1962 Corvan 8 dr build/work

[vairmech]

OK, I'll try this again. I started last night with a post and had about 3/4 of it done as far as I was going at that point and like us old people do, I fell asleep. I left my computer on with the page up and I finished the post in the morning. I then hit post and it wanted me to sign in again, OK. When I signed in it took me to the sections page and everything was GONE!
Now, I'll start over and try to remember what I did.

A friend and I purchased this van only looking at pictures! It was on Marketplace so I contacted the owner. We messaged a few times and then I asked if he would mind talking, he said that was OK. So we did talk with one another and he sent me specific pictures of areas I asked for. As I was talking with the past owner he said he was glad a Corvair person was getting it and not some young hacker. BTW, I modify vehicles all the time, so no disrespect meant by the term.
After we got the van I was still surprised at the overall condition, it is the most rust free FC I have ever owned! It does need paint work as the pictures make everything look good.



I don't have a good picture of the cargo area but it is all original and in very good shape for being 62 years old!

We had the van delivered via a shipping company and of course I had to drive it. I noticed a whine in the diff so while I was waiting for the time work on the van I built a trans and diff. This is a 4 spd and I made the diff a 3.27. Come to find out the old diff was a 3.27 also.





So the time comes to start work on the van and I think everyone knows that one thing leads to another and another and another! Well, I started out doing brakes with self adjusters, dual master cylinder, Bush the shift coupler and make my bushing for the front slider. I found other things as I was under there like trans mounts, steering web stiffener loose and, and and ----
While I had the engine out it got a new bolted flywheel disc and PP with the new trans/diff. After getting everything done. I drove it around local and it was ok to drive with no major issues. We then took it on a longer drive and out on the freeway again it did OK but the 80 hp was a little anemic, it only had 65 hp net after all. I know that that engine would not pull the van like I want with a load in in it. I have another engine already in the works. It will be a .060 over with TRW long skirt forged, why? Because I had them and nobody wanted to buy them! I am also putting my FC cam in the engine and just today I decided to put a 140hp Pg crank in the engine after looking at my Dyno program numbers again.
Here are couple of pictures of the original engine and what I found with it.







I'll post more about the engine build later.

[toms73novass]

Cool van, surprised it had a 3.27 ratio.

[Phil Dally]

In the past two weeks I've become the proud owner of a 63 Corvan and a 61 Greenbrier...better get to posting.

[Dennis66]

First, I can relate to typing a lot out and then POOF! it's all gone.
Second, I have to ask. Is that an old Florida Inspection sticker on there? About 1982? Dennis

[Tramp61]

Hi Ken: Always enjoy your write ups. Are you going to do the transverse leaf spring setup on this van? Which coil springs will you be using? I’m a habitual experimenter with the rear ride height on my Rampside and always interested in your solutions. Looking forward to more about your engine build for this one also. Good luck with the project!

[vairmech]

First, I can relate to typing a lot out and then POOF! it's all gone.
Second, I have to ask. Is that an old Florida Inspection sticker on there? About 1982? Dennis

Yes, that is a Florida inspection sticker, in fact this van was on the cover the the Jan 1985 Communique! It was sold about 20 years ago and then went to Mass and is where I got it from. He must have only driven in fair weather because of no rust. But then this van is heater DELETE! I have a gas heater that I will be putting in it so we can drive in cooler weather. I drove it the other day to our club breakfast and got a real chill at 43 degrees and I'm still paying for it.

[vairmech]

Hi Ken: Always enjoy your write ups. Are you going to do the transverse leaf spring setup on this van? Which coil springs will you be using? I’m a habitual experimenter with the rear ride height on my Rampside and always interested in your solutions. Looking forward to more about your engine build for this one also. Good luck with the project!

Thanks.
Right now the rear has the wheel tuck under but it drives mostly ok. In anticipation of using the rear leaf spring I did build a 64 diff case! As far as what springs I might use, I am leaning toward the standard ones that will just let the tires go straight and then add the leaf spring with only minimal tension. I plan on using this as a work truck going to Corvair shows and carrying parts and puzzles.

[vairmech]

OK, Now I am going into the engine build portion of this project. As many of you know I don't just build engines I create them. You will see what I mean as the post goes along.

So let's start with the block. I just happened to have a 64-5 FC block and only 3 months different from what is in the van right now! Unfortunately the W is for the PG and not the manual trans, but oh well.



As you can see it has the rod reliefs in the case. This is the way the case started but obviously not the way it ended.



On most any build I will take the sharp edges off so I don't dig up my hands up when I have to put them in the case.



I also make sure that the oiling is adequate. I do not like the oil entrance into the main bearings, it is to restricted most times for me. So, i get my little Dremel saw out and make sure that area at a minimum is deep enough. I also take a small cutter and form a ramp so the oil can actually flow and not have to be forced around. You can see this in the picture.
Here is factory.



And here is what I do.



I also do several other things that not the normal person does like taking the sharp edges off, I also make sure the lower drain holes are full size and I take all the flash off the internal air/oil passages. This one picture pretty well shows it all if you look everywhere.



While I don't have any pictures of it I did use my FC cam and after playing with the Dyno program I settled on a straight key. Then I went looking for a crank, the one I was going to use was rusty on the cheeks but not the journals and I did not feel like cleaning it up. so I started looking at my other cranks. The easiest thing that I could get to was a 140PG crank, so I went back to the Dyno program and put the timing change in and I liked the numbers! Maybe the engine won't fall flat on it's face at 5000 rpm now. Keep in mind that all I did was wash this crank in the solvent tank and brush out the passages, I DID NOT polish this crank.



I had some new TRW long skirt .060 pistons, no one wanted them as I have taken them to swap meets for a few years now so I used them! They were weighed and balanced the checked for size. I decided to use them when I acquired some really good used .060 cylinders.



So the pistons are all assembled to the block. What do you think the next step would be from what you see in the picture?



Let's see, there is the oil pick-up to put in and then maybe the oil pan could go on. But you know what is forgotten more times than not? The cylinder baffles!



Then of course the oil pick up and the pan go on, I didn't forget the baffles!



I sort of skipped a step in there but it flows better this way. So, I do not all the time use brand new bearings! Look at these and tell me what is wrong with them.



I have put together engines with more clearance than these bearings would ever give, especially with a crank that has specs like new. Here is a little closer look.



Lastly how do you put studs in your case? How about remove studs? Vise Grips? Double nut? The home made ball in a rocker stud? I tried almost all ways and the best one I have ever found I got through Snap-On. It has a threaded insert that will tighten onto the thread area. I have actually twisted studs off with this tool when they are stuck in the block.

[Phil Dally]

Bitchen Squeezy Tool!!

[caraholic4life]

Bitchen Squeezy Tool!!

Looks kind of like a Large Pin Vise that has threads in it.

[rcavictor]

Great work Ken, nice details! Thanks for taking the time to post.

[Tramp61]

Great post Ken. Nice to know that kind of tool exists. Look forward to seeing what you do with the heads. Is there anything else that you do besides your own cam that is specific to an FC engine as opposed to a car engine? Keep up the great work.

[vairmech]

Great post Ken. Nice to know that kind of tool exists. Look forward to seeing what you do with the heads. Is there anything else that you do besides your own cam that is specific to an FC engine as opposed to a car engine? Keep up the great work.

I don't think the FC's need anything special. Well, they all can use a little more power, I like to convert even the early engines I will add the clearance for the late crank so no one really knows it's a 164 cu in engine! I could have done that with the original block but I didn't want to disable the van while building the engine.

I am going to use 95hp heads but not sure how much work I'm going to do. I'll post soon about that.