<VV> Newbie...Me!

[Tony Underwood]

At 09:40 hours 10/01/2004 -0700, Frog Princezz wrote:
>Thanx everybody,
> 
>I guess maybe overhaul was too strong a word.  My plan, as it stood before
all the wonderful responses, is to:
>Buy new battery   

Easy enough.   

>Change points

Ditto.   

>Siphon the gas tank -- add new gas

Siphoning won't get rid of all of it.    Get under the car (make sure it's
supported safely) and remove the rubber hose from the fuel outlet line and
let the tank drain dry... providing the filter sock on the fuel pickup
isn't gummy from soured fuel and stopped up.     

>Add carb cleaner

To the tank?  Likely a good idea especially if the sour gas is really slow
in draining, should the filter sock be gummed up tight.   Once the bad gas
is out of the tank, (via draining or siphoning what you can) it's likely
that a gallon of cheap lacquer thinner would work better, and be cheaper as
well.   Put a bucket or some sort of catch basin under the fuel outlet tube
and let that gallon of lacquer thinner soak a bit and do its thing.    If
the thinner runs out easily, you're fine and good to go.   If it takes a
while, let it drain into the bucket etc and run it through the tank again,
and again, until it flows freely from the fuel outlet tube.   

>Change fuel filter

If the car is stock, the filter won't be there, or at least not where you
can see it.   Stock Corvairs used small sintered bronze filters in the tops
of the carbs.   It's likely that they will be OK, or at least work well
enough to run the car.   Later on, when you learn how Corvair carbs are put
together, you can remove and replace them... or give them a soaking
overnight in lacquer thinner with an occasional swishing around to dissolve
any gum or crud which might have accumulated over the decades.   

...or, check with the major vendors and buy new ones.   Nobody but the
Corvair vendors are likely to have them, since the manufacturers of most
carburetors stopped using those internal bronze filters about 30 years ago.
    

>Change the spark plugs

Cheap enough.    Auto Zone has Bosche plugs cheap, and they're the correct
type of plug for a Vair.  

>Change air filter

Also cheap enough, get it anywhere.  


>Change oil & filter with some cheap oil , let car warm up, if it starts,
to collect contaminates, change oil again with some good stuff.

Bzzzt!   Nope.   Never use "cheap" oil in a Corvair engine.   You can buy a
gallon of decent quality "house brand" oil which meets current
manufacturers requirements at Advance, Auto Zone, etc for less than 6
bucks, at least around here.    Oil filters can be had via the vendors or
the local parts store (most of them anyway) although they may have to "get
it from the warehouse".   


One suggestion I'd consider is to drain the existing old engine oil,
replace the drain plug, then add a gallon of kerosene and let it sit
overnight.    Most contaminates will have settled to the bottom of the pan
from sitting.   Next day, drain the kerosene, leave the drain plug open,
collect the drained kero and run it through the engine again, the 2nd time
letting it run out of the drain (into another catch basin).  Most of what
may have accumulated in the bottom of the engine will be flushed out.   

Or, you could simply remove the oil,pan and clean it thoroughly of any
sludge or contaminates.  Don't forget the new pan gasket you'll need to put
the pan back on the engine.   However, it's likely the kerosene flush will
rid the engine of most bad stuff.   

I would recommend, once the engine is up and running and you are ready to
change the engine oil after around 500 miles of driving, that you leave out
one quart of oil and instead add a quart of Rislone Engine Treatment.
It's available most places and remains the ONLY engine oil treatment
product that I've ever seen that actually *will* do something beneficial
and safe for an older automobile engine.   It *will* help dissolve sludge
and other oil pan deposits and suspend them in the oil so that they can be
drained at the next oil change.    Expect the engine oil to turn black
after a few hours of running after the addition of Rislone...  carbon
deposits etc get dissolved and suspended in the oil etc.    When you next
change the oil, add another quart of Rislone.    After *that* oil gets
changed, do the Rislone again.    When the oil begins remaining amber
colored and no longer turns black shortly after changing it, then you can
stop the Rislone treatments.   

This is not a mandatory procedure.  It's not for all tastes.    However, it
works for me.    Again, Rislone is the only oil treatment that I've ever
seen that actually will help clean out an older sludgy engine and it does
what it says it will do, makes no ridiculous claims like Slick-50 or that
snake-oil "Teflon treatment" stuff or the "dura-lube" additive...  all
worth little more than a sneer IMHO.   It's worth mentioning that Rislone
has been around for over 75 years.     

http://www.rislone.com/engine-data.htm   
 

 
>Hoping to do it this weekend.

Enjoy.    
 
>Now to answer the questions: I'm in Detroit, yes you can watch but only if
you've work on the car with me, 

Sorry, I have other Vairs local to me that are gonna get worked this
weekend.   


>Frog Princezz because I collect frogs 400 plus (ceramic, stuffed,
jewelry...)  


... "I collect molds, spores, and funguses."    


>gotta get a cool one for my vair.     

I saw a good one at a "science fair" kids store, green'ish hued leopard
frog (I never saw one green, all the ones around here are always brown),
rubber, glossy as if it were still wet, evidently made of some sort of
silicon rubber compound that has good "cling" and would stick to the dash
pad well unless you go autocrossing.    


>Anyone volunteering to help get my car up and running... gets feed, I'm
thinking wings and beer, pizza and beer, burgers and beer, beer and beer.
Did I mention beer?  

I'm sure the locals will show up, since you mentioned the Magic Word...
          (Corvair)       


It is not a good idea to dish out the beer first.  You want not a mechanic
wrenching a Vair when beer has oiled the machinery of mischievousness.   

Make 'em fix it *first*.  

>But I am the key master 

Your name is Louis Tulley...?  


>P.S. Taking suggestion on car color, original color madiera maroon.  My
mommy and grandma have cars in that color family, three is enough already.
I'm thinking something a little less masculine.  I'm no girlie girl or
nothing... but peal/metallic white - color shifting to soft pinks and soft
greens, white interior. 


Consider Evening Orchid...   looks "pearly" with a lavender hue.    Or,
consider a custom mix, check with your local auto paint supply company.
Then again, cruise through the lot  of a dealership and look at the colors,
pick one you like, ask the guys inside what color it is, tell the paint
shop it's what you want.   Expect pearls and custom metallic mixes to be
expensive.    



tony..