<VV> Odd engine noise in a 1965 140 HP Corsa

[peter koehler]

At the Jacksonville convention I purchased a very nice 
1965 Corsa convertible. It is a very early production 
vehicle being built in late August, 1964. The Fisher body 
number is 142. It may be the earliest known Corsa convert. 
Check your numbers and post!

When my son, Paul, and I went down to Atlanta last week to 
pick the car up it had developed an odd noise in the 
engine. The seller assured me that he would make it right 
with me regardless of the source of the noise. Seems a 
well known local Corvair mechanic had rebuilt the whole 
engine less than 3000 miles ago. Since Paul really wanted 
to drive this car at the Woodward Dream Cruise here in 
Detroit this weekend we decided to tear it down and see 
what was going on. I thought it sounded like a dropped 
valve seat. Paul thought it sounded like a rod bearing. It 
took us less than a few hours to get the left side head 
off the engine and take a look at the combustion chamber 
area. No signs of valve seat movement - but there was a 
very small bit of shiny metal in the #2 hole. It had left 
many depressions on the face of the head. The piston 
looked fine and the metal bit was removed. We then pulled 
the blower cover to look at the rod ends for signs of a 
burned bearing. No problem there, either. Do you guys 
think that a little bitty piece of metal could have gotten 
past the carb and entered the combustion chamber of the 
head and bounced around a bit and made the noise that we 
heard?

We are planning to take the head to a buddy's shop 
tomorrow to remove the valves and get a better look at the 
valve seat area. If no problems are noted we will then put 
the whole thing back together again with new gaskets and 
o-rings and head out to Woodward Avenue tomorrow night and 
Saturday. Wish us luck! - Caveman Pete