<VV> Re: LOWER SHROUDS

[David V. Clamp]

I am no expert on the lower shroud issue, and I haven't done any scientific
measurements, but I do have a couple of thoughts on this issue.

Living in the middle of Georgia, I remove my lower shrouds around May, and
put them on in late September or early October. My car has AC, and will ping
more if I leave the shrouds on and run the AC in the summer. Removing the
lower shrouds stops the pinging, and the head temp gauge reads at least 50
degrees cooler with shrouds off. I know the temp gauge isn't a precision
instrument, but it is good for making relative comparisons on the engine. 

The only drawback to removing the shrouds that I can see are a) reduced
heater capacity, and b) longer warm up times. Keep in mind that if you are
in a cool/cold climate and the shrouds are off, engine wear could be
increased since the engine may never reach normal operating temperature.
Also, moisture may build up in the oil if it never gets hot enough to boil
off the moisture. Here in the south, the engine easily reaches normal
operating temps during the summer months.

David V Clamp 
Member: Corsa 
        Heart of Georgia Corvairs - Newsletter Editor, VP
        Nader's Raiders 
	  1966 Corsa convertible 140 +0.030/4spd 3.55 posi w/ AC 
	  mailto:66corsa@cox.net