<VV> battery area question

[J R Read_HML]

The early cars had the steel fan.  The "problem" was discovered when the 
plastic fan was about to go into use.  The acid reacted with the plastic. 
The magnesium fan was then used instead of the plastic fan.  But, the 
incident awakened the engineers to the fact that battery acid fumes could 
potentially enter the passenger area and so the vents were used on the later 
cars.  Had they though of it sooner, I imagine that they would have put 
those vents in the early cars as well.  Keep in mind that the problem was 
essentially discovered more or less by accident when a voltage regulator 
allowed overcharging on a long trip.

Attachments (if any) are scanned with anti-virus software.

Later, JR

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Western Canada CORSA" <westerncanadacorsa at shaw.ca>
To: "'airvair'" <airvair at richnet.net>; "'N. Joseph Potts'" <pottsf at msn.com>
Cc: "'Virtual Vairs'" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 1:31 AM
Subject: RE: <VV> battery area question


> Have I got this ass-backwards, or not.
>
> The vented battery was because the gases could react with the magnesium 
> fan.
> Or was it that they tried a plastic fan and the battery gases reacted with
> the plastic; which is why they settled on magnesium?
>
> Regards,
> Joel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
> [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org]On Behalf Of airvair
> Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 10:58 PM
> To: N. Joseph Potts
> Cc: Virtual Vairs
> Subject: Re: <VV> battery area question
>
>
> Joe,
>
> The vented battery caps were STANDARD on ALL '65-9 Corvairs, and meant
> to vent battery vapors out of the air stream of the heater. The Corvair,
> by virtue of its design, was the only car to use them, and has been
> forgotten by every battery maker since. So really, when we don't have
> the batteries vented per factory design, we are risking whatever made
> the engineers design the venting system in the first place. Oddly
> enough, early Corvairs don't use a venting system, so my guess is that
> the system was just overkill. Particularly since few of us anymore make
> much use of the heater anyway.
>
> -Mark
>
> N. Joseph Potts wrote:
>
>>All right - these are good answers (thanks), but my questions really had 
>>to
>>do with: (a) what might have been stock on the 66; and (b) what ill 
>>effects
>>I might anticipate running the thing the way I have these many years,
>>without vent tubes. I do NOT have Delrin in my engine compartment (and the
>>heater circuits ARE connected).
>>     I believe the battery I have in there has got vent nipple(s) (for
>>tube[s]). It is NOT a maintenance-free battery. The car is in the body
> shop,
>>so I can't check right now.
>>
>>Joe Potts
>>Miami, Florida USA
>>1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C
>>
>>
>
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