<VV> The " Fix it on the road" list of tricks

Tue Jan 10 15:21:15 EST 2012

Every head is a different world !!
I carry lots of stuff, no matter if it is a 70 or 7,000 miles trip,... mechanical and electrical tools, Corvair only parts, including a rear shaft w/bearing, fan bearing installed on a top cover and a spare head ready to bolt on. Only two times had head failures and guess what ?... didn't carry an spare head with me. Think that, if not well prepared to travel on a 40-50 years old car, no matter how well is your vehicle maintained, the possibilities of a mechanical or electrical failure are against you but, everybody can and do think in his/her own way.
BTW... do somebody knows where can I get a 2012 Corvair ?
Daniel Monasterio

> Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:46:58 -0800
> From: bluechipmach at verizon.net
> To: jvhroberts at aol.com; corvairduval at cox.net; virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re: <VV> The " Fix it on the road" list of tricks
> 
> I agree with Frank. A spare axle is like insurance. You can drive thousands of miles and never need it. . Like  insurance, its better to have it  and not need it than need it and not have it
> Russ Davis
> Blue Chip Machine
> The manufacturer of the axle puller www.bluechipmachineva.com 
> I always carry one in my F.C. Big and heavy? Its behind the front seat. I almost forgot it was there.
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: "jvhroberts at aol.com" <jvhroberts at aol.com>
> To: corvairduval at cox.net; virtualvairs at corvair.org 
> Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2012 12:59 PM
> Subject: Re: <VV> The " Fix it on the road" list of tricks
> 
> 
> 1. It's big.
> 2. It's a large chunk of dead weight. 
> 3. An axle with a new bearing is better used in the installed position. 
> 4. It's a piece you don't have to carry as inventory. 
> 5. An axle with a new bearing installed will last a VERY long time, and becomes something you don't worry about. 
> 6. If you are worried about it, replace the rear wheel bearings every 10 years/50,000 miles, and again, becomes something you'll NEVER have to worry about!
> 
> I have driven my Corvair 1600 miles in one trip. All I carried were basic tools, a fanbelt, and I kept my total spares to under 15 pounds, and only then these were things I either couldn't get at FLAPS, or things I knew weren't reliable. Like rocker arms and pushrods, since I couldn't afford the fancy roller versions.  After all, I was a broke kid back then! But wheel bearings? If I had new ones, I installed them! That way, I could replace them at my convenience, not the wheel bearings' convenience!
> 
> 
> 
> John Roberts
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Frank DuVal <corvairduval at cox.net>
> To: virtualvairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Sent: Sun, Jan 8, 2012 12:32 pm
> Subject: Re: <VV> The " Fix it on the road" list of tricks
> 
> 
> John, what is so difficult about carrying an early axle? I have seen 
> lots of cars driven to our Vair Fair with a spare axle in the car. It 
> does not take up much room in the trunk. And it sure is easier to 
> replace an axle on the side of the road than a bearing! Unless you also 
> carry the Blue Chip Machine bearing tool that is a large as carrying 
> another axle.
> 
> Each individual needs to determine what spares they need for the 
> condition of their car. And if you are within flat bed AAA service of 
> your home, just a cell phone and AAA card will get you to your best 
> mechanic (yourself).
> 
> The customers I have had over the years with breakdowns on the road 
> usually fail with simple parts. Most simple parts are (were) available 
> at the FLAPS. Flat tires and points closing up top the old list. Spark 
> plugs blowing out of the head are unusual, but happened. But, we had 
> quite a few travelers with early bearings that needed to be replaced 
> along I-95. So, If you are out of towing range, carry a fuel pump 
> (mechanical people only), axle (early only), points-condenser -rotor, 
> fan belt and spare tire (with jack and lug wrench that fits all nuts). 
> No one needs to carry a transmission, engine, or suspension parts. Those 
> should be known condition parts after inspection.
> 
> Yes, maintenance is the key, but forewarned is forearmed. Arm the car 
> with common spares and tools. Common sense. Now, if you are not 
> mechanically able, just carry the spares for the mechanic to use. Saves 
> shipping time.
> 
> I never carried an axle, as I didn't travel across the US and I repacked 
> my early bearings regularly. On a long trip I would still carry one.
> 
> Frank DuVal
> 
> 
> 
> On 1/8/2012 8:06 AM, jvhroberts at aol.com wrote:
> >  Small stuff like that, yep. An axle? No way. Not that I'd have an EM anyhow, 
> but this is one of those things where a new set of bearings packed with 
> synthetic grease makes the whole thing a non issue. As the car gets older and 
> less well maintained, the list of what is LIKELY to go wrong grows.
> > However, with 50 year old cars, the idea is to make sure maintenance is 
> rigorous enough that things get better, not worse.
> >
> >
> > John Roberts
> >
> >
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