<VV> Shop Manual, Corvair Basics Manual, VV

[MarK Durham]

My first early drove 220k miles without a thrown belt. I replaced the belt
twice during that time. The second early threw a belt when the fan bearing
was replaced and was set at the wrong deck height.
Mark Durham
Hauser, ID
On Sep 16, 2015 6:16 PM, "Bill Hubbell via VirtualVairs" <
virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:

> Early Corvair are better.....
>
> Bill
>
> On Sep 16, 2015, at 5:26 PM, Lonny Clark via VirtualVairs <
> virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:
>
> I broke an ear off the generator of an early, and I drove it for months
> with the generator just laying on the top of the engine with one bolt in.
> And it did not throw a belt in that entire time, and that belt was old -
> like more that ten years old. You could pull it off without tools, but it
> would not jump off on its own.
>
> Conversely, a few years back I converted it to an alternator, it threw a
> belt the 3rd time I drove it (and overheated, and lost valve seat, and
> etc...)
>
> Lonny
>
> Lonny Clark
>
> On Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 5:37 PM, Dennis Pleau via VirtualVairs <
> virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:
>
> > In '70 I had a '63 102/4sp and worked at a Union 76 Station.  The station
> > had a strand tension gauge so I used it to tension my fan belts.  I
> > tossed/broke a lot of belts.  In my 16 year mind, I was sure I wasn't
> > putting them on tight enough so I started putting them on tighter and
> still
> > had a lot of belt problems.  I then started using a crow bar to get them
> > even tighter and broke one of the ears off were the generator bolts went
> > through.  After welding up the ear, I don't remember a lot of problems
> > after
> > that but I was still replacing a good number of belts.  I bought a '70
> > Maverick in '71 and my Corvair became my fun car.  It was much more
> > enjoyable to drive than the Ford, but the Maverick had AC.  I sold the
> > Corvair in '74.
> >
> > I bought another '63 102/4 in '84.  Joined CORSA and Valley CORSA (now
> > Silicon Valley CORSA) and learned the proper way to tension belts and
> > started getting years out of belts rather than the days or week I got
> when
> > I
> > was in High School.
> >
> > dp
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: VirtualVairs [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf
> Of
> > Jim Simpson via VirtualVairs
> > Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 2:50 PM
> > To: Virtual Vairs
> > Subject: Re: <VV> Shop Manual, Corvair Basics Manual, VV
> >
> > I do have a strand tension gauge (from the late John Moody) and trust me,
> > the shop manual specifications are WAY too tight!  If you do actually
> use a
> > strand tension gauge and tighten a new belt to 75 lb tension, make sure
> you
> > have a spare -- you'll be replacing the fan belt soon.
> >
> > The 50+ years of accumulated wisdom and experience of Corvair owners (as
> > opposed to the original engineers) has shown that a somewhat loose belt
> > works best.  As pointed out in the Corvair Basics manual, just tight
> enough
> > so you can just barely turn the alternator/generator with your fingers is
> > about right.  I measured that as somewhere around 15 - 25 lbs tension
> > depending upon how well calibrated your finger might be.
> >
> > I did a little research to see how Chevrolet came up with the recommended
> > tension and as best as I can find, they used the formulas published by
> the
> > drive belt manufacturers such as Gates.  If you make some assumptions as
> to
> > loads and RPM, you come up with numbers like 75 lbs tension in order to
> > make
> > sure that nothing (fan & alternator) is slipping at high RPM.  I suspect
> > that this high tension specification is one of the reasons why Corvairs
> > developed a reputation for short fan belt life.  That and the high
> > rotational inertia of the early steel fans and generators.
> >
> > The collective experience is that it's better to allow some slippage.
> >
> > Jim Simpson
> > Group Corvair
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
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