[NoVa-Corvairs] Noob May Need a Good Used Head

[Bryan Blackwell]

Yes, it seems likely.  You can spot the compression stroke by looking at the rockers, both valves should be closed.  The alternate way is turn the engine and feel for compression on #1 by putting a finger in the spark plug hole.  #2 will be one full turn after.

The last head I had done was on the '66, I got it refurb'd at the Ranch.  You could take a look at the CORSA vendor page to see who else does heads, main thing to me is new seats in addition to the usual guides and valve work.  I think David Clemens (Stinger Motorsports) does heads, but I don't have a contact handy.  Frank may have a good shop down his way.

Regarding both heads, I could see just doing one side, most of the cars don't get driven every day and there's no reason to suspect another seat is also ready to go.

Post which heads you have exactly, if the one that's bad is really bad and you want a better core there's a decent chance somebody has one.

--Bryan

> On Mar 3, 2017, at 2:47 PM, Dan Weiss via Novacc-list <novacc-list at corvair.org> wrote:
> 
> Ran leak test again.  First time at 60 % leakage.  Rotated rotor 360 degrees.  Second time read 66% leakage.  Air flow out exhaust.
> 
> Would the 60% indicate the compression stroke, and the 66% the exhaust stroke?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Weiss via Novacc-list <novacc-list at corvair.org>
> To: novacc-list <novacc-list at corvair.org>
> Cc: Dan Weiss <dkakd at aol.com>; bryan <bryan at skiblack.com>
> Sent: Fri, Mar 3, 2017 1:09 pm
> Subject: Re: [NoVa-Corvairs] Noob May Need a Good Used Head
> 
> Bryan,
> 
> Thank you for your input.  
> 
> If I understand your first point, I may need to rotate the nut on the harmonic balancer until the rotor comes back around to the position for the second cylinder.  Had not thought of that.  I have been turning the nut clockwise.  Should manual advancing of the crank be done in only one direction regardless of which one?  I read somewhere that if you go over where you want timing marks to meet, you should not go backward, but make another rotation. I know that the timing marks are only for cyl #1.
> 
> Yes, it has electronic ignition.  Everything in your middle point flew over my head ;-}, but the above is pretty much all moot as to diagnostics in this instance but great for my edification on corvairs.  
> 
> I would be reluctant to go through all the work with one of "unknown history."  Clarks quoted $150 for good used heads, which several have said is really high.  Any idea what it should cost to rebuild a head and where to go?  One vendor quoted $1500 to rebuild both heads.  Does "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" apply to the other head, or should both be rebuilt at the same time?
> 
> Apologies for all the questions, but really at the start of the learning curve with this.
> 
> Dan
>