<VV> Indestructible engine

[Tony Underwood]

At 11:31 hours 06/16/2005, vairologist at juno.com wrote:
>  Smitty says:  I never think of that engine at the Waynesboro VairFair
>with out being filled with amazement and admiration.  The engine was a 60
>that Steve had tried to give away for some time.  At the VairFair chances
>were sold on how long the engine would run with out a fan belt.  The
>engine was set up on a stand in the middle of an asphalt lot.  A remote
>fuel supply was rigged and the belt was removed.  The throttle was set at
>around 3000 rpm.  The engine was started and the betting was on.  The
>time around the two minute interval was blacked out (sold out) quickly.
>Late comers resigned themselves to the 5 to 8 minute time and total
>losers were left with taking a chance on 15 minutes or more.  Almost
>immediately the engine started burning off all exterior oil film and then
>settled down to its task of trying to run forever.  After 10 minutes fuel
>had to be added to the tank.  Eventually the manifolds started glowing
>red.  At around 20 minutes a steady column of smoke was pouring out of
>the road draft tube.  People started moving away from the sides of the
>engine and standing to the front and rear where the rods were less likely
>to be.  The road draft started spouting fire like a blow torch and
>jetting against the blacktop.  At around 25 minutes a decision was made
>to put it out of its misery in the interest of safety due to the blacktop
>burning.  It didn't even stutter when the coil wire was jerked loose and
>CO2 was fired down the carb throats to kill it.
>         Steve caught hell from many people for doing that to a Corvair
>engine and all his comebacks about trying to give it away were to no
>avail.  Last time I talked to him he mentioned that he still hadn't lived
>it down with some folks..





I was SMUGLY pleased that they failed to kill that engine.   Word had it 
that someone suggested that he rerun the "contest" the following year and 
try it again.


The saving grace of that little fiasco is that I got the '60 gas tank from 
the car that once contained the engine.    It's on reserve and stored, 
which means that I will *never* need a gas tank for any of the '60 Vairs 
here.


tony..


PS:   At no time did that '60 engine ever as much as puff a whisp of smoke 
out the tailpipe.    I was watching.