The December 2020 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 29-Nov-2020 ==== Copyright (c) 2020 Corvairs of New Mexico
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December 2020 / VOLUME 46 / NUMBER 12 / ISSUE 543
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First Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2005 & 2012
Third Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2010
EDITOR: Jim Pittman
NEXT MEETING: Regular Meeting: December 5th at 10:00AM
MEETING CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19
THIS MONTH:
President: What's Up Dave? ........................ David Huntoon
Dues Due Dates ............................. Membership Committee
Secretary's Report for November ........................ Kay Sutt
Reminder About Birthday Cards ..................... Heula Pittman
Treasury Report ................................... Steve Gongora
Thoughts on a Spam Email ......................... Gordon Johnson
Is Fuel Stabilizer Actually Hurting Your Car? . Pennsylvania Club
Corvair Carburetor Identification ............. Pennsylvania Club
Birthdays & Anniversaries .................. Membership Committee
TECH: Shifter Articles .............................. Jim Pittman
TECH: Adjust Late Shifter ........ ENCHANTED CORVAIRS, March 2010
TECH: Shift Tube Alignment ......... THE REAR VIEW, February 1985
Calendar of Coming Events .................... Board of Directors
December Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago ..... Club Historian
Index to Articles Published in 2020 .................. The Editor
COVER: Late Model Shifter Show-And-Tell, February 2003 Meeting
COVER: The Twelve Covers of Enchanted Corvairs for 2020
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OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS
President David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 @ aol.com
Vice-President Tarmo Sutt 505-690-2046 tarmo @ juno.com
Secretary Kay Sutt 505-471-1153 tarmo @ juno.com
Treasurer Steve Gongora 505-220-7401 stevegongora @ msn.com
Membership Linda Soukup 763-226-0707 feathersandfur.ls @ gmail.com
Car Council Tony Berbig 763-226-0707 studeboytony @ gmail.com
Merchandise Vickie Hall 505-865-5574 patandvickiehall @ q.com
Sunshine Heula Pittman 505-275-2195 heula @ q.com
Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp @ unm.edu
Old Route 66 Greg Nelson 505-400-8670 fesedu @ comcast.net
Past President Ray Trujillo 505-814-8373 rtrujilloabq505 @ gmail.com
Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall @ q.com
Past President Dave Allin 505-410-9668 dnjallin @ gmail.com
MEETINGS: Regular Meeting for December
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 / CORONAVIRUS
INTERNET: CORSA's home page www.corvair.org/
CNM's newsletters www.unm.edu/~jimp/
New Mexico Council of Car Clubs www.nmcarcouncil.com/
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SCHEDULE CNM: 12 months = $25.00 or 26 months = $ 50.00
OF CORSA: 12 months = $45.00 or 26 months = $ 90.00
DUES CNM & CORSA: 12 months = $70.00 or 26 months = $140.00
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DUES DUE DATES DECEMBER 2020
DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.11 Linda & Dick Cochran 25-DEC-2020
DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.12 David Huntoon 25-JAN-2021
2020.12 Lee Reider 25-JAN-2021
DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2021.01 Fred & Brenda Edeskuty 25-FEB-2021
2021.01 Connie & Robert McBreen 25-FEB-2021
DUE FEBRUARY 2021 =================== INACTIVE DATE
2021.02 Linda & Anthony Berbig 25-MAR-2021
2021.02 Heula & Jim Pittman 25-MAR-2021
INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE
2020.02 Larry Yoffee 25-MAR-2020
2020.03 Natalie Robison 25-APR-2020
2020.04 Conner Siddell 25-MAY-2020
2020.06 Art Gold 25-JUL-2020
2020.10 Sylvia & Ray Trujillo 25-NOV-2020
Send your Dues to:
Steve Gongora -- CNM Treasurer
8419 Palo Duro NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
Past due memberships become inactive after a one-month grace period.
The Club will mail in your National Dues if you send us the renewal
form from your Communique.
As of 28-Nov-2020 we have 43 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
What's up Dave?
Bad to worse seems to be the way of the world lately. New Mexico is no
exception. So for the near future, in person club events are on hold. We are
continuing with online Board meetings but club membership meetings are not
happening.
That could change if enough club members indicate they would like online, ZOOM,
meetings. Let me know and if 10 or more are in favor we can do it.
Now, the Tri-State question. Since Covid numbers keep getting worse and the
likely possibility of no vaccine for the general population until April, the
Board is thinking moving the Tri-State to late October of 2021.
Conditions should should be much improved by then hopefully. This is not a done
deal as we need to talk to the host hotel. I think we must do this as we
certainly don't wish our members and friends to be at risk.
We need a safe club event. I do think it is possible to have an econo run in the
east mountains sometime in the next couple of months. I think it could be safely
done as long as we don't congregate in one place for long. Checked out a route
of 43.3 miles and 1 hour driving time at posted speeds. Once again let me know
if you would be interested and would attend.....
Patience and stay safe, thx David
Photo: Snow on 27 October 2020 in Cedar Crest, NM
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SECRETARY'S REPORT, NOVEMBER, 2020
Kay Sutt
Because of the surge in the Corona virus infection rate in New Mexico, it was
decided at the October Board Meeting it would not be safe to have an in-person
meeting, and the Board voted to cancel the November meeting entirely. Therefore,
there is no Secretary's report for the November General Meeting.
However, the November Board meeting did take place on November 18 via Zoom.
Present at the meeting were President Dave Huntoon, Vice-president Tarmo Sutt,
Secretary Kay Sutt, Treasurer Steve Gongora, Tri-State Chairman Terry Price,
Newsletter Editor Jim Pittman and Old Route 66 Cleanup Chair Greg Nelson.
Basically, we only had two items on the agenda, the Tri-State meet and Steve's
request to send an honorarium to the NM Museum of Military History subsequent to
the CNM tour of the facility.
The raging Corona virus and the news we are getting regarding the anticipated
staged roll-out of a vaccine make it necessary for the Board to consider the
viability of the 2021 Tri-State meet. Most Corvair owners are in the age group
judged to be 'most vulnerable' to the virus, and current news updates regarding
a vaccine indicate it is likely going to be late first quarter or into the
second quarter of 2021 before a vaccine will be available to our age group.
Given this information we doubt we can host a successful Tri-State and meet the
contractual guidelines with the host hotel regarding attendance. Other
Albuquerque events for the same time frame are beginning to be postponed, and
Terry and Steve agreed to contact the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and the
Hispano Chamber of Commerce to determine how many other events for the general
timeframe of May, 2021 are being cancelled or postponed.
Based on these points, the Board has agreed to contact the host hotel to propose
postponing, not canceling, the Albuquerque Tri-State. The dates proposed by the
Board are October 15-16-17, 2021, (our first preference), or May 20-21-22, 2022,
(our second preference). Dave and Terry will contact the hospitality person for
the hotel to propose this change. We are aware this is relatively early to make
this change, but we are trying to be proactive and as transparent as possible
with the hotel and all Corvair folks.
CNM is dedicated to making the event, already postponed once due to Covid, a
success. During this unprecedented and difficult time, looking forward to
seeing/meeting friends at Tri-State is important, but our primary concern is the
health and safety of everyone who attends, as well as the financial security of
CNM as well as the host hotel. We will keep the CNM membership updated on the
progress of these negotiations with the hotel.
The second item on the agenda of the Board meeting was Steve's request to send a
$100 check to the NM Museum of Military History to honor the wonderful tour they
kindly afforded CNM'ers. The request was unanimously approved by the Board.
Finally, there was informal discussion regarding the Netflix series "The Queen's
Gambit" which features a late (probably 1966) Corsa in Episodes 6-7. It's fun to
see Corvairs are still visible. They seem to be becoming a time stamp for the
1960's. Of note, although nobody but a CORSA member would notice, an oval CORSA
sticker is visible in the middle of the rear window. Anybody have any idea who
owns this car?
With that bit of fun, the meeting was adjourned.
Members are reminded they are welcome at all Board meetings. If you wish to
attend a Zoom meeting of the board, email Kay Sutt at suttkay@gmail.com to
request an invitation to join the discussion.
Kay Sutt
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JUST A REMINDER
Heula Pittman
As the "Sunshine Person" I would like to remind everyone about some of my duties
throughout the year. First of all, Jim and I design new birthday cards each
year. Then I mail them from the club during the year to club members, their
spouses or significant others and to any of their children living at home. In
order to keep a current list of birthdates I need input from members. I also
mail get well cards and sympathy cards to members and their families as the need
arises. But in order to do this I need help from members notifying me as the
need arises. Vickie Hall, Merchandise Chair, and I prepare and distribute new
member packets to those just joining CNM.
Since we are in the middle of this pandemic and we are not having regular
meetings or club events, we are not communicating with each other as in the
past. So I am asking for your help in keeping me up to date with any changes in
the above events.
Thanks for your cooperation... Stay Positive and Test Negative!
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TREASURY REPORT FOR 10-22-2020 to 11-26-2020
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $7,142.93
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2020.10.24 1567 $ 25.00 Dues W.Heil 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $7,167.93
2020.11.01 8649 $ 50.00 Dues T.Lawler 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $7,217.93
2020.11.13 $ 25.00 Dues W.Darcy 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $7,242.93
2020.11.23 2394 -$ 100.00 Donation NM Museum Military History -$ 100.00 $7,142.93
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2020.12.01 DEC NEWSLETTER ===================================================== $7,142.93
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Subject: THOUGHTS ON RECENT SPAM INCIDENT
From: Gordon Johnson < gjohnson AT unm.edu >
To: Jim Pittman < jimp AT unm.edu >
Date: 24-Nov-2020 19:53:54 MST
On November 14 I received an email from someone claiming to be a former
officer in the Corvair Club asking me to email him concerning an urgent matter
that needed my assistance. I responded to his email on November 17. He responded
that he did not have good cell coverage and needed me to get him a $500 Amazon
gift card and he would reimburse as soon as he could. Of course, I did not
respond. By then I found the email address he used was not the one listed for
his name in the Corvair Club newsletter.
I do not include the name of the former officer because it could have been
any of several people with names and email addresses in the newsletter.
Unfortunately I did not check the email address before responding and just
clicked on the one offered by the computer.
I'll appreciate any comments that you might wish to make on this issue.
Thanks and best regards, Gordon Johnson
SPAM EMAIL
Jim Pittman
Gordon asked me to warn our members about an apparent spam email. Several of us
have seen a lot of similar emails in recent months. They look innocent but
actually come from people intent on stealing your money and they are not going
to stop anytime soon.
Recent messages several of our members have received seem to fit this pattern:
the criminal looks online for organizations whose web sites publically list
officers and members with phone numbers and email addresses. With modern
technology it is easy to disguise an email address so it looks like it comes
from someone else. The criminal composes a message to a member asking for help
for a club function. The message is disguised to seem to come from a club
officer. The request may include a link to a web site, or may just ask the
member to reply. If the member replies, the criminal typically asks the member
to purchase pre-paid cards and then email the code number back to the sender.
Unsuspecting members, believing their club officer needs their help with some
club function, buy the pre-paid cards and send the code numbers. The criminal
cashes in the card and there goes your money. There are hundreds of variations
to this ploy.
The illustration below shows an actual (somewhat disguised) email message I
received recently. The names have been changed. Note that the actual email
address is not that of our possible former club president Dxxx Axxxx but someone
else I am calling John Smith. I often get messages of this sort. When I see one
like this I just automatically delete it, assuming the message is a scam.
It's similar to the ongoing plague of junk phone calls. Criminals can make a
call to your number that is hacked to look (to Caller ID) like it comes from any
number they want. We have been getting several such calls a day for years. If
our Caller ID does not show someone we know, we do not answer. Of course, it is
possible the hacker has made the call appear to come from someone on our list of
friends. If that is the case, if we answer, we will need to quickly detect that
it is NOT our friend calling and immediately hang up.
I don't believe the government or the phone company or the ISP that provides
email service can stop these irritating criminal messages, even if they wanted
to. We just have to be prepared to completely ignore them. The mantra is, "Don't
answer, don't click."
What a situation! Is this the world you signed up for when you were taking
Civics in school? No? Me neither. But it's the world we've got.
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IS YOUR FUEL STABILIZER ACTUALLY HURTING YOUR CAR?
Hagerty Media, Maintenance & Tech, Author: Kyle Smith, 3 November 2020
Submitted by Steve Hooper, CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CORVAIR CLUB
Putting your beloved ride away for the season and enduring months of watching it
sit in place, wishing you could just go for a drive, is an unfortunate reality
of winter vehicle storage. Worse is the notion that your careful storage prep
routine includes a common misstep that will set you up for a bad experience come
springtime. That's exactly what FortNine digs into with this latest video about
fuel stabilizers:
I am usually the first to throw shade at YouTube "tests" conducted using far
from bulletproof science, but even these informal tests shed thought-provoking
light on how different chemical compounds affect your car's performance.
These fuel stabilizers typically have bold claims printed on the label, designed
to appeal to the type of person who cares more about protecting their engine
than buying the right pet food. I know I am more particular about the fuel I
feed my internal combustion companions than the food I feed my fluffy cat
friends, but as this video explains, one group has a lot less side effects from
corn content.
The ethanol in modern fuel is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water. That H2O
content can reach a point where it will separate from the fuel, especially in
long term storage. That water sitting at the bottom of the tank is the first
thing to be picked up by the fuel pickup. To address this, the stabilizer
concoctions work to O type of alcohol so that the heavier mixture will burn --
however poorly -- when drawn into the fuel system and dispersed in the
combustion chamber.
Yes, almost all of these mixtures help in some fashion, but a few caused damage
in other ways compared to the test's control sample. A few of the products
tested led to greater corrosion, due to a lack of additive preventing the growth
of rust and allowing a greater ingress of moisture. That moisture will -- at
best -- make for a hard starting car in the spring and a rusty mess of a fuel
system if left alone too long. Our vintage cars often have steel fuel lines and
tanks, so any moisture just sitting around is bound to cause trouble.
In the end, the best solution with a vintage engine is to start with non-ethanol
fuel. Fuel blends contain a lot of additives already and, as pointed out in the
video, if there was one miracle cure that could be added to fuel to prevent all
such problems, it would likely already be in the gas from the pump. Ethanol is
what causes most of the problems associated with long-term fuel storage in an
old car or bike. Barring the option of getting pure gas (also known as
recreation gas), K100 and STA-BIL came out on top as recommended from the
products sampled because STA-BIL and K100 both reduced the absorption of
moisture and reduced corrosion.
Personally, this puts my mind at ease because as I have been a STA-BIL fan for
years. Of course, I've never had more than my own anecdotal evidence to back up
a recommendation, and I am often adding it to ethanol-free fuels from the
outset. Now go forth and store with confidence! Hopefully spring arrives sooner
than later.
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CORVAIR CARBURETOR IDENTIFICATION
CORSA Communique, Author Jack L Cox, January 1981
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CORVAIR CLUB, December 2020
1. 1960 - No choking system on carburetor
2. 1961 - Manual choke. P/N's 7019100, 7019101. Early 61's had one internal
and one external bowl vent. Late 61's had only the internal bowl vent.
3. 1962 & 1963 - Change to automatic choke system.
P/N USAGE
7023100 Powerglide
7023101 Standard Shift
7023102 Hi-performance (102 HP)
'62 and '63 are identical except that early 62's had one internal bowl vent.
The rest had three. Difference among the above P/N's: Size of main metering
jet and idle speed jet. (Refer to shop manual.)
4. 1964 - Several changes from 1963. The exterior appearance change that makes
1964+ different from earlier ones is the idle vapor vent. Other changes:
(1) from symmetrical Venturi cluster to a non-symmetrical type;
(2) torsion spring on float pivot;
(3) two internal bowl vents.
P/N USAGE
7024022 Powerglide
7024023 Standard Shift
7024024 Hi-performance (110 HP)
5. 1965 - External appearance difference from 1964 includes plug filling high
speed enrichment drilling hole. Plug is located at base of bowl between fuel
inlet and accelerator pump lever. Internal difference: Added power valve
system.
P/N USAGE
7025023 95 HP standard and Powerglide, and
110 HP standard / 140 HP primary
7025024 110 HP with Powerglide
7025025 All with air conditioning
7025026 140 HP secondary (No idle, choke, or power system.)
6. 1966 - Only one external appearance difference from 1964 and 1965; choke
shaft kick lever is metal rather than plastic. Only internal change was a
lower idle air bleed was added. This "hole" can be seen in the carburetor
throat by shining light into carburetor. You have to strain to see it though.
It is more visible looking up from the base.
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TECH: SHIFTER ARTICLES
Jim Pittman
Over the years we have published several articles on Corvair shifters. I am
reprinting a couple of them here this month.
I became acquainted with Corvair shifters and their problems when I was in
Alaska with my new 1966 Corsa turbo coupe. I knew exactly nothing about how
shifters worked on any kind of car. Of course I bought the 1965 shop manual and
the 1966 supplement when I bought the car, I bought an early copy of Bill
Fisher's HOT ROD book, and I subscribed to ROAD & TRACK magazine, which used to
have outstanding technical articles on everything automotive. So I had plenty of
resources to learn about Corvair things when the need arose.
I learned to drive "stick" in a 1941 Ford, I had experience with a fifties Ford
pickup and a Volkswagen Beetle, and I owned a 1965 Austin Healey (four-speed
plus overdrive) for a year. When I bought the Healey and joined the Dayton SCCA
club, I avidly absorbed the lore of the sports car crowd on how to double-clutch
to downshift and how to time clutch action when upshifting and how to "feel" the
movement of the shifter. I got pretty good at it. But none of this told me
anything about how moving the shift lever actually made the gears change to
different ratios. I had seen pictures of the innards of gearboxes, but the
mysteries of synchronizers and countershafts and continuously meshed gears were
just that, mysteries. Driving my new Corvair was simply, hold down the clutch
pedal and, by feel, move the knob there to get to that gear. I practiced my
"double-clutching" skills with the Corvair, without knowing what that actually
accomplished in the transmission. The shifter felt okay so I just drove the car
and didn't worry.
In Fairbanks as winter came on, the shifting of the Corvair changed. For one
thing, and it made perfect sense, moving the shift knob became very difficult
when the car was cold. Well, the lubricant in the transaxle was at 40 below and
it was just congealed like heavy grease, not easy-flowing like oil. Therefore,
when you park leave the shifter in neutral. Warm up the car and shifting would
work okay. But I noticed a change in the "sloppiness" of the shifter. It no
longer seemed to move into the right gear position without wiggling the knob
around a bit before it would actually go into gear.
Military bases had auto hobby shops and I scheduled time at the Fort Wainwright
hobby shop to put the car up on a lift and peer at the complexity of the
linkage. The shop manual was a guide. At the rear I could see the outer tube and
the inner tube and I could see how the inner tube was supposed to transmit
push-pull-twist motions to the pin coming out of the gearbox. (I could easily
see the mechanism because the rubber boot that was intended to keep out dust and
mud was cracked and falling apart.) When I removed the steel pin holding the
shift mechanism to the gearbox I could see how loose and rattly the two tubes
were, and I could see why: the plastic bushing was out of place and not doing
anything except bouncing around. A plastic bushing for such a vital part? Yes
indeed, maybe a way to save a few cents. I guessed the cold temperatures let
shift movements break the four little prongs that were supposed to hold the
bushing in place.
A quick repair was to push the bushing back in place, then find a scrap piece of
metal shaped like a two-finger fork and bolt it up next to the bushing to keep
it from popping out. This worked okay and removed a lot of the slop for several
months.
At a later time I removed both belly pans and examined the front of the shifter
mechanism and did similar patching on the front bushing. Still later I bought
the bronze shifter bushing kits for my Corvairs. It was somewhat tedious to
install the bushings with the tiny little screws to hold them in place, but the
bronze bushings made a world of difference in shifter feel and accuracy,
especially after adjusting the position of the tubes relative to the
transmission pin. The 1965 and 1966 shifter mechanisms are different but both
can be adjusted to line up the shaft with the pin. I was able to get most of my
Corvairs to shift easily with two fingers and careful double-clutching "by feel"
for every shift.
I became an evangelist for good Corvair shifting, writing articles on how to do
it (I think one article even made it into the Communique) and telling all my
Corvair friends how to make their shifters work better. Did any of them take my
advice? I don't know. Difficult shifting seems to bother some people more than
others. It bothered me, and I was pleased to take the trouble to try to get my
Corvairs to shift perfectly. Several of them actually did.
Maybe these articles will encourage someone who has a sloppy or difficult
shifter to take the trouble to modify and adjust their shifters to get them to
work better. It's not that hard! And the bronze bushings are still available
from Clark's.
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Happy Birthday Wishes to December CNM'ers:
Jimmy Arellanes
Dick Cochran
Sara Gold
Maggie Kitts
Diane Lawler
Lube Lubert
Gregory Nelson
Fred Riggs
December anniversaries:
Elizabeth & Mark Domzalski
Barbara & Gordon Johnson
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ADJUST LATE SHIFTER -- MARCH 2010
Jim Pittman
Some of us, if we learned to drive a fifties or sixties British sports car, like
a shifter that is precise, smooth and effortless. The typical Corvair shifter is
sloppy, crunchy and difficult. It's not just because of the location of the
transmission in the back and the shifter in front. More than likely your late
shifter just needs two new parts and a few simple adjustments to work much
better.
Bronze bushings are easy to install and can make the shifter action more precise
and positive. Other new and remanufactured parts are readily available from
Clark's. The above drawing of late shifter parts is copied from Clark's catalog.
Your first chore is to look at your shifter and the drawing and understand how
the shift mechanism works. If you are lucky you may have only minor problems and
you won't have to disassemble very much to be able to make a big improvement.
Count on needing new bushings and a new coupling pin, though, with some
disassembly required.
Here are some of the things that could go wrong.
* 1. The pins holding the shifter (35) in the shifter base (38) could be worn.
Tapered bearings can be used for new pins. The shifter base must be
disassembled, worn pins removed and new pins pressed in. Sylvan Zuercher had a
great article in our March 1998 newsletter covering all the details.
* 2. The lubrication inside the shifter base (38) could be missing, hardened or
gummy, making for "stiff" operation.
* 3. The shifter base (38) could be too loose or too tight where it bolts
through shims (1 and 2) through the car's floor pan to the head of the shifter
tube (3), or it could have dried-out or gummy lubrication. If too tight, the
shifter tube head won't be able to slide along the car's floor pan as the
engine/transaxle moves in its rubber mounts under normal operation.
* 4. The lubricant in the shifter ball-to-cup mechanism could be missing,
solidified or gummy, making for "stiff" operation.
* 5. The front and rear bushings (23) could be missing from the shifter tube,
allowing the inner rod to move sloppily and to rattle.
* 6. The shifter tube (3) could be bent from previous encounters with stumps or
bolders, making it hard for the inner rod (4) to slide or rotate.
* 7. The cardboard liner between the outer shift tube (3) and the inner rod (4)
could be full of rust or wet and distorted, causing excessive friction when
shifting.
* 8. The stabilizer rod (20) could be adjusted too high, too low or too far
sideways, putting excess stress on the inner rod and the rear bushing, thereby
causing excess friction.
* 9. The coupling pin (13) or the holes in the coupler (12) could be worn,
leading to sloppiness. The hole in the transmission pin is probably okay.
* 10. The rubber insert inside the coupler (12) could be dried out and slipping,
allowing the inner shaft to rotate relative to the coupler.
* 11. The coupler (12) could be fastened to the inner tube (4) too close or too
far from the transmission, making the shift lever lean too far forward or too
far backward from the driver.
Start by putting your car up on four secure jack stands. Take off the left rear
wheel for more working space if you want but it's not necessary. Crawl
underneath, take off the belly pans and look at the mechanisms, front and rear.
It helps greatly to have an assistant who can sit in the driver's seat, put in
the clutch, and slowly shift through all the gears while you watch the movements
of the parts below.
Once you have examined your shifter mechanism you may be able to guess what
parts and adjustments are needed. If your car already has bronze bushings, you
can probably make an improvement by just adjusting the coupler. If your bushings
are shot, then order some new parts, including a Clark's bronze bushing kit, new
plastic shifter base (1), rubber bushings for the stabilizer rod (20), and new
rubber boots. Budget time for disassembly, cleaning, reassembly and alignment
By the way, I find the sheet metal screws holding the belly pans in place are
very easy to strip out and I don't know of a satisfactory repair.
With new parts in hand, start by taking the belly pans off the car, then remove
the shift tube from the car. Remove the coupler from the inner rod, then pull
the inner rod out of the shifter tube. Remove and discard the inner cardboard
tube.
Install bronze bushings according to Clark's instructions, making sure they
don't bind the inner rod. Careful filing and crocus cloth are good for this. (If
you are adept at brazing, you may prefer to braze them in place instead of
drilling and tapping holes for the eight tiny screws.) Remove rust, then paint
the shifter tube and inner rod as needed.
Clean all the moving parts and put new grease where needed. Check the condition
and lubrication of the floor shims top and bottom, then loosely install the
shifter base with shims through the floor to the shifter tube head. Install the
shifter tube stabilizer rod loosely at the rear. Back at the front, tighten the
shifter base just snug enough that it won't rock sloppily side-to-side, but
loose enough that it can slide front-to-back along the floor pan.
Gradually tighten up the nuts holding the stabilizer rod bushings so the
stabilizer rod holds the coupler in approximate alignment with the shifter pin,
then install the coupler's pin to the transmission's shaft. Go back to the
driver's seat and try moving the shift lever to see if you can engage all the
gears. Leave the shift lever in first gear for a 4-speed or reverse gear for a
3-speed.
Go below and pull out the pin from the coupler. Does the coupler now want to
move up or down or sideways? If so, adjust the stabilizer rod nuts and bushings
so the stabilizer rod holds the coupler so that it's looking squarely at the
pin. Tighten everything up securely. Put in the pin, a washer and a cotter pin.
Go up and check shifter action.
For those lucky enough to have shifters with all parts in good shape, this one
adjustment could make an enormous difference in shifter feel.
The position of the shift lever forward-to-back relative to the driver's
position can be adjusted over a certain range. Loosen the clamp holding the
coupler to the inner tube and adjust the front-to-back position of the lever to
suit, then tighten the clamp.
It's a good final touch to install all new rubber boots to keep some of the road
dust out of the moving parts.
Now, if you are confident of your work, install the belly pans and go take your
car for a test ride.
What you are aiming for is, the shift knob will easily and positively move the
mechanism to engage every gear, with minimum effort but with very little slop
and looseness. The bronze bushings will ensure part of this, and careful
adjustment will take care of the rest.
The drawing (above) of the early shift mechanism is included for comparison.
Some parts are similar to the late models but some are quite different.
.............................................................................
............................................................................
1965-1969 SHIFT TUBE ALIGNMENT -- THE REAR VIEW, FEBRUARY 1985
Improve the action of your shifter and the life of the shifter tube bushings,
especially the rear one, by correcting shift tube misalignment. The stabilizer
rod acts not only to steady the end of the shift tube, but also to help keep it
aligned with the transmission. As the motor mounts sag with age, however, the
rod may actually be trying to force the shift tube out of alignment.
To check the alignment, remove the pin connecting the shifter to the
transmission. Note that both shift tube bushings must be in place to accurately
align the shifter tube. The shifter yoke should fit so it is in line with the
shaft of the transmission without rubbing on the sides or requiring any force to
hold it in position. Most likely when you remove the pin the yoke will drop
below the transmission shaft and force will be required to hold it in place.
This force is what causes wear on the shifter bushings, and makes shifting
harder than it ought to be.
Shown below are the two styles of bracket that were used to mount the end of the
stabilizer rod to the late transmission crossmember. The 1965 style used a flat
bracket while the 1966-1969 style had a bracket with a "dimple" that acted as a
ball-and-socket joint to provide an alignment adjustment. The 1965 style could
not be adjusted for any angle other than 90 degrees to the bracket.
To align the bracket on '65s you can bend the bracket by using a small jack
placed under the shifter tube end of the stabilizer rod. Remove the pin from the
shifter yoke and jack up on the rod until the yoke is about 1/4" above the
transmission shaft. Release the jack and check the alignment. The yoke and shaft
should meet so the pin can be installed without any force required. If not,
repeat the Jacking process until they align. You may need to loosen the two
bolts holding the bracket to the crossmember to make sideways adjustments.
To align 1966-1969 models you can still use the jack method, but first loosen
the ball-and-socket joint at the transmission end of the stabilizer rod. Jack
the shift tube end of the rod to the proper alignment, then tighten the nut
before releasing the jack.
(Editor's note: In addition to the alignment described above, the ease and
precision of your late model's shifting can be improved by replacing the plastic
bushing at each end of the shift tube with brass or bronze bushings. They are
readily available from Clark's.)
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| December 2020 | January 2021 | February 2021 |
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa |
| 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |
| 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 | 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 | 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
| 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 | 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 |
| 27 28 29 30 31 | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | 28 |
| | 31 | |
============================================================================
SAT 05 DEC 10:00 AM Meeting: CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
WED 16 DEC 5:00 PM Board Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
FRI 16 DEC 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2021 newsletter ! EARLY !
MON 17 DEC >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING JANUARY NEWSLETTER <<
WED 00 DEC [ NO CAR COUNCIL MEETING THIS MONTH ]
============================================================================
SAT 02 JAN 10:00 AM Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED 20 JAN 5:00 PM Board Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED xx JAN 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
FRI 29 JAN 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2021 newsletter
MON 01 FEB >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SAT 06 FEB 10:00 AM Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED 17 FEB 5:00 PM Board Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED 24 FEB 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
FRI 26 FEB 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2021 newsletter
MON 01 MAR >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING JANUARY NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SUN 08 MAR 2:00 AM Set your clocks ahead an hour. No worries, we will get the
hour back after tolerating a one-hour jet lag experience in November.
SAT 06 MAR 10:00 AM Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED 17 MAR 5:00 PM Board Meeting: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
WED 24 MAR 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING: >>>>>>>> TO BE DETERMINED
FRI 26 MAR 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2021 newsletter
MON 29 MAR >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING JANUARY NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities
======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ======================
.............................................................................
............................................................................
SEVEN YEARS AGO [ DECEMBER 2020 VOL 46 Nr 12 ISSUE 543 ]
Jim Pittman
2013 V.39 N.12 #459
Tarmo Sutt's 1966 Corsa turbo at the 2013 Santa Fe Concorso. A 1976 photo of
Navy Lieutenant Mark Morgan, CNM Founder and first newsletter editor. Heather
and Matt Choiniere were new members. President David Huntoon told about his
"Smart-For-Two" car. Robert Gold described the gas heater TUNA and what happened
next. Yes, it was now working. John Wiker reported on another car show. Many
photos from our Christmas Party at House of Covers. Finally, an index to all our
2013 articles.
2006 V.32 N.12 #375
The "Library Van" and the Route-66-Cleanup Crew. Geoff and Cary reported on a
great trip to the Fan Belt Toss. Tarmo brought a clean, jewell-like half a block
and told what it took to get it that way. Jim suggested making a CD with back
issues of the newsletter. Jerry planned a tour to Bosque del Apache. Ray told
about cold weather destroying his speedometer. Wendell told about getting a ride
in a Ford GT-40 race car. Many nice color photos of cars and activities. Steve
Goodman told about winter storage tactics. Jim discussed his web page, and
Robert summed up Car Council activities. Finally, an index to everything
published during 2006.
1999 V.25 N.12 #291
Mark Domzalski's Rampside at Truchas, New Mexico for another great CNM
Aspencade. New members were Kathy & Doug Gadomski. Billiken was driving off into
the sunset. We planned the Tri-State/Albuquerque Museum Car Show, organized by
Debbie Pleau. President Hurley reported a visit with friends at Cactus Corvair
Club in Arizona. Ollie reported on our last Old Route 66 cleanup. We saw a
rattlesnake and a very dead bobcat. Del told us that Larry was being considered
for membership in the Dummy of the Month Club. Dennis Pleau reported on the
GWFBT&SW, the Holy Grail of Corvairhood!
1992 V.18 N.12 #207
Christmas trees. President Del ran the meeting. Walter and Dave Huntoon from
Chicago visited. Paul Coffman was a new member. We were preparing for our
Christmas dinner and talked about getting Club T-shirts and jackets. Michael
Pleau attended. Del was working on getting a Greenbrier back on the road. A
blurb from the Sierra Club listed hidden costs to owning an automobile. Mark
Martinek reported on the tour to Truth or Consequences. LeRoy had tire and brake
problems and they never got to see the car museum. Otherwise it was a fun
weekend. Tech tips included an article on silicon brake fluid and a good way to
remove the rain gutter trim without damaging it: use an old bottle opener!
1985 V.11 N.12 #123
Santa with a clutter of many Corvair models. President Clayborne ran the
meeting; we had no guests. We had a new member, though: Larry Blair who had a
'63 Monza coupe and a '64 Spyder convertible. Our Christmas party was to be at
Kirtland AFB Officers' Club. We planned a foray to the Flea Market to raise
money and get rid of junk, err, treasures. We wanted to have a meeting in Santa
Fe. We wanted a photo session; maybe part of an Aspencade. Tri-State planning
continued. Clayborne's "Blower Breeze" said they just don't make cars like they
used to. LeRoy said we'd have visitors at the next meeting from the New Mexico
MVD. They would address how to get title to a titleless vehicle and how new seat
belt laws apply to the various Corvairs, some of which came with seat belts and
some not. Bill Reider's column discussed cleaning your oil cooler: they are out
of sight and tend to collect leaves and dust. You also need to check your air
filter, PVC valve and parking brake and clutch cables. How many of us have a
Corvair with factory lube in the rear wheel bearings, steering box and clutch
cross shaft? A tech tip from Chevrolet told how to adjust your accelerator
linkage and how to install a harmonic balancer. We had a year-end financial
statement and the index to volume 11 of the Newsletter.
1978 V.04 N.11 #039
A Monza GT and an early convertible. Sylvan presided. Les Campbell took notes
and reported $350 in the bank. We amended the constitution to provide for
separate offices for secretary and treasurer and to allow an appointed
membership chairperson. Sylvan proposed we give a name for the Newsletter other
than "Corvairs of New Mexico." Suggestions were solicited. We planned a dinner
at Bella Vista. A newspaper article said that Alvin Grille of New Orleans owned
175 Corvairs. Tech tips came from our German member, Markus Rothmeyer, on
adjusting thermostats, from Francis Boydston on timing your engine without a
timing light, from Joel Nash on NGK and Bosch spark plugs, and Norm Brand on
where to get spark plugs. The very first CNM Newsletter index covered every
issue published to date. Your editor provided a history of the Newsletter and
its somewhat irregular numbering scheme. Looking through this index today you'll
see quite a few classic articles that are still well worth reading thirty-five
years later. Your editor asked for more information on the Club's history and
asked members to write detailed articles for our March 1979 Special Anniversary
newsletter issue.
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............................................................................
===== INDEX FOR THE HEXED YEAR OF 2020 =====
EVERY MONTH
President's Letter ......... Birthdays & Anniversaries
Dues Due This Month .................. Treasury Report
Meeting Minutes ............ Calendar of Coming Events
Board Meeting Minutes ................ Seven Years Ago
JAN President's Message ................................... Dave Allin
December Board Meeting Conducted via Email ................ The Board
Copper Canyon Christmas Party Report .................. Heula Pittman
Donations to The Storehouse ............................. Vickie Hall
How to Lose 36 Days in One Easy Step .................... Jim Pittman
David Neale's Letter to CNM Members ........ Larry Blair & Lee Reider
CNM Member List 15 December 2019 ............... Membership Committee
COVER Is that Santa Claus, or an Elf, at our Christmas Party?
COVER Larry Blair Offers a Cleaning Tool Tech Tip at our Meeting
FEB President's Message ................................... Dave Allin
Photos from the January Meeting ........................ Jim Pittman
Tri-State Tasks ......................................... Dave Allin
Getting Started with Corvairs ............................. Pat Hall
Dark Intrigue (September 25, 1959) ...................... Tom Martin
Rampside at Baird-Jackson Auction ....................... Tarmo Sutt
Ike Meissner Award Nomination Form ...... Deadline: February Meeting
COVER Pat Hall and his 1965 Corsa Coupe at January Meeting
MAR President's Message .................................. Dave Allin
Car Council Meeting Notes ............................... Dave Allin
Information on the Anniversary Party .................. Rita Gongora
Images of the Tri-State Web Page .................... Tarmo and Tami
McScellaneous Ramblings Mike McGowan - The Good Old Days ... AIRHORN
Spring Equinox Earliest This Year ....... contributed by Larry Blair
Identify Parts ................ Charlie Biddle - Chicagoland AIRHORN
Twenty Years Ago Today (Newsletter Production) ......... Jim Pittman
COVER Snow Covers Sandia Mountain -- 1965 Monza Coupe
APR President's Message: CNM and COVID-19 ................ Dave Allin
President's Message: The 2020 Tri-State ................. Dave Allin
March Board Meeting ...................... CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Our English Cousin ...................................... Dave Allin
CNM 46th Anniversary Party ........................... Heula Pittman
Bill Darcy Corvair Photos .............................. Vickie Hall
This Never Happened (Birthday Cards) ................. Heula Pittman
COVER On an Econorun to Madrid in April 2006
COVER Wendell Walker and Bill Reider on the Econorun
MAY President's Message .................................. Dave Allin
The Road to Lakewood (Corvair Models) ................... Dave Allin
April Meetings ........................... CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Corvairs in the Time of Coronavirus ..... Thanks to Contributions by
Lee Reider, Vickie Hall, David Neale, and some help from the Editor
Lost Memories of the Spanish Flu ....................... Jim Pittman
Corvair Activities from Facebook ........................ Tarmo Sutt
Twenty Years Ago: Due South: Tour Report ....... Elizabeth Domzalski
COVER It was Twenty Years Ago: Saturday April 15th, 2000
COVER Steve's 1966 Corsa: Pecan orchard, Las Cruces, 2000
JUN President's Message .................................. Dave Allin
My First Corvair ........................................ Dave Allin
May Meetings ............................. CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Memorial Day Tribute to John Wiker and Bill Reider .......... Editor
Corvairs in the Time of Coronavirus ................. Other Chapters
Funny Reflections on the Virus ..................... Brenda Stickler
Photos of Vickie's New Corvair ......................... Vickie Hall
Help Identify an Albuquerque 1964 900 ................ David Huntoon
Reprints from 2000 - Report of the 2000 Tri-State ..... Dennis Pleau
Other News from Twenty Years Ago ....................... CNM Members
Fifty Years Ago - Student Riots ........................ Jim Pittman
COVER Corvairs gather at the Veterans' Memorial in Albuquerque
COVER Larry Blair conducted the ceremony of Tribute to Bill and John
JUL President's Message .................................. Dave Allin
June Regular Meeting at Mariposa Basin Park .............. Kay Sutt
Old Route 66 Cleanup, June 8th ...................... David Huntoon
Fathers' Day Car Show, Edgewood ..................... David Huntoon
What to do during a Pandemic Stay-at-Home? ............. Tarmo Sutt
A new/used 2006 Rousch Mustang ...................... David Huntoon
Coronavirus / Covic-19 Pandemic Timeline ........... New York Times
Fifty years ago - I'm Glad I've Got Positraction ...... Jim Pittman
Coins (Not Much Corvair Content) ...................... Jim Pittman
COVER April 1968: From San Antonio, NM to Carrizozo on U.S. 380
COVER May 1967: From Anchorage to Fairbanks via Alaska Hwy One
AUG President's Letter: What's Up Dave? ............... David Huntoon
July Board Meeting via Zoom .............................. Kay Sutt
Ran When Parked ............................ Mid-Continent Corvairs
Yellow Early Racer ......................... Mid-Continent Corvairs
Spot The 'Vair ................. Westwind, Los Angeles Corvair Club
Trip of a Lifetime with a 1964 Monza ................. Bill Lawless
Twenty-nine Years Ago: Trip to VLA .................... Jerry Goffe
Thirty-nine Years Ago: Trip to VLA .................... Jim Pittman
Acceleration - Keith Black ............... Submitted by Terry Price
COVER Years Ago: Steve Gongora's 1966 Corsa Coupe at the VLA
COVER Years Ago: Wayne Christgau's 1969 Monza Coupe at the VLA
SEP President's Letter: What's Up Dave? ............... David Huntoon
How to Join a Zoom Meeting ............................... Kay Sutt
COVID Psychology ............................... Medical Consultant
Nomination Form for October Election ........................ Board
Tech: Magnesium Cooling Fan Deterioration ........... Group Corvair
Presidential Ramblings .................... Travis Bolton - VairCor
Twenty Years Ago: Unintended Acceleration ..................... Jim
Twenty Years Ago: You Can't Always Get What You Want .......... Jim
COVER Members Gather for Old Route 66 Cleanup, July 2000
OCT President's Letter: What's Up Dave? .............. David Huntoon
September Board Meeting Cancelled ...................... The Board
Nomination Form for October Election ................... Committee
Our Newest Members ................................ Heula & Vickie
Mustang Story ...................................... David Huntoon
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman ............. Movie Review
Back Home in Oklahoma ................................. Dave Allin
TECH: Oversteer ..................... Mike McGowan CHICAGO AIRHORN
Twenty Years Ago: Campout: August 4-5-6, 2000 ...... Steve Gongora
Twenty Years Ago: Saving Another Corvair ........... Richard Finch
COVER David Huntoon's "New" 2006 Rousch Mustang
NOV President's Letter: What's Up Dave? .............. David Huntoon
October 21st Board Meeting ............................. Cancelled
Photos from October Meeting ........................ Steve & Tarmo
Photos from Military Museum ........................ Steve Gongora
TECH: Corvair Engines: Interference or Not? .... Maryland Corvairs
Nine Years Ago: October Picnic ............. From 2011 Newsletters
The COVID Pandemic ...................................... Comments
Old Car Parade - Spot the 'Vair .......... Long Beach, Mississippi
Our Fall Picnic at Elena Gallegos ................. September 2011
COVER Corvairs at Elena Gallegos Picnic Area
DEC President's Letter: What's Up Dave? .............. David Huntoon
Secretary's Report for November ......................... Kay Sutt
Reminder About Birthday Cards ...................... Heula Pittman
Thoughts on a Spam Email .......................... Gordon Johnson
Is Fuel Stabilizer Actually Hurting Your Car? .. Pennsylvania Club
Corvair Carburetor Identification .............. Pennsylvania Club
Articles on Corvair Shifters ......................... Jim Pittman
TECH: Adjust Late Shifter ......... ENCHANTED CORVAIRS, March 2010
TECH: Shift Tube Alignment .......... THE REAR VIEW, February 1985
Index to 2020 Articles .................................... Editor
COVER Shifter Show-and-Tell at the February 2003 Meeting .. Editor
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Enchanted Corvairs Newsletter is published monthly by Corvairs of New Mexico,
chartered Chapter #871 of CORSA, the Corvair Society of America. Copyright by
the Authors and by Corvairs of New Mexico. Articles may be reprinted in any
CORSA publication as a service to CORSA members, provided credit to the Author
and this Newsletter is clearly stated. All opinions are those of the Author or
Editor and are not necessarily endorsed by Corvairs of New Mexico or CORSA.
Material for publication should reach the Editor by the 15th of the month. Send
material via e-mail ( jimp @ unm.edu ) or submit a readable manuscript. I prefer
ASCII TEXT, but MS Word or RTF are fine. Photographs are welcome. The newsletter
is composed using Apple computers. Software includes Mac OS-X, AppleWorks,
Photoshop CS, GraphicConverter, BBEdit and InDesign CS. If you care, ask for
more details. When I'm 64, I'll get by with a little help from my friends.
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