Just a few of my old GM Corvair Cam gears. Have to gather them up for the recycle one day. I have had few issues with NOS GM gears. I have however personally had 2 aftermarket cast cam gears just break apart after 40,000 miles
use. I don't use them anymore and chose to install the Billet Aluminum Cam Gear's. These seem to wear and run with no issues, like I enjoyed when the GM gears were available.

So now you know what I'll be heating up and installing next!

Corventure Dave

Had about an hour last night to play in the Man-Cave.

The new TRW forged piston I had already balanced to all weigh the same. Cripes... that was probably 12 years ago! I bought them back then for this engine project. So now you have an idea how long I have been anticipating this job!

I balanced the Rods for Dad, so after checking them out, they were ready for reassembly.

My Brother was a machinist at one time. He made me the special tools to remove and also press wrist pins into pistons. There is the base that holds the piston flat and has a hole to clear the wrist pin when it's pressed out.

The tool pressing the wrist pin is machined with a mark to indicate when the wrist pin is centered. I always heat the rod end a little to make pressing the pin in easier. Also double check the piston offset. Sometimes the "front" mark on the aftermarket pistons is in the wrong position. Kinda like the marks on new cam gears!!!

The worst thing about this is knowing I'll be putting these shiny pretty beautiful pistons in an engine where no one will be able to see them! They are just so darn pretty!

Corventure Dave

Stating the engine assembly. I got the cam and crank timed. Assembled the two crankcase halves. New Fwd main seal and Bell housing. Time to mount on the engine building and testing stand.

But first I needed to install a flex plate and to eventually test run the engine, I need a ring gear for the starter to engage to.

Enter a Torque converter! This could get sloppy!!!!

Actually. I cut apart a old T Converter years ago, just for this procedure.
I painted it red so I could find it later.... like if it got pushed somewhere under the work bench!


Corventure Dave

Once the dummy converter was installed... I'm talking about the Red thing.... the engine is mounted on the assembly-Test stand.

Time now to clean some more of the sheet metal parts!

Corventure Dave

Minneapolis,MN

1965 500 Coupe
95HP

Built the 1st week of April of 65 at willow run.
500 coupe. The only factory accessory is a rear antenna.
White with a red interior.
Now black with black and red interior.

It is nice to be done with cleaning and working with new parts! Carry on!



Danny Robertson
Huntsville, Al
'64 Spyder (Daily Driver)
'63 Rampside (Rotisseried and in Progress!)

Oh all the cleaning! 25+ years of baked on crud! I'm also straightening some bends in the tin's. I'm polishing up a replacement skid plate also.
Removing the staples that hold the engine seals. More cleaning and de-greasing.
I'm also checking out a local powder coating shop.

This is the oil pan I will be using. It was only installed briefly from being NOS. I don't remember what happened to that engine, but I have been keeping this pan for over 25 years. There are absolutely no dents or scrapes. The baffle is not cracked near the spot welds like some do after high miles.
The only issue is that it has a vary slight surface rust starting to show.
I have decided to use this and try out that powder coating shop I've found. It's a small specialty place local bikers go to. I have seen their work and it is great. So we'll see. I've had oil pans and valve covers powder coated before. I'm going to go with a metal Gray on the pan.

Corventure Dave

Wish I had more time in the evenings to play in the Cave! But a little progress is better than none!

I spent some time hand lapping the valves. This removed some of the carbon buildup on the valve surfaces and gives me a better visual of the contact surfaces. Dad ran crap gas, so there was some carbon buildup in the ports.
I cleaned that out with a wire brush on my Dremel tool.
I also verified that Dad had these heads worked over with deep seats and bronze guides.

Final work was cleaning the flashing out of the heads. They were mostly clean but I did a more thorough job with the diamond wire on a drill. Zip Zap... it's easy with the right tool's!
I used the crankcase and engine stand to hold the heads for this cleaning.
Next will be installing the piston and jug assemblies.

Corventure Dave

Looking good Dave!!!



Paul Sergeant
CORSA Central Division Director / CORSA Treasurer
Lee's Summit, MO
CORSA since 1975
Member – HACOA, Corvair Minnesota, CORSA, Little Indians, POCI

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Thanks guy's!

Not easy to see... but these are correct 110 heads. I CC'd them down to what I call Hot 95's.
You can see the raise between the valves is removed. I have done this with several engines. They seem to perform well if you get a tank of junk gas with the edge taken off the cylinder head volume.

OH... this is a standard - standard engine. Crank is OEM, not turned. The Jugs are Standard bore. I am running a 110hp Cam. I have ran both 110 and 95 cams after working over the heads this way. Both perform well for street use.

Corventure Dave

Holiday weekend coming up. Memorial day. I'll be flying my flag all weekend.
For some family history check out the USS Lagarto SS-371. Uncle Donald Stiegler EM 3.

I hope to get the engine final assembly done and test ran on the stand this weekend. If I'm spiffy... I may even get it installed in the Rampy. Then who knows how far I'll get. We will see.

Dad was also a WWII Vet, so this is all a tribute to him. I will be looking forward to driving it up to Lompoc this summer, and visiting his and Mom's resting place.

Corventure Dave

Hi Dave,

You are making great progress, and I hope this weekend you can fire up your engine. I am hoping to get a little work done in my shop this weekend too, and the extra day will help a lot. I doubt I'll be "spiffy", but I'm attempting to stay as clean as possible I

I will keep all those who served in our armed forces in my thoughts this weekend too.

Keep the pictures coming. They show me how my stuff should be looking!

Jon
-1964 Greenbrier "The Dog Hauler" Rustoleum Charmer 110hp/4sp/.030 over/Pertronics I/Isky 270 Cam
-1962 Monza Club Coupe "Shaken, not stirred" Tuxedo Black with Red Interior 140hp/4sp/Pertronics I/Clark's 260 Cam

>> it's easy with the right tool's! <<

Hand lapping with a drill motor? I'm very surprised you don't have one of these.
CW 3/4 turn, back 1/2, then 3/4 turn again,......
Easily accepts a cup for modern valves




They still sell them.



Some of you kids may remember having paper routes when you were youngsters. In the '20s and early '30s my dad sat on fenders, lapping valves on flatheads for guys doing their own auto repair, which was most everyone, even before the depression.

Richard,

If I did lapping more often, perhaps I'd like to have something like that cool tool. But the cordless drill with the reverse switch at your thumb works just fine. I also support the valve stem end with a gloved finger. This allows me to lift the valve off the seat during rotation. That draws the compound back into the surface and speeds the lapping process without overdoing it. Pretty quick actually for touching up the seat and valve surfaces.

Corventure Dave

Call me crazy, but I have methods to my madness!

I'm replacing the engine compartment strip seals in the Rampy. I never much liked the factory steel staples. Pop rivets are an option, but they don't have that original look and are hard to remove again later on.
So I came up with my own way of making the staples out of copper wire. I like the copper because it's easy to work with and can be removed later quite easily. The original staple holes are just slightly drilled out to accommodate the wire. But when finished, the look is Vair-y stock, but serviceable.

I'll put together pictures of the simple tool for making the staple bends and drill sizes later.

Corventure Dave

Well... I got to play two days out of the 3 day holiday weekend.

I flew the flag all weekend in honor of our Vets' past and present. Remembering family members who served and were lost.

I got the engine assembled on the test stand. Primed the oil. Timed the ignition. Adjusted the valves statically for test fire. Hooked up the 12 volts to the ignition, Ran a fuel line from the electric fuel pump in the Rampside. Installed my test run exhaust system. Gave the carbs two blips and hit the remote start button...... This is always the moment of apprehension. Will it run? Is everything right. I know I timed the new cam gear, but did I? What if it won't start? Did I buy a lotto ticket? Was that chicken I ate ok? Do I have toilet paper? Where did I put my key's?

Bingo. The engine fired after just two revolutions! Yippee! I did all the test run adjustments I usually do. Lifters were quiet almost from the moment it started because I pre-loaded them. Happy Happy Happy. Now let the engine cool so I can transfer it to the installation cradle.

I built the assembly and test stand out of junk over 30 years ago. It sits next to the house until needed. The caster wheels were frozen from being outside. Those just needed some penetrating oil. This is one of those tools that may not be used vary often, but sure is handy when needed.

I have an electric chain hoist to lower the engine to the installation-removal cradle on the floor jack. This I also made almost 40 years ago. Over the years, as the needs came up, I made or acquired the tools for doing these things. Having learned to weld back in High School really paid off over the years. I have encouraged my Nephew's to do the same, even tho that stuff is not much encouraged in schools around here!

While the engine was cooling, I installed a new Torque Converter seal in the differential. I polished the torque converter snout that the seal rides on with 1500 sand paper and WD-40.

After a quick transfer, in went the engine. Now comes all the bit's and pieces to get it back and running. New exhaust system is fit and ready for me to weld the joints.

The engine compartment is starting to look like I wanted it to. More work to come! I spend a lot of time on details because that's how I like to do it.

One more thing getting done on your truck Dad!

Corventure Dave

Great work. Your attention to detail shows!

David Clamp


1965 Corsa convertible - 140 4spd/3.55/AM-FM

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera


"Victory is mine!" - SG

Yukon, OK

Thanks.

I have an affliction.... I used to build and restore for Concours. I found that it may take just a little more time and effort to clean and detail, to make things vary show spiffy. Like all the bolts. A light wire wheel and they are looking new instead of just cleaned. Also using all the stock fasteners, screws and bolts, makes the engine look stock detailed.

I used to part out Corvair's. This gave me a nice supply of original bolts and fasteners. So I don't have to hunt for something that fits. I tend to lean to the stock look anyway.

Corventure Dave

Well done!!!!

Minneapolis,MN

1965 500 Coupe
95HP

Built the 1st week of April of 65 at willow run.
500 coupe. The only factory accessory is a rear antenna.
White with a red interior.
Now black with black and red interior.

Hi Dave,
I'll be waiting to hear the drill sizes you used for the "staples". Also, what wire gauge did you use. I LOVE that idea. Last Tuesday I spent 2-hours? cutting the old stapes out of the sheet metal that I will use in my Rampy getting the metal ready for powder-coating.

Thanks for posting your progress.

Paul Sergeant
CORSA Central Division Director / CORSA Treasurer
Lee's Summit, MO
CORSA since 1975
Member – HACOA, Corvair Minnesota, CORSA, Little Indians, POCI

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