<VV> RE: VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 29, Issue 30

[Philip Hartline]

The best info I have heard on fires happened on early models, and has
nothing to do with gas tanks. When the heater hose on the drivers side
droops over time, it can contact the electrical connections on the starter.
This causes a short, an arc, and the hose can begin to burn. That is the
only fire issue I am aware of that is worth paying particular attention to
during a rebuild. So make sure your heater hoses are well tied up out of the
way, and you have no problems.

Phil
'64 Spyder Convertible
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 20:35:48 EDT
From: FrankCB at aol.com
Subject: Corvair Fires?? Re: <VV> And today's newb question is.......
To: melissa_layman at hotmail.com, virtualvairs at corvair.org
Message-ID: <d6a.84177f1.339ca164 at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

 
Mel,
    With the passage of time, memories grow  fragmentary.  Your doctor is 
probably confusing the Corvair with the Ford  Pinto.  The Pinto suffered
from a 
great many fatal fires starting with rear  end hits while the Pinto was
stopped 
at a light.  The gas tank was situated  in the rear and relatively 
unprotected from rear end hits.  The Corvair, on  the other hand, has its
gas tank 
situated BEHIND the heavy front crossmember and  is relatively immune to
front end 
damage.  In fact, I have seen  Corvairs that have taken MAJOR front end hits

with the gas tanks still  intact.
    The Corvair WAS/IS somewhat notorious for leaking  OIL, not gas.  These 
leaks were originally caused by overheating the engine  due to continuing to

drive the car without a functioning fanbelt (despite the  "fan/gen" light 
blazing on the dash).  Now after 40+ years the leaks are  caused by
deteriorating 
seals.  Most of these leaks can be solved by  replacing the leaking pushrod
tube 
O-rings by VITON O-rings that will take the  hgih temps. of an air-cooled 
engine.  
    If you want to update your Corvair, add a CHT  (cylinder head 
temperature) gauge similar to what the LM Corvair Corsa high  performance
engines (the 
140 and 180) have to alert the driver to approaching  overheat conditions
BEFORE 
damage (or oil leakage) is caused.
    Enjoy your Corvair,
    Frank "every Corvair needs a CHT gauge"  Burkhard
    
 
In a message dated 6/9/2007 6:10:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
melissa_layman at hotmail.com writes:

One of  my favorite doctors at work thinks my car is great, but is  worried.

Apparently he remembers the Corvair as a car that caught on  fire.  I assume

it was because of the hotter engine/oil leak  issue.  What were the most 
common areas that the engine leaked  from?  What does one need to do to 
update it?  Does anyone know  the statistics on these supposed fires?