<VV> Unintended acceleration

[henry kaczmarek]

Charles' story should be a wake-up call for all of us, but especially LM 
owners.

As I explained once at the parts counter to a customer with a GM CS series 
alternator, wondering why the bearing came out of  the rear housing after 
about 15 months-----when that was exactly the same problem he brought his 
original in.

The company that rebuilds these alternators is rebuilding a part that is the 
result of some lousy engineering.

The 1965 and 66-69 Corvair Motor mounts, and some of the transmission mounts 
as well, have designed-in flaws. Not on purpose of course, but this is the 
reason a newly rebuilt mount can fail earlier than you think it should.

I don't know if Auto-crossers go through more mounts because of the stresses 
applied to the drivetrain in that pursuit, but I certainly wouldn't be 
surprised.  It is highly unlikely that the engineers would be thinking the 
drivetrain would ever be put through those stresses in normal driving.   I 
have spoken to GM Engineers who told me that the Corvair was designed to 
last about 10 years.  Yet 45 years, and 50 years later, we are still driving 
them.  This was never envisioned by the design staff.

Writing this because AFAIK Steele Rubber is the only company that rebuilds 
Corvair mounts.  By the amount of cores we get from the vendors and from 
individual owners I can see no other alternative.

>From Charles' story we find another way that our car can become unsafe at 
any speed.   So check your mounts.  And pretty please, with sugar on 
top---DON'T JACK YOUR CAR UP BY THE MOTOR MOUNT!!!!! There are jacking 
points on the car----use them!!!  Doing the above guarantees premature 
failure of the  LM mount.

Hank



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charles Good" <charles_good at hotmail.com>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 3:14 PM
Subject: <VV> Unintended acceleration


>
> Years ago I had an unintended acceleration in a 1965 (I think) Corvair.
> It was very very scary and I am lucky the car and I came out of it
> without major damage. I drove over a bump or pothole and I didn't know
> it at that moment, but the jolt popped two or three of the motor mount
> bolts. The rear engine sagged down and stretched out the accelerator
> linkage and the automatic transmission linkage. The car shot forward at
> full throttle > Charles Good
> charles_good at hotmail.com
>
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