Pietenpol-List: Corvair engine codes and event announcement

[matronics]

Original Posted By: Mark Boynton
For you corvair powered flight enthusiasts, here's a little guidance for distinguishing a 110hp engine from others which may be less desirable. The engine suffix codes listed below refer to a number which was stamped on the crankcase of every corvair engine on the date that it was assembled for a particular car. The number appears on the same surface that the blower housing(fan shroud) is attached to, and it is in plain view (under years of old grease) just behind the area where you will find the oil filler hole. It's behind and to the left of the distributor, if you're looking at an engine fromthe back of a car. The following text is pasted from a letter I received afterhaving trouble identifying engines.Before I paste the letter, I just thought I'd mention that for you folks in So.Cal., the greatest corvair show (and swap meet) on earth takes place in just afew weeks in Palm Springs. I've been told there are often many whole engines and countless parts available from people whose wives have demanded they cleanout the garage. Here's a link:http://www.integrators.com/sdcc/GWFBT&SM.htmlHere's how to pick a 110 hp engine, quoted from Brent at the Corvair Center Forum:"fully half the Corvairs built from 1965-67 have a 110 HP Powerglide and the suffix code for this engine is RH-its common and a good engine. A worn out core that still runs is worth a couplehundred dollars, a really goodused one is worth about a grand. I'd buy the best you can find, its cheaper inthe long run.T1214RH would be an example, all will have a number like this-the number indicates the date of enginemanufacture, in this case, December 14 of whatever year-Powerglide engines are superior rebuild candidates generally speaking, as the automatic limits the abusepotential. Things like connecting rods have significantly greater service lifeleft in them on Powerglides ofequivalent history to manual transmission engines of similar type.The RH code means also that the engine had neither factory Air Conditioning, nor an Air Injection Reactor- thisis a plus, as ( the latter especially, ) they both increase engine temperaturessomewhat.Normal lifespan of this engine in normal service is 150,000 ish miles. Many have gone twice that far. Also,many 1966 versions of this engine have the 95 HP cam, as Chevrolet apparently swapped it in production for awhile- here are all the suffix codes for 95-110 hp engines for 1965-1969RA,RD,RE,RF,RG,RH,RJ,RK,RR,RS,RU,RV,RW,RX,QO,QP,QS,AC,AD,AEmost combinations are oddballs, like AIR or A/C combos, or manual transmissionjobs.Theres not too much risk of getting a 140/145 cid engine in a later case, but things can happen."--Peter________________________________________________________________________________

[matronics]

Original Posted By: Ed0248(at)aol.com
> > Before I paste the letter, I just thought I'd mention that for> > you folks in So.> > Cal., the greatest corvair show (and swap meet) on earth takes> > place in just a> > few weeks in Palm Springs. I've been told there are often many> > whole engines> > and countless parts available from people whose wives have> > demanded they clean> > out the garage. Here's a link:> > http://www.integrators.com/sdcc/GWFBT&SM.htmlI'm very interested in this event, but the hyperlink is no bueno. :(Pat________________________________________________________________________________