<VV> engine area noise

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/21/2009 10:02:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time,  
jciampi at embarqmail.com writes:

Hi  guys,  I  am a "newbie" to the Corvair and its idiosyncrasies. While  
changing my points and condenser today and also replacing a leaky oil pressure  
switch,  when I started the engine up again I noticed a low "moaning"  sound or 
howl coming from the engine on the drivers side of the car. It is not  as 
noticeable on the passenger side of the engine. Is this a sign of a bad  blower 
fan bearing?  I have no one in this area with a Corvair to talk  to, so I am on 
my own except for the folks on this website.

Jay  Ciampi




There are two other bearings which could also fail. The alternator main  
bearing and the idler bearing. You can check them all by removing the fan  belt 
and starting the car without it installed - Don't run it for long this way,  but 
for diagnosis it is fine. No moaning noise? It is one of those bearings. If  
the noise is still there, well, you have eliminated those sources at least.  
After you turn off the motor, but before you re-install the fan belt, carefully 
 spin the cooling fan with your fingers. If it spins and spins, taking a  
while to stop, that usually means the bearing is going (or gone) bad. A  well 
greased "happy" bearing will present enough drag to slow the fan pretty  quickly. 
 Replacing that upper bearing is a bunch of work. Make sure that  is what is 
causing the moaning, before you replace it. 
 
Second note/question - Did you use teflon tape on the pipe-threads of the  
oil pressure switch during the install? It is tempting to do so, especially  
when replacing a leaker - even though the threads are almost never the source of  
the leak. It is usually the upper crimp. Anyway the oil pressure switch  
relies on a good ground through those threads to provide a nice bright  warning 
light if oil pressure takes the day off. The senders should always be  installed 
with a clean thread to thread contact. No sealer.   
 
 
Seth  Emerson

C's the Day! - Corvair, Camaro, Corvette



**************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store?  Make dinner for $10 or 
less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001)