<VV> Corvair/Engine test stands

[Tony Underwood]

At 07:35 hours 08/02/2005, kaczmarek at charter.net wrote:
>Bob
>
>My first Corvair Mentor, Anthony "Big Tony" Miceli, had an engine 
>running from a metal 5 gallon gas can as a display on a sheet of 
>cardboard, on the blacktop in a parking lot in the booming 
>metropolis of Amite, LA during a car show once. I was amazed at how 
>little it rocked/vibrated at idle.


I don't recall how many Vair engines I've started and ran on a piece 
of plywood or a couple of boards or on the grass or even hanging from 
the engine picker by chains bolted to the corners of the engine.   I 
started a couple on a bench in the basement.    Another got started 
sitting on two old tires (at Richard B's shop).   Another one was 
started and test-run on a sidewalk behind Dallas Mangus's 
garage.    Several more were started and test run in the basement in 
winter (cold outside) which tended to smoke up the basement during 
valve adjustments etc.     (do NOT start with me on that cold adjust thing)

The engine I have that's slated to go into the "Hersheybar" is likely 
gonna get test run while sitting on the wooden crate it's currently 
perched on at the moment... although it and the crate will go outside 
the shed before this happens so as to keep the fumes out... now that 
my engine picker ram cylinder has been rebuilt and is in good shape 
again this won't be such a problem picking up engines to put on my 
nifty little roll-around flat-bed wagon-cart that's so handy for 
transporting Vair driveline components around the place.     Now that 
I think about it, I'm gonna need to test-run another old Vair engine 
I've had stashed away for a decade or more ('63 vintage 102hp), so as 
to check it out and put it in that dune buggy frame, see if it can be 
made to move under its own power etc. seeing as how the 140hp in it 
now is a stuck/seized boat anchor that spent about ten years too many 
sitting exposed to the elements.  I'm questioning as to whether or 
not it can actually be taken apart without having to use a 
hammer...    more later on that endeavor.   Of course I could always 
just slip an 80hp '60 engine into the buggy...  word has it that I'm 
likely gonna be taking possession of one before too much longer, 
coming out of a *really* nice rock solid rust-free '64 4-door 900 
which is gonna get a correct 164ci engine, owner has no interest in 
the 80hp engine, said if I want it come and get it and carry it off 
when he swaps it out.   Of course I told him that as soon as he lets 
me know it's out, I'll make it gone.

Anymore, if *any* complete decent running Vair engine becomes 
available for free I'm on it like flies on dog doody.   For that 
matter, if a good condition Vair engine comes available for a decent 
price and is close enough to be practical to go get, I'm likely to be 
looking at loading up the picker in the truck and taking a drive.

It's the packrat in me...   got a couple of future projects which 
might be needing engines...


>When I was a little shaver, I used to enjoy watching the Corvair 
>test stands when the public was allowed (once a year) to tour the 
>Tonawanda Engine Plant. They ran them on Propane, from what I was told.


It's my understanding that GM test-ran all its engines and they ran 
them on propane via a clamp-on fixture.  This goes for in-line 
engines as well as V8s etc.   In fact, V8 engines were balanced the 
hard way, by hand, while being run on propane without any oil pan on 
the engine, oil coming from an external feedline and sensors attached 
to the engine which was spun up and strobes aimed at the crank 
indicated where to drill the counterweights etc.   I watched a 
documentary film demonstrating how this was all done...  that was a 
sloppy job, bet it paid well.

At least that's how they were doing it then.


>Perhaps this was to make sure the lifters weren't clacking before 
>they loaded the engines into boxcars for the trip to Willow Run, St. 
>Louis, Canada or LALA Land.
>
>  Not too many guys left around from the line in those days, but 
> perhaps we might meet a few if there is sufficent advance media 
> coverage of Buffalo 06.
>Hank



I was sorta kinda hoping that some of the old engine plant guys might 
still be living around the area and might be talked into maybe 
speaking during a lecture or two...?

Anybody know any of these guys?    I'd certainly like to hear what 
they have to say about the engine assembly lines.



tony..