<VV> Fwd: Cylinder assemblies vs Pistons/rings + rebore/How Long Do They Last

[Ken Pepke]

The state of Michigan requires a mileage certificate for all cars that are junked either from accident or just being used up.  When dealing with hundreds to thousands of cars per year, patterns emerge ... some brands regularly run up more miles and some less.  Back in the day when most Corvairs were used for transportation they met their end with nearly as much mileage as the best such as Lincolns and Buicks.  AMCs, Hondas, Toyotas, and Datsuns were well below average mileage so they were not even in the running.

While there is no doubt petrochemistry and metallurgy are the greatest factors in improvements in today's cars, in their day the Corvair was a much better car than it is given credit for today.
Ken P

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> From: moonpie8n at comcast.net
> Date: February 13, 2011 11:39:50 AM EST
> To: HallGrenn at aol.com
> Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org, dkdewald at pasty.net
> Subject: Re: <VV> Cylinder assemblies vs Pistons/rings + rebore/How Long Do	They Last
> 
> 
> 
>    Hal  has  made  some  good  points , but , I  try  to  take  his  thinking  one  step  further.  Tiires , Motor Oil , Greases,  are  much  superior  to  what  they  were  in  the  '60s.  Now, ... add  electronic  ignition, plugs  are  changed  and  improved [if  you  know  what  to  use]. I  can  only  guess , but , I  would  say  that  the  efficiency  can  be  improved  20-25%  by  upgrading  the  'Vair  with  modern  parts.  IN  gas  mileage , that  puts  it  right  up  there  with  your  30,000$  economy  cars [Hondas , Toyotas ,& Nissans] . 
> 
> 
> 
>            Bob 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: HallGrenn at aol.com 
To: dkdewald at pasty.net, virtualvairs at corvair.org 
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2011 11:09:52 AM 
Subject: Re: <VV> Cylinder assemblies vs Pistons/rings + rebore/How Long Do        They Last 

Dale brings up an old question on engine life.  How long do they last   
especially considering the '60s gearing and the fact that, when they were still   
"new", our Corvairs were keeping up with bigger, higher torque engines.   
The original cast pistons with (I believe cast iron rings) lasted a long time 
if  the engines were kept tuned and the carbs were clean and synced.  My 
one  and only new '68 110 4spd blew a head gasket at about 127,000 miles, but 
kept  going after repairs and our '68 110 PG went between 190,000-200,000 
miles  with one head change (we were the second owners).  Neither had oil 
burning  problems (blue smoke on de-acceleration or startup--though they burned 
more oil  than when they were younger of course).  So if a relatively well 
kept  engine with cast pistons and cast iron rings can go 150K+ shouldn't 
forged  pistons with chrome or moly rings go even longer than that? 
  
Bob Hall
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