<VV> Wire wheels -- hammers and so forth

Eric S. Eberhard eric at vicsmba.com
Tue Oct 13 15:56:12 EDT 2015


I have had a LOT of wire wheels -- 20 sets at one time, 4 cars with them 
at a time for a while.  I still run one car with K-H wheels and have 
some spares.

The very best way to get the spinners on and off is indeed the plastic 
covered lead pellet type hammer.  Probably what the snap on is.  Mine 
came from NAPA.  I also am protective but I don't use wood, I use 
cardboard.  I take a thick box folded in half and place it where I am 
going to strike.  This works well.  And re-chroming is not only costly, 
but actually ruins them (you can usually tell).  There is a lot of fine 
print on the spinners about direction and so forth.

Trivia for the day -- the arrows are NOT all the same -- not in location 
or design.  A true original set will have all matching arrows.  Cobbled 
together sets -- especially by people that were hoarders like me and did 
not know better (I did) --- will end up with a mixed set.  I don't know 
why this is -- 62 Corvette used the same spinner and it is tempting to 
say one was Corvette and one was Corvair.  Except I have seen four 
distinct designs (including location -- really 2 designs and 2 locations).

They should be put on not terribly tight.  They are directional -- right 
sides need to be on the right, left on left.  This makes the normal 
activity of driving tend to tighten rather than loosen.  So you don't 
have to make them super tight -- just tight enough to hold them and not 
wobble.  Then an extra whack or two.  Then stop.  They generally come 
off fairly easily if done this way.

By general rule on all things old cars -- especially Corvairs -- don't 
over tighten.  And the raw lead hammer will deform and then damage the 
chrome.  I hide the NAPA hammer, and leave the pristine lead one out for 
show.

Trivia two for the day -- the hammers are almost never correct.  ALL the 
K-H wheels are 62 wheels that carried over as they did not sell.  All 
the hammers, then, are 62 hammers.  Like Corvettes (sadly my spinners 
were sold to Corvette people as they are the same and they pay 10 time 
as much for a set of spinners as I could get for an entire set of 
wheels) the hammer changed in 63.  All replacements (NOS or otherwise 
were 63+ style).  You can fake it easily.  I made several.  You have to 
shorten the handle, use a punch and put some dimples in two places, and 
add weld marks which are not present on later hammers all around the 
head of the hammer.  Many people just figure, black lead hammer, all 
good.  And never know they have the wrong one.  Finding a correct one is 
almost impossible.  Buying replicas gets the wrong (63 style) one.  The 
only way I know of is to get a 63 (replica or otherwise) and modify it.  
Or get lucky and get a real one.  I kept a real one (the lead is messy) 
and modified a replica so they are identical (lead pretty).  And use the 
shot filled hammer for real life.

Oh -- 62 centers are different too, the Clarks replicas are not bad.  
Different metal, but largely undetectable.  I run them on the car and 
keep the originals in a drawer in case I ever get the energy to restore 
them.

Eric




On 10/13/2015 9:00 AM, virtualvairs-request at corvair.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>     1. Re: Centering the Pressure Plate (Harry Yarnell (Verizon))
>     2. Re: Distributor swap? (Bryan Blackwell)
>     3. Re: Distributor swap? (Sethracer at aol.com)
>     4. clutch disc thickness revisited (judynrandy at comcast.net)
>     5. wire wheel question (judynrandy at comcast.net)
>     6. Re: wire wheel question (Dusty Steinberg)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 17:38:06 -0400
> From: "Harry Yarnell \(Verizon\)"<harryyarnell at verizon.net>
> To:<BobHelt at aol.com>,	"'corvair'"<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Subject: Re:<VV>  Centering the Pressure Plate
> Message-ID:<002d01d10536$4b1d7690$e15863b0$@net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Bob, this is great in theory, but I've never had the flywheel/pressure plate
> balanced.
>
> I've done countless clutch jobs and never had a balance issue.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: BobHelt at aol.com [mailto:BobHelt at aol.com]
> Sent: Monday, October 12, 2015 4:35 PM
> To: harryyarnell at verizon.net; egszuch at gmail.com; virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re:<VV>  Centering the Pressure Plate
>
>
>
> Hold on there for just a second.
>
>
>
> It is highly recommended that you have the flywheel and pressure plate
> professionally balanced together. When this is done the balancer guy will
> identify how the two parts should be aligned with some punch marks or other
> means of showing alignment. So when you mount the PP onto the FW you need to
> align these markings to retain proper balance.
>
> Bob Helt
>
>
>
> In a message dated 10/12/2015 12:37:27 P.M. US Mountain Standard Tim,
> virtualvairs at corvair.org writes:
>
> As others have said, just bolt it up; it's a non-issue. The disc is what you
> should align. As someone else mentioned, use the input shaft.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 17:58:13 -0400
> From: Bryan Blackwell<bryan at skiblack.com>
> To: Grant Young<gyoungwolf at earthlink.net>
> Cc: "virtualvairs at corvair.org"<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Subject: Re:<VV>  Distributor swap?
> Message-ID:<9CADE88D-6D51-435E-87DA-9E94A2952B5D at skiblack.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hi Grant,
>
> I've run a couple different distributors in engines over the years and found that for overall use on a relatively stock engine the specified distributor does work best.  I'm sure there are some exceptions, but at this point I would to start with the correct one and go from there.
>
> --Bryan
>
>    
>> On Oct 12, 2015, at 5:15 PM, Grant Young via VirtualVairs<virtualvairs at corvair.org>  wrote:
>>
>> First, thanks for all the information on the AC set up on the car I have in the shop. As I continue to work through things, I have discovered it has a 1964 95 HP motor, but with the 110 HP distributor that was in its original 1965 110. Was this an acceptable parts swap? It redlines okay, but falls on its face on the road at higher rpms.
>>      
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 19:17:48 -0400
> From: Sethracer at aol.com
> To: bryan at skiblack.com, gyoungwolf at earthlink.net
> Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re:<VV>  Distributor swap?
> Message-ID:<385a24.8e06e61.434d999b at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Grant - The issue you have is that you have the relative low compression
> and mild cam timing of the 95HP motor. No matter what timing you use, it will
>   never be a high RPM motor. But, hey, you run regular gas! - Seth
>
>
> In a message dated 10/12/2015 2:58:18 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> virtualvairs at corvair.org writes:
>
> Hi  Grant,
>
> I've run a couple different distributors in engines over the  years and
> found that for overall use on a relatively stock engine the  specified
> distributor does work best.  I'm sure there are some  exceptions, but at this point
> I would to start with the correct one and go  from there.
>
> --Bryan
>
>    
>> On Oct 12, 2015, at 5:15 PM, Grant  Young via VirtualVairs
>>      
> <virtualvairs at corvair.org>  wrote:
>    
>>
>> First, thanks for all the information on the AC set up on the car I  have
>>      
> in the shop. As I continue to work through things, I have discovered it
> has a 1964 95 HP motor, but with the 110 HP distributor that was in its
> original 1965 110. Was this an acceptable parts swap? It redlines okay, but
> falls on its face on the road at higher rpms.
>
> _______________________________________________
> This message was  sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2015 03:18:31 +0000 (UTC)
> From: judynrandy at comcast.net
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject:<VV>  clutch disc thickness revisited
> Message-ID:
> 	<361921451.3252418.1444706311293.JavaMail.zimbra at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> I just wanted to say thanx to those who responded to my clutch questions.? The owner of said car in question relented and decided to spring for a whole clutch job.? Everything will be replaced.? Thanx again.
> ?
> Randy (Cap'n) Hook
> Hopewell,? PA
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2015 03:23:12 +0000 (UTC)
> From: judynrandy at comcast.net
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject:<VV>  wire wheel question
> Message-ID:
> 	<164621664.3254251.1444706592528.JavaMail.zimbra at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> The aforementioned car needing the clutch job also came with wire wheels.? The real deal.? And boy are they gorgeous!!!? Anyway, this is my first experience with wire wheels.? I figured out how to get them off ok, but when I put them back on, how do I know how tight to tighten the "knock offs"?
> Randy (Cap'n) Hook
> Hopewell, PA
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:14:04 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
> From: Dusty Steinberg<noahsarkinc at earthlink.net>
> To: judynrandy at comcast.net, virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re:<VV>  wire wheel question
> Message-ID:
> 	<22886202.1444742044447.JavaMail.root at elwamui-hybrid.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> According to the instructions that came with the car, to properly remove and install them, you should use a lead hammer.  My experience is that even the lead  hammer can damage the chrome on the wing of the knock off, so what I use is a piece of 2"x4" piece of wood that I can comfortably hold with my left hand, and then use a short handle 5# sledge hammer in my right hand, and hit the wood after it is place securely on the wing that I want to move.  This prevents any damage to the chrome, and as long as you don't swing the hammer wildly, you don't hit the spokes either.  This is how I have done this since getting my first Corvair with the Kelsey Hayes wire wheels.  I have seen some people use a brass hammer, and this will also damage the chrome.  I have never tried using a Snap On Dead Blow Hammer, but I believe that this would work without damaging the chrome on the wings, however, I don't want to gamble trying it with one of my pristine knock offs.  It cost too much to have
>    them replated.
> Paul in CT
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>    
>> From: Randy Hook via VirtualVairs<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>> Sent: Oct 12, 2015 11:23 PM
>> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>> Subject:<VV>  wire wheel question
>>
>> The aforementioned car needing the clutch job also came with wire wheels.? The real deal.? And boy are they gorgeous!!!? Anyway, this is my first experience with wire wheels.? I figured out how to get them off ok, but when I put them back on, how do I know how tight to tighten the "knock offs"?
>> Randy (Cap'n) Hook
>> Hopewell, PA
>> _______________________________________________
>> This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are the property
>> of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, mailto:vv-help at corvair.org
>> This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, http://www.corvair.org/
>> Post messages to: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
>> Change your options: http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/options/virtualvairs
>> Archives: http://www.vv.corvair.org/archive.htm
>> _______________________________________________
>>      
>
>
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-- 
Eric S. Eberhard
VICS
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