[FC] ring and pinion gears

Fri Aug 8 15:12:00 2003

    I wasn't going to get into this but I just couldn't let it go by.  In
1985 I purchased a '63 Monza cpe (beautiful car) with a supposedly blown
engine (bad flywheel).  It had  3.55 gears,  101,000 miles (documented--I
got it from the original owner).  I moved to Colorado from Utah and kept a
log of all miles/gas/maintenance and put 117,200 more on it
(total-218,000+). I passed the car on to my son when I bought a nicely
restored '61 R/S.  He didn't keep documentation  but remembers about 43
thousand.  When I dropped a seat in my Rampy he gave the power train from
the '63 back (I was now in Texas and he had parted out the Monza). Remember,
101000 plus 117,200 plus 43,000 = 261,200 miles.
     I took the power-train back to Texas and installed the motor in my
Rampy using the original 3.89 transaxle in the truck.  After another 103,400
(again documented - total=364,600 MILES), it finally died with a broken
piston around the oil ring groove.  The motor still runs good, doesn't smoke
doesn't misfire, and is horribly noisy.  Son Tom resealed it at about 230K
so it was starting to seep oil again when it broke, but still getting 1200
miles per quart.  I then put a 110/3.55 back in the truck
    Think about it!!   261K with 3.55 gears and 103K with 3.89 gears.  These
motors were designed to run at highway speeds with 3.89 gears! (bad to lug a
Corvair!!!!)  I'm considering putting another piston if that's all it needs
and using it again.  By the way this engine is a little different!  It has
the block casting boss (undrilled) for F/C's and exhaust valve rotators.  It
is an original 102 in a '63 Monza from the factory!!!!!

Bruce Gwyther, Bonneville Corvair Club
http://users.sisna.com/grandpagwyt/
'65 Corsa Convert,  '62 Rampside
'65 'Brier 8-door,  Greenbrier limo
and many other FCs
Restored '51 John Deere "A"

----- Original Message -----
From: <Mikeamauro@aol.com>
To: <corvanatics@corvair.org>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 11:59 AM
Subject: Re: [FC] ring and pinion gears


> In a message dated 8/8/03 11:27:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> bryan@skiblack.com writes:
>
> > Don't forget your tire size.  We have 3.55s in our PG Brier with
> > 225/70-14s and it cruises nicely at 70, and can still go up hills ok.
> > I'm not sure I'd want to run an FC a whole lot faster without some
> > other tricks - air dam, stiffer shocks, etc.
>
> Brian...
>
> I'm using 205/70-14s.  I ran the calculations, and, at 70, even with
larger
> tires, I still don't like the RPM I'm seeing.  My wish is to be able to
take a
> trip of some mileage and not rip the gut out of her in the process.
>
> Mike Mauro
> 64 Greenbrier, 110, A/C, PG, Anti-Sway Bars, Air Dam, Carrerra Shocks,
> Safeguard, Allison/Crane Ignition, (soon to have) high stall torque
converter, ect,
> ect, ect....
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