<VV> Re: sick of my Corvair - Keep up the positive attitude

[Rick Loving]

I had the exact failure happen on my rebuilt 140 within the fist 2000
miles.  I was driving to work, went to exit off the exit ramp and BAM,
the most horrible backfiring out of the right side carbs at every
compression stroke.

I was horrified, as I like you didn't know what happened and expecte3d
the worse.  I was less than half mile from work so I limped into the
parking lot under idle.

Alter a few helpful tips to check on what it could be I pulled the valve
cover off and found the busted rocker.  The nut pulled right thru the
bottom.  It was basically a stress failure from repeated cycling.

I put another used rocker on and tightened it down until the nut looked
to be in the exact position as the rest of them (visable threads),
started it up and drove it home.  I did end up adjusting it running
after I got it home but I recall that I didn't adjust it more than a
full turn from where I had first guessed it to be.

Rick Loving

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of mhicks130 at cox.net
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 11:37 AM
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: <VV> Re: sick of my Corvair - no longer

That sounds like good advice tony.  I did give a quick look at the other
valves on the side with the broken rocker and they looked good.  The
pushrod was fine, nice and straight and the end wasn't galled and the
little hole was where it's supposed to be.  The engine was rebuilt by a
guy who knows Corvairs so I think it's OK plus it's been running for me
for around a 1000 miles and not making any noises it should'nt (until
Tuesday night anyway).  The ball and its socket on the broken rocker
look shiny but not galled or scratched, I think the rocker must have had
a manufacturing defect of flaw of some kind. I've ordered 2 new sets
(rocker, ball and nut) from Clarks (they get here faster - I'm in VA) so
I'll have a spare if another one bites the dust.  I called the local
NAPA and they said the Corvair rocker arms were listed as "obsolete" and
they didn't have any and couldn't get any.

mike

------------------------------
INSPECT all  of them.   REPLACE the broken rocker, its ball, and maybe
also 
its nut if the nut is "loose" on the stud.   You'll know what I mean
about 
loose.  It's a lock nut so it's not gonna turn easily if it's good.

No point in replacing everything under the valve cover if what's there
is 
serviceable.

IF anything else doesn't pass muster, such as a galled rocker ball, worn
or 
galled rocker arm tips, or a loose rocker stud nut, then replace the 
suspect parts while you're there but it's not necessary to arbitrarily 
replace everything.

Check those pushrods too for galled or eroded tips and for straightness
and 
make sure the oil holes are clean.    Anybody tell you about the rocker 
ball lube holes in the pushrods?   A fraction of an inch away from the 
ROCKER end of the pushrod there's a rather small oil hole which sprays
oil 
on the rocker arm pivots.   Make sure none of the pushrods are in 
upside-down which would mean that the rocker of the offending pushrod 
wouldn't get lubed and would eventually fail.    Carb cleaner will tell
you 
if the oil holes are clogged... and of course it will unclog them.

tony..     
------------------------------

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