<VV> Corvair engine still going

[Tony Underwood]

At 02:45 PM 12/20/2009, n5hsr wrote:
>OK, I want to know something.
>
>We had to have our valves 'ground' on our 62, and it needed it again at
>94,000 miles when we sold it.


Somewhere around that time '62 GM began assembling Corvair engines 
with new improved valves.   Valve head erosion even then was 
beginning to be a problem and the first few years Corvair production 
ended up with a higher than expected valve failure rate which they 
solved by making the valve heads out of tougher material.

Been there done that...  swapped out heads on a couple of 
early-earlies with burned valves back in the day... not so much 
anymore since very few of those original engines with their original 
valves still remain.   Most have long since been upgraded or 
parted/scrapped.

I still have a few burned valves in the basement somewhere around the 
carnage shelf.


>I was only 12 when we bought it, and I daresay Dad didn't know anything
>about the care and feeding of 145 ci/80 hp aircooled engines with
>Powerglide.  I know he only used 20-20W oil in the thing.  I've been
>learning since.  He had to ruin another car engine running 20-20W Kendall
>oil in it summer and winter before I finally convinced him that modern
>multi-vis oils don't have parafin in them and they don't ruin engines.


No paraffin?   One of the primary qualities of PA crude oil was its 
high paraffin content which made it very desirable as a 
lubricant.    To this day, PA grade crude refers to oils that are 
better suited to lubricants than fuels partly because of their 
paraffin content.


Then again... 20 weight oil in summer, in a 'Vair...??     Not a good 
thing.  >:-o    Jeez.    Hell, I run 40w in summer weather and 
sometimes worry if the temps get really high and the engine has been 
working hard.    Add to this the fact that some multigrade oils Back 
When were NOT all they were cracked (no pun) up to be, and would thin 
out to almost like water after a few too many heating-cooling 
cycles.   Castrol GTX 20-50 was an example...  run it a couple weeks 
and oil pressure would drop to half what's expected, drain it and it 
poured out of the drain plug hole looking like pouring hot coffee, 
possibly even thinner than coffee unless it's GOOD coffee.   ;)    It 
kinda alarmed me because I doubted that oil THAT THIN would do that 
good a job of preventing metal-metal contact on rod bearings and that 
particular engine made serious power and got worked VERY hard on occasion.

I quit using it and went back to Kendall GT1 10-40 (the "green oil") 
racing oil (which had a lot of zinc and paraffin) and never had any 
troubles, ever.    Unfortunately, today's Kendall GT1 is not the 
same...   Brad Penn has reproduced the original formula GT1 racing 
oil which is even better now than it was then, complete with paraffin 
and zinc content.  And, it's green.

That original formula was the only oil I ever saw specifically 
recommended by camshaft manufacturers like Crane, who stated in their 
break-in instructions to "be sure to use a premium quality high 
contact scuff resistant oil such as Kendall GT1".


Lately I've been running Rotella oil...  but it's harder to find the 
previous rating blends that contain a higher zinc content.    Got 
several gallons of the "good" stuff stashed in the garage but when 
it's gone I'm wondering where to go to find good oil for an engine 
with flat tappets without having to drive 55 miles (one way) to the 
nearest Brad Penn source.


tony..