Corvair Boxer Build

[Shaker455]

Considering building a street/ strip max effort Corvair flat 6.

So where to start? were the Yanco Stinger engines any different? they had stages 1 thru 4.

Block cases? cranks?

I see using VW 94mm jugs...

I did come across this Youtube flick & this was a 14:1 engine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnvV9EBe7uw

What about mods to the heads? porting, modern combustion chambers, valves, mods to the intake runners like the heads in the vidieo?

[wyrmrider]

Crower did our cams reverse rotation back in the day- today I'd use jones
are you std or reverse rotation? Turbo?
measure the size of the pushrod tube oil rings and get some Viton replacements, and other oil rings
end of leaks
you will love hylomar
take the die cast end cover and a router or even an old drill and open up the V shaped oil channels, round all the corners and drill out all the holes
it's oil cooled right- use the big oil cooler from a ford truck and a larger remote oil filter
biggest I did was 3 5/8 = 92 mm
there were barrels with aluminum fins shrunk on but I think 88 mm
keep the quench tight
all the porting we did was pre flow bench
are you thinking 3 bbl Webbers or other individual tubes - removing the log manifold? that works but is A LOT of work
we did one motor with larger exhaust tubes- did not see that it helped
turbo makes more sense than high cr and ported heads and all that
if on the street you WILL want working tin

[Keith Morganstein]

Considering building a street/ strip max effort Corvair flat 6.

So where to start?

maybe a little reading here?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29601

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42000

[Shaker455]

Crower did our cams reverse rotation back in the day- today I'd use jones
are you std or reverse rotation? Turbo?
measure the size of the pushrod tube oil rings and get some Viton replacements, and other oil rings
end of leaks
you will love hylomar
take the die cast end cover and a router or even an old drill and open up the V shaped oil channels, round all the corners and drill out all the holes
it's oil cooled right- use the big oil cooler from a ford truck and a larger remote oil filter
biggest I did was 3 5/8 = 92 mm
there were barrels with aluminum fins shrunk on but I think 88 mm
keep the quench tight
all the porting we did was pre flow bench
are you thinking 3 bbl Webbers or other individual tubes - removing the log manifold? that works but is A LOT of work
we did one motor with larger exhaust tubes- did not see that it helped
turbo makes more sense than high cr and ported heads and all that
if on the street you WILL want working tin

I do not have an engine to work with yet so I'm open to which direction of rotation?
Like the engine in the youtube vid like how the intake is set up with a runner to each cylinder and I'm a machinist so modifying or removing the factory single runner intake seems to me like a win.
I build custom Holleys so I can employ a set of 500 cfm units built for this combo.
What heads would I start with? the 140 hp heads?

My thoughts now are to keep it N/A but I will consider forced induction.

[Shaker455]

Considering building a street/ strip max effort Corvair flat 6.

So where to start?

maybe a little reading here?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29601

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42000

Thank you Keith I am reading up on your links

[PackardV8]

Considering building a street/ strip max effort Corvair flat 6. . . . I do not have an engine to work with yet

Unless you are really a masochist and seek the pain RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

The legend is the GM engineers started out with some great ideas and the bean counters came along and said, "Not aluminum, it's too expensive. Use cast iron instead." From then on, it was a lost war.

Of all the US engines I've built in the past fifty-plus years, the Corvair is maybe the most work, most money producing the least horsepower and durability equation ever. If anyone would ask me to build one today, I'd chase him off with a stick.

FWIW, the least bad one was in a sand rail where there was space for a large oil cooler, a pair of small turbos, intercooler and water injection.

In what vehicle would this Corvair reside?

[Alan Roehrich]

Uh, my 66 Corvair 140HP engine has an aluminum block and heads, only the cylinder jugs are cast iron. And I can certainly see where a cast iron liner in a finned aluminum cylinder jug would have been expensive with little return on investment between 1959 and 1969. So I'm not real sure where your comments are coming from, Jack.

Yes, the Corvair engine is difficult and relatively expensive to modify, since the market is extremely small, there are not that many Corvairs, and most of them are nearly stock.

However, close to 2HP per cubic inch normally aspirated is an attainable, if difficult goal. It would be neither cheap, nor easy, but then, nothing exceptional is.

In all honesty, I can say that I would not choose a Corvair engine to build for performance, unless it was for a Corvair. The only reason I'm building one (long term slow progress back burner project) is because I have a solid little 65 Corvair Corsa 140 with a Crown Engineering suspension kit.

[Shaker455]

Considering building a street/ strip max effort Corvair flat 6. . . . I do not have an engine to work with yet

Unless you are really a masochist and seek the pain RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

The legend is the GM engineers started out with some great ideas and the bean counters came along and said, "Not aluminum, it's too expensive. Use cast iron instead." From then on, it was a lost war.

Of all the US engines I've built in the past fifty-plus years, the Corvair is maybe the most work, most money producing the least horsepower and durability equation ever. If anyone would ask me to build one today, I'd chase him off with a stick.

FWIW, the least bad one was in a sand rail where there was space for a large oil cooler, a pair of small turbos, intercooler and water injection.

In what vehicle would this Corvair reside?

Jack,
This is for my would be 65-69 Corvair coupe, and certainty not for my 57' Golden Hawk.

But you brought up a good point about aluminum jugs and I was thinking about that.

My Harley is a cast iron sleeve in an aluminum jug so I'd like to do the same if I do a Corvair.

I'm about as turned away from this as I am my 289 Sweepstakes supercharged 57' which I was told the same...run away! HaHa!

[wyrmrider]

Only reverse rotation if you are hooking to a VW/ Proche trans
turbo is much easier and less expensive than all the custom head work required for NA
when I mentioned no benefits to larger exhaust tubes that was for a turbo motor
just run the stock exhaust- you loose too much heat with headers
I've run an SU carb from a Jag- works good, intercooler, water injection all good

[Shaker455]

Here's a guy who went to 94mm jugs from a VW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1x9vccK-N4

[wyrmrider]

94 MM VW jugs will overheat in a hot corvair maybe ok for drags but not road race
notice the difference in the top fins
more and thinner (skivvied) fins work best

[Shaker455]

I had the same concern but here's a guy running his on the street & strip...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBotoZ_Ev10

I was thinking a huge oil cooler & some improved airflow over the engine.

[wyrmrider]

It's all about heat
heat management
oil squirters
oil pan needs to be finned a lot on the inside
or an Otto Parts type pan
and have it anodized flat black
oil cooler should be plate and fin type with 1/2" in and out
there used to be hi flow fans- or copy high HP Air cooled Porsche
of course anywhere a corvair will work a 215 Buick will work better
Subaru is going to be a much easier build these days. real popular with the Vanagon crowd friend of mine has one
evidently the ecoboost 4 cyl is lightweight just bolt it in
as asked
what chassis? what use?

[Shaker455]

Yes as I mentioned in post # 8, a 2 door coupe Corvair hard top.

Funny, Subaru

Where do I look up this Otto type pan?

Okay, here comes a crazy question:

Has anyone ever tried a big twin Harley jug on a Corvair case?

They are far bigger than 94 mm

They go from 3.750" to 4.125" bore diameter

[JCR]

I would see if LN Engineering could build Nikasil cylinders for the Corvair. Most of the aftermarket aircooled VW cylinders are from the Far East and have known to be junk for decades. http://lnengineering.com/products/airco ... stons.html