead spot when accelerating, and the fuel gauge doesn't work. Also, my engine is number is mysteriously missing an additional digit. Can you guys give me few pointers and help me out?

[funvairs]

Where are you located?

Start with a service manual. Hard cover is available from Clark's Corvair or ebay.

You might look down the throat of the carbs while you push the linkage forward. Look for a good squirt of gas. There is a good chance the accelerator pump cups need to be replaced. Check dwell and timing.

Your engine number is all there. Not all engines have 2 suffix letters.
T=Tonawanda assembly plant
1107=Nov 7 build date
Z=80 hp powerglide. That's assuming the engine is a 61. Z code on a later engine could be 84 or 95 hp.

[ObstructGenius]

Would it be a good idea to replace dwell point with electric point system? The dwell and timing are both set to specs, accelerator pump cups are getting replaced and adjusted. Thanks for the info!

[funvairs]

That question will get you a wide range of opinions. I run a Pertronics 1, a Pertronics 2, a Crane XR700, and points in a couple. If I were to spend the money on a breakerless ignition module, I think I would spend the $180.00 for a complete new electronic distributor from Performance Corvair.
http://www.perfvair.com/electronic-distributors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unless the distributor has issues, electronic ignition would not be a high priority for me. Just my opinion.

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

Would it be a good idea to replace dwell point with electric point system? The dwell and timing are both set to specs, accelerator pump cups are getting replaced and adjusted. Thanks for the info!

Which distributor does your 1961 Corvair have? The original distributor found on 1960-61 Corvairs is obsolete, and was replaced in 1962 with a new design.

There was a significant difference in the design of the earliest (1960-61) Corvair distributors and the 1962-69 version. They are interchangeable, so if you were to obtain a 1962, 1963, or later distributor from a similar engine you should be able to install it in your 1961 Corvair. Doing so and eliminating that obsolete design in your current distributor would make it easier to obtain parts also.

I have included pictures of the two distributor designs below. You will note that the centrifugal advance assembly on the early design was above the points, and under the large rotor assembly. In the later design, the centrifugal advance was relocated to a location underneath the points and breaker plate assembly. The design of the early 1961 distributor, with the large rotor and centrifugal advance assembly positioned above the points will prevent the Pertronix or Crane Cams ignition module from being installed. Please note that the cap and rotor for the early distributor will not fit on the late distributor design.


Early 1960-61 Corvair Distributor


Early 1960-61 Corvair Distributor


Early 1960-61 Corvair Distributor (Exploded View)


Late 1962-69 Corvair Distributor


Late 1962-69 Corvair Distributor (Exploded View)


New (1962-69) and Old (1960-61) Corvair Distributors

If you have a 1961 Corvair with the early distributor design, upgrading to an electronic breakerless ignition module would require upgrading to the newer distributor design, since the electronic modules will not fit the 1960-61 distributor.

Recently, a brand-new Corvair replacement distributor came on the market,, and it already includes the breakerless electronic components as a part of the new distributor. The cost of this new distributor is a bargain at $180, since buying a used, stock 1962-1969 distributor, replacing the cap and rotor, and then upgrading it by fitting a Pertronix or Crane Cams kit would nearly equal the cost of the brand-new distributor and integrated breakerless system.



http://www.perfvair.com/electronic-distributors/


The aftermarket distributor modification kits work well and are reliable. I used the LED type when I installed it in my 1965 Corsa back in the 1980s and never had any problems. The kit was easy to install. NOTE: This modification will only fit 1962-1969 Corvair distributors. The early distributor design used in 1960-1961 has a large rotor and the centrifugal advance located above the ignition points and breaker plate, which does not permit installation of the kit on the early distributors. Later design distributors can be easily installed in 1960-1961 Corvair engines.

The job is a little easier if you don't remove the distributor, but it is also a little-more awkward when installing the kit while bent over the engine. (No worse then changing the points and condenser). If you choose to remove the distributor from the engine, note the direction the rotor is pointing and the distributor orientation, and don't disturb the engine while the distributor is out of the car. Procedures for removing and reinserting the distributor can be found in the Corvair shop manual. The instructions included with the modification kit will guide you through the easy installation procedure.

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... IN&page=74


If you replace your ignition coil, be careful to select one that is compatible with the type of electronic ignition system you choose. The information needed to select the correct coil can be found on these catalog pages.

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... IN&page=75


If you don't own a Corvair shop manual, Corvair shop manuals and other good technical references can be downloaded on your computer at no cost. Just follow this link...

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

Corvair Forum viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6007

You also might consider an upgrade to a 1964 model year magnesium fan. The "flywheel effect" of the heavier steel fans put a lot of strain on the fan belt as the crankshaft speed changes and the heavy steel fan resists the engine RPM change. The fan belt ends up straining with each engine speed variation, and the lightweight magnesium fan greatly reduces the stresses involved.





I would like to encourage you to expand on your initial post and tell us more about yourself, your Corvair, and your goals for your Corvair. If you can describe your personal assessment of your mechanical skills and abilities, that would help a lot. Members of the Corvair Forum love to be helpful in assisting other Corvair owners with technical support and advice, but it helps a lot if we have some understanding of your technical background and mechanical abilities, Corvair-related knowledge, etc. Helping us to know more about you and your Corvair will help us to write comments to you that are tailored to your needs and experience. Pictures are great too, because pictures of your Corvair will help us to visualize where you are with your Corvair and its condition at the present time. Knowing your location is also useful, because knowing where you live can sometimes suggest possibilities to resolve some issues or problems.

[ObstructGenius]

I got the car when I was 16, I am 17 now and have just been doing maintenance stuff like rebuilding the carbs, replace battery, and had to rewire the dashboard because some bozo before ran the circuitry wrong and fried it to a crisp. We also adjusted the valves on it. My mechanical skills are quite alright, I've helped my dad replaced the cylinders on a 2180cc VW bug engine, rebuilt the engine of a 97 suburban an rebuilt a 4l60e transmission. As for my goals for the car, I want to redo the interior since it is cracking and doesn't look good enough for me so I'm wanting to replace it with either stock red or maroon and a matching headboard. I want to repaint it a pearl white with a sparkle finish, and take out the two or three dings in the car. The only major damage to the car that is significant is the rear right reverse signal is crushed inward a bit. Most importantly I want to make it show worthy and have a sweet ride to show off at school mostly. It's quite nice that it's fully functional now and I only paid $500 for it.

[ObstructGenius]

Here's some pictures of the car so far

[ObstructGenius]

Also, I live in Las Vegas, not sure what major issues heat will have on the car besides overheating, and as for knowledge of corvair, I don't really have any. I have a dead spot wen I accelerate which I'm thinking is either due to timing issue or accelerator adjustment issues. My fuel gauge I believe to be broken, since even though it's grounded it still won't read the gas level.

[Francesco]

By a dead spot, do you mean you give it gas, and it revvs, stops, then revvs again a second later? That happened to my friend's '66 mustang, and he was told it was the accelerator pump.

[bbodie52]

Your Corvair may be a 1961, but the engine appears to be a 1962. There is no PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system, which was introduced around 1963. (The opening in the top shroud that would be used for a PCV tube is capped). Prior to that a road draft tube provided crankcase ventilation. (See below).

Corvair Crankcase Ventilation (1960-1962)

Also, the distributor is a late design introduced in late 1961, and the carburetors are equipped with automatic chokes, which were introduced in 1962. In 1961 Corvairs were equipped with manual chokes, with a control cable mounted below the instrument panel. (It appears that the manual choke cable support hardware is still present on the 1961 firewall in the front of the engine compartment). So your engine is likely from a 1962 Corvair, and is likely not the original engine.



The suffix code "Z" was found on Corvair engines from 1960-1964. From 1960-1963 this indicated an 80 hp engine mated to a Powerglide automatic transmission. Engine displacement was 140 CI in 1960, and 145 CI from 1961-1963. In 1964 the displacement increased to 164 CI, and the horsepower rating with suffix code "Z" increased to 95 hp (still coupled to an automatic transmission).

T1107Z

T = Tonawanda, New York (GM Tonawanda Engine Plant)
http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/comp ... wanda.html
1107 = Engine manufacturing date of November 07 (The year is never included in this date, unfortunately)
Z = 1962 Corvair 500, 700 or 900 Monza, 80 hp, 8:1 CR, 145 CID, Powerglide Automatic Transmission

[ObstructGenius]

We rebuilt and adjusted the carbs today, and found out the fuel pump isn't working well so we did a quick fix with an electric fuel pump and got rid of the lean miss and backfiring, and found the transmission is leaking, anyone know where a decent priced seal kit is I could get?

[Francesco]

I always order parts from Clarks Corvair (am I allowed to post links?) when I have big orders, but when they're small and I want them quick, I call Jeff Williams from California Corvair. He is about an hour away from me, so I get it next day. Depending on where you live, there may be a supplier near you.

[ObstructGenius]

My vacuum pulls on full advance as soon as it is plugged in at idle. It is hooked up to the vertical port and when in neutral the timing light shows it advances over 20 at idle. Any ideas what's causing this?

[bbodie52]

The Model H and HV carburetors have a vacuum advance port drilled just above the throttle valves to provide a timed distributor vacuum advance. As the throttle valve is opened, the spark port is exposed to manifold vacuum which acts on the distributor vacuum advance unit. This varies the advance unit so that the correct spark timing can be maintained in relation to the engine load. This helps to give maximum economy under varying road load conditions. Both carburetors have a spark port, however the right unit is used to operate the distributor advance unit. The left carburetor spark port is blocked off by a plastic cap.

I'm trying to figure out how the vacuum advance port is being exposed to a high manifold vacuum when the engine is at idle, or why the vacuum reaching this port would be so high that it forces the vacuum advance to full advance as soon as the vacuum hose is connected. Assuming that the hose is connected to the vertical "spark port" on the carburetor, I would guess that perhaps the engine is cold and that the upper choke butterfly valve is closed, which would raise the vacuum in the carburetor throat to a high-enough level to force the vacuum advance to the full advance position.

You might also check the setting of the right carburetor idle speed screw. It should be approximately 1½ turns beyond where initial contact with the throttle linkage is made. If the right carburetor idle speed screw is not adjusted correctly, or the throttle butterfly is opened too far for some reason, the vacuum port would be exposed to excessive manifold vacuum at idle, which would have the impact on the distributor vacuum advance you described.

The chart below shows the design specs for the vacuum advance, and the amount of vacuum needed to begin advancing the timing, and how much is needed for full timing advance.

Left-click the image to enlarge for better viewing...

[ObstructGenius]

The car is warm, idle screw one and a half turns, and the choke was open. im guessing there might be a problem with a distributor. Also, the vacuum advance retracts when it is unplugged

[cad-kid]

Post a photo showing where on the carb you hooked up the hose for the distributor.