1960 Corvair...first start up since 1974

[INDYMAC]

A friend told me he had a 1960 Corvair sitting in his garage that he bought awhile back, but has never tried to start it. He has the maintenance manual. He asked me to come over tomorrow to see if we could get it started. I'm not a mechanic by any stretch, but told him I would offer moral support and double as a witness to the event or non-event. Here are a few things that we discussed last night before we attempt to fire it up:

-replace battery
-change plugs (5 he says)
-distributer (points?)
-gasoline (what kind...additives?)
-engine oil (filter?)
-belt?
-gear/tranny oil
-brake fluid (what kind?)

Although I remember seeing many of these driving around when I was a kid, I don't remember ever getting very close to one or looking under the hood. Does anyone have any experience with this car that can offer some advice on what to do before we attempt to start it? Thanks.

 

[Shannow]

lucky rabbit's foot ?

make sure that your friend knows that if he gets it running, it's only temporary before he rebuilds it.

May as well use ether, and add a tablespoon of ATF in each cylinder (rotate muchly by hand while doing so) to prove that it runs/ran.

Don't walk away with his monkey

 

[Pablo]

5 plugs?

This should be good.

Got video?

 

[eljefino]

I'd get a marine gas can with fresh fuel and a few feet of hose to the carburetor. If you go poking around with the points in the distributor you can mess up the timing or dwell, both things that might sort of work in the "ran when parked" position.

Get that old antifreeze out of there; don't stop until you find the radiator drain!

 

[duaneb9729]

I think Corvairs are air cooled

 

[eljefino]

^ Early april fools joke. Hence the winky graemlin.

 

[addyguy]

Don't even bother trying - it will have seized solid. That thing hasn't been running longer than I've been alive, there is NO way it will not be rusted in place.

Even getting it apart to re-build will be hard without breaking something will be next to impossible - I'd tell your fired this is a lost cause!

 

[eljefino]

That's a cheerful outlook!

 

[ChiTDI]

When you pull the plugs, all X of them, you might want to squirt a teaspoon of oil into the hole and see if you can turn the engine over by hand, not using the starter. That might give you a good indication of how/how not seized the engine may be.

 

[A_Harman]

If the engine has an oil pump driven by the distributor, as in the small-block Chevy, it would be very good to rent an oil pump drive shaft from the local AutoZone and pre-oil the engine to assure that every part is lubricated before attempting to crank.

Have you tried to turn the engine with a socket and breaker bar? Take off the valve covers and inspect the valvetrain.

 

[Astro14]

First - does it turn over or is it rusted "stuck"?

If it's stuck, you're done - pull it out and rebuild it.

If you're lucky, and it still turns over, the gas in this has turned into varnish and other gunk in the carb, pull that, disassemble and clean it out. Drain the gas tank and fill with fresh gas.

Next - there is no oil on any of the bearings...drain and refill the crankcase with fresh oil, change the filter.

Change the plugs - and look at their condition, they'll tell you a bit about how it was running. Personally, this is one time where I would actually use MMO and I would squirt a few ounces in each cylinder to try and lube/free the rings before re-installing the new plugs...and you do know that there are 6...right? The heads are aluminum...so be careful...

With a fresh battery (and a charger nearby), disconnect the coil and crank it for a few seconds. Let it cool for a minute, repeat until there is oil pressure. If you can "pre-lube" it by pulling the distributor and turning the oil pump - that's even better, but make sure that distributor goes back in EXACTLY as it came out (it will rotate as you pull it out due to the helical gears...) - or your timing will be hopelessly off...

Don't pump the gas or set the choke during this - you'll just flood it...

Re-connect the coil - and try starting it...Good Luck!

 

[Dave Sherman]

All good advice. Do note that the Corvair engine is a flat 6 so you need 6, not 5, spark plugs. You might get lucky and it hasn't seized, depending on the climate. My MG hadn't seized after sitting 18 years, and unlike my MG you don't have to worry about the antifreeze turning into rusty sludge. Keep the old fan belt on for a short time anyway; let it rub the rust off the pulleys before you put a new one on.

One thing I can tell you from my MG is be prepared for lots of stuck parts, like door locks, wiper motor, windshield washer pump, etc.. Brake fluid gets saturated with moisture after sitting around, so expect that you may have stuck brake cylinders and rusty brake lines. If it's a stick shift the clutch might be frozen to the flywheel.

 

[Kestas]

This reminds me of the Menthos commercial where a bunch of kids find a Model T in a barn, fiddle with it for an hour or so, then go joyriding. Yeah... right.

I've been there with my buddy's '63 Tempest back in '75. Realistically, you may get the engine to turn over. You'd be doing great if you can get the engine to sputter on its own. This engine will require a complete rebuild.

 

[crw]

http://www.widman.biz/Corvair/corvair.html

 

[PRND3L]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
This reminds me of the Menthos commercial where a bunch of kids find a Model T in a barn, fiddle with it for an hour or so, then go joyriding. Yeah... right.

Never underestimate the power of "The Freshmaker!"

OP, make sure to have a steady supply on hand.

 

[Jim_Beverlin]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
If the engine has an oil pump driven by the distributor, as in the small-block Chevy, it would be very good to rent an oil pump drive shaft from the local AutoZone and pre-oil the engine to assure that every part is lubricated before attempting to crank.

Have you tried to turn the engine with a socket and breaker bar? Take off the valve covers and inspect the valvetrain.


I did this with an L48 in a 1978 Corvette with very good results. Worth the additional time to do this.

 

[INDYMAC]

I talked to the owner again this morning. The engine does turn by hand, but will not start according to the guy he bought it from about 3 years ago.

He has some new parts and rebuild kits on hand (carbs, distributer, wires, belts, etc.) that he's been accumulating over the last couple of years for this day. Fresh can of gas to draw from too with starter fluid. I'll recommend that we pour some MMO in the cylinders. He still needs to find a battery (one of those skinny elongated kind). It's an automatic tranny (I didn't know they had them in the Corvair). But my AMSOIL product guide doesn't show any Chevy models from 1960.

Aircooled flat 6? Sounds like a Porsche!

Anyways, we'll see what we're up against tomorrow, and thanks for all the advice so far.

 

[TomYoung]

Good luck with this. The fact that the engine turns is great news. If you are going down the path of changing plugs and fluids and starting this engine up, that's cool, but I would give serious consideration to doing at least a partial teardown on the engine...

 

[Trav]

I would spray/pump Kroil or MMO down the cylinders,turn a few times and leave it overnight.
Being air cooled the piston to bore clearance is greater than most water cooled engines so it just might get by without breaking some rings.

The engine design is similar to old VW air boxers and lots of those have been started after sitting years and years with seemingly no ill effects.I wouldn't bet on it though but who knows? If the cylinders were dry when stored then it may have a chance.

 

[motorcity]

A friend of mine has a 60 Corvair. They are a unique model year. Alot of the parts on them, are 1960 only. Such as the fuel pump, some of the carb internals, etc. The fuel pumps are common, for going bad. My buddie worked at a O'Rielys, and was able to get a pump there. I reubuilt the carbs for him, your probably going to have to soak the [censored] out of them, from sitting that long. You'll need a carb syconizing tool to adjust them.