Technical Anyone have old flat rate books?

Hi, I'm looking for some info on how long it's supposed to take to do a few things on my new 1963 Corvair. I'm not familiar with working on these things, at all....so I'm wondering how long it should take to R&R the motor, or change the rings with it still in the car.

Anyone have a flat rate book from the early-mid 60s that would cover it? I have one from the 50s, and a few from the 70s, but they don't have what I need. can't find anything on the internet, either.

thanks

 

I have one at the shop in town...I can check for you tomorrow if you don't get your answer today.

 

Flat rate books are usually pretty useless on old cars. It will take quite a bit longer to do things because of rust, broken and stripped bolts etc.. plus when you look at the labor times in the old books... You will get pretty depressed.

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I get depressed when I look in a new flat rate book.

 

Squirrel

Cant help on the flat rate books that you need (well I have mid 50s Ford books)

but I am curious if you calculate a cost for a todays repair.

When I worked in a Buick dealership many moons ago we would take the book time and double it to approximate a cost for a paying customer.

Would you feel that approach would get you in an approximate cost ballpark? Not withstanding rust and broken crap from age.

Oldmics

 

Mitchell 1969 flat rate R&R 1963-64 Corvair Engine standard trans 10.9 hours suggested pay$87.20 @$8.00 per hour
automatic trans 12.4 hours suggested pay $99.20@$8.00 per hour

R&I and overhaul 63-64 Corvair 27.6 hours $220.00 @$8.00 per hour

 

thanks! also looking for the time to just replace the rings, without R&R engine. It involved removing the head and cylinders. Just for one cylinder.


Mine has the automatic trans.

Not much rust to deal with on this one, it's in decent condition, considering.

 

Left the shop on my way home can check tomorrow if you don't get an answer tonight.

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ok, thanks. No big hurry.

 

my dad said working on a corvair was like working on a oversized beetle with 2 more cylinders ,a extra carb and longer belt and no weird wrenches ( metric ) ... ( he had both and complained about the way the mounted the alt on the corvair . )

 

Do you have any pictures of your new acquisition?? I am a sucker for Corvairs. You going to run this one in the same race you ran the Edsel???

 

yeah, I got it for the LeMons Rally, coming up in August. Where can you go, after an Edsel, except to a Corvair?

 

Man I want to retire Like Squirel, Drag week and Lemons. I'm green with envy. Hopefully I live long nuff for that.

 

Your a sick man ! But I like your style.

Oldmics

 

I was lucky I didn't have to work on those very often but can you actually pull the head and do the rings without pulling the engine out of the car?

I've got one old flatrate book but don't remember what year it is.

 

yeah, the shop manual (which is available online in pdf format) describes the process. Looks like it's not too difficult. I had a lifter that wouldn't pump up, ended up replacing it...so I got to remove one of the pushrod tubes. Not too bad to work on. And it's the same cylinder that seems to be having some other problems, only 90 psi compression, and lots of oil on the plug. it smokes like crazy. The other cylinders are around 120 psi.

 

Old friend was a GM wrench for years. When the 'vair appeared he was a new guy at that dealership so he got them. He said the learning curve was kinda steep but after a while he could really make, on factory flat rate. He sure could make a 140HP fly. He said any 65 or 66, even a strippo 4 door with a 'glide, tire pressures right and 100 lbs of whatever in the front trunk would waste any of the new Corvettes in the twisties.

 

I realize that this flat rate book is no help to you...But just had to show a couple of pages from it...Date- 1929 also found the slip of paper in side I wonder if the amount due ever got paid the prices ...Wow....Times have changed....

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Don't have a book but back in the 60s my brother had a spyder that we took the motor out. Found out it comes out the bottom. We were not used to that!

 

I don't know about where you live, but $8 per hour in 1969 was pretty good money around here. Good luck with the "lawnmower" engine.

 

Jim hope this is what you are looking for.

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Yes it is, thanks a bunch! The time for cylinder head removal is quite helpful.

 

Don't forget the daily wage was around $5 or maybe .50 cents an hour!

 

I thought the only thing to do with a Corvair is put a SBC in the back seat.......

 

They made pretty good dirt cars if you put the body down over a shortened 55 Chevy chassis....later on a Camaro snout w/ 55 Chevy rails.

 

I already have a go-fast early 60s Chevy compact. Time for a stocker, to see what life was like for the masses

 

I had a bunch of these...

after the first few go-arounds trying to work a bank under the car, I got really good at pulling the engine. It was exponentially easier for me to pull one, do the work needed and slap it back in, as compared to trying to ring a cylinder under the car. The engines are stupid easy to yank once you get the hang of it.

Great fun cars. If the engine is a 102HP, it can really sing behind a 4 speed. Was my favorite setup for a daily car. Nothing Corvair sings behind a Powerglide.

Have fun! I'm not gonna watch... the addiction runs too deep. One hit, and you own 23 Vairs again

 

heh...thanks for the insight! I'm going to get it driving first, then see how it does. I expect it will keep smoking. But once it gets a few miles on it, I can see what else is leaking, too. I might yank the motor out just because, there are probably other things I need to fix on it. I expect I'll find a leak or two on the transmission.

it is the 102 engine, ZF code. I don't expect it to sing, but that's ok

 

good luck.....