<VV> Re: The 3 Greatest Corvair Improvements (Blower Bearing)

[Ron]

Mark,
You certainly don't understand that COST is a primary consideration in all 
facets of automotive design and the design used for the bearing assembly was 
reliable and economical and so was entirely satisfactory.  It looks like 
anything you would have proposed would have been rejected.
RonH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "airvair" <airvair at richnet.net>
To: <dsjkling at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "Virtual Vairs Submission" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>; 
<contactsmu at sbcglobal.net>; "Ron F Hinz" <ronh at owt.com>; 
<lonwall at corvairunderground.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 6:05 AM
Subject: Re: The 3 Greatest Corvair Improvements (Blower Bearing)


> My REAL question would be this: Why is that bearing designed so that
> such an extensive teardown is needed to even remove it, even though you
> can plainly SEE it. Dependability (long life) of the part is no excuse
> for this kind of design, because it's not immortal. It will eventually
> need replacing. Reminds me of the Fiat my brother once had. In order to
> replace a $2 axle seal, you had to literally remove the entire front
> suspension just to get at it. A $2 seal replacement would cost the
> customer MAJOR bucks! My point is that the very design of it is
> defective in that it requires so much unnecessary work to replace, when
> a different design (like the Orville/Sedman designs) could have made it
> so much simpler.
>
> Why? Answer me THAT! (Other than the fact that the Corvair was meant to
> be a "cheap" disposable car to begin with.)
>
> -Mark
>
> P.S. This STILL doesn't mitigate any other reasons for having it, like
> being able to change it on the side of the road. As I said, been there,
> done that, don't want to ever have to do it again.
>
> Dan & Synde wrote:
>>
>> I have to admit, I've found the later, larger bearing more durable.  So 
>> much
>> so that I consider it a valuable upgrade when I happen to have one apart 
>> to
>> go ahead and change to the larger bearing.  I agree with Ron though about
>> not needing a quick change bearing in this location.  It is rare for it 
>> to
>> fail without many, many miles of warning.  IMO having a quick change fan
>> bearing would be about as useful to a Corvair owner as a quick change 
>> water
>> pump bearing would be to a water pumper car.  Makes the job easier but 
>> how
>> often do you really need to do it?
>>
>> Dan Kling
>>
>> 1961 Greenbrier Deluxe, 4spd, 3.89  On the Road Again,  yeehaw :)
>> 1963 Spyder, restored   4spd Saginaw
>> 1967 Ultravan #299  Newest of the herd!! Almost killed me already!!
>>
>
>