<VV> 102 HP FC Engine

[BobHelt at aol.com]

Doc, GMoore. and all,
First, All FC engines with a suffix code that starts with V are with  
manual transmissions. And with a W are with powerglide transmissions. As far as  
the Chevrolet documentation goes, all use exhaust valve rotators.
Next there was a very limited production of FCs with the 102hp  engine  
only for 1963, apparently due to the Los Angeles zone office's request. You 
will  notice that it is not shown on most chev documentation. 
Lastly, a complete listing of suffix codes is included in my book, THE  
CLASSIC CORVAIR. The only known complete listing available. WC is any 1963 FC  
with a 102 engine and Powerglide.
Regards,
Bob Helt 
 
 

Bob to my understanding the WC engine  was a wagon engine and that FC  
engines were coded with a V. If I am wrong I  hope someone will inform  me, 
I have 
been wrong before. I believe the V engines  came with valve  rotators and 
the W engines did not. There may have been other   differences. I have a 
1963 
VD 102 FC engine near KC MO, I think there  is  another one available in 
Iowa. 
They are a bit rare, Clarks does not  list the  ID code.?GMoore


In a message dated 11/19/2011 12:39:20 P.M. US Mountain Standard Tim,  
RoboMan91324 at aol.com writes:

The VD  engine (and the PG version) is indeed rare and for a  good reason.  
 
GM stopped installing them very soon after they started  replacing  them in 
the field under warranty.  An FC is the worst  possible  application for a 
102 
HP motor.  Of course, it is OK for use in   cars, depending on differential 
ratios, etc.  The reason that the 102  is OK  for a car and not an FC is 
that 
it has the highest compression  ratio of any  Corvair engine and the power 
band kicks in at a quite  high RPM.  The FC  weighs more than the car 
especially when  loaded and it has terrible aerodynamics  compared to the 
cars.   
Because the FC needs its torque at lower RPM, the  102 will "knock"  itself 
to 
death before it gets to an RPM where it is   comfortable.  Further, in a 
car, 
you can usually hear the knocking  and  react to it.  In an FC, the engine 
knocking usually is not  heard and  continues 'til death does it part.  
This is  
especially the case with  Rampsides.

So, 102 HP engines are  rare because GM realized they were not  appropriate 
for the FC and  many of the 102's that made it into the FCs self  
destructed.

If  you have a 102 HP FC engine it is valuable simply because  it is an FC  
engine.  How many of us have car engines in our FCs?  If   you have one of 
these engines and want to use it, I would strongly suggest  that  you use 
lower 
compression heads and possibly a less radical  camshaft and  distributor.

I have a VD engine and will turn it  into a 110 HP 164 CI  engine before 
installing it into one of my  FCs.