<VV> Bad Corvair Update

[Smitty]

Smitty Says;  I said I wouldn't make any more posts on the problem till
something was resolved.  I want to thank all the people who made valid
comments and suggestions.  I got no straight out answers from them but they
made me think outside of " my" box.  I got a kick from the posts that were
too far out of the box.  Did you adjust the valves with it running?  Is the
carb to tranny linkage properly adjusted?  Then there were the ones that
irritated me because the writer had not read what I wrote in the first place
but had all kinds of advice.

                In the last diagnostic session I had put the timing light on
the coil lead to the distributor with the engine staggering along.  The
spark was very erratic and at times was not even there.  The gaps in the
light display matched the engine misfires time wise.  Ok so that cinched it
for me, we have an electrical problem.  Remember though the negative lead to
the distributor had been very thoroughly checked by flexing it with power on
etc.  It had all the new coil, condenser, rotor, cap and in addition had a
rebuilt points plate with a braded ground wire on it.  During the tests the
spark was always rock solid on the degree tab and stayed so until the last
gasp of the engine.  In talking to Frank Duval he said he hated to shotgun
diagnostics (that is throw different parts at it), but it looked like the
time had come to try another complete distributor.  I had been thinking the
same thing, so I plugged in my "test" distributor, which is in great
condition .   The staggering went away and verified that one carb's idle
circuit was out of town someplace.  It sure wasn't in the high priced gold
plated vendor supplied carb.  I digress here for a minute to rant.  Several
times I have seen friends against my advice buy vendor rebuilt carbs that
may or may not work as advertised.  If you are capable of operating the
controls on a corvair then you can learn how to rebuild carbs.   What are
you afraid of?   If all you want is pretty paint, that stuff comes in a
rattle can.  (OK back to the engine).  So I installed my test carbs.  The
mismatched pair with no accel pumps and different jet sizes.  The engine
immediately settled down to a pool table flat idle at about 700 rpm'  I
dropped it to 600 and left it that way.

This saga is not over.  There is a mechanically good distributor that needs
to give up its secrets and a carb that needs a  good smack in the head to
get it straightened out.  WE shall overcome, and post when more is known.