1963 Corvette

[Maverick]

Isn't there supposed to be lube of some sort on there? I somehow remember on maybe the Caddy when I was adjusting the points seeing lube where it contacts the distributor shaft. Not sure if that's true or not, or if the kit comes with anything like that.

-BP

It's true. Think I remember a dab of grease on the cam. Thought about Pertronix?

[Basement Paul]

Apparently, greasing this is something you should do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dYzkaI1vTU

-BP

[GMJohnny]

Smoker,

Check out the felt wiper on this set of points. Maybe if there’s grease on the points this will help it stay greasy… ???

GM

[TireSmoker]

So I saw some pics of those points with the felt to keep grease on it, but that's not what I ended up with. I did find the specific grease, though. I just applied a bunch with a Qtip as I spun the distributor.

The drive gear to the cam looks worn to me, too and the distributor spins kinda tight. It probably deserves a full tear down at some point. When I took it out, I was reminded it was a cast-iron distributor! Heavy!

I knew one of the mufflers was blown out, but now I know how bad..

I had bought a new exhaust system a few years back from Bair's, so I had everything in stock. The now blown up system was 2" pipe and always a performance liability. The new pieces are 2.5" ramhorn manifolds from a 327/340hp/360hp and 2.5" pipe setup. Muffler outlets are only 2", though. Gotta get through the rear fascia, I guess. I've got everything in place, but still loose. I think I missing two parts, a heat-riser valve or something like this. amd maybe a 63-only hangar-clamp setup. https://www.ecklers.com/1963-corvette-c ... 026-1.html

The exhaust studs are longer for one side than the other. Passenger side had this. I don't have that thick piece in a 2.5" version.

New pieces otherwise loosely installed..

New vs Old

[TireSmoker]

Finally finished off the exhaust this weekend.

I had to grind on the support bracket in the middle of the car to get it to bolt up. The pipes are *really* close to the spare tire well.

I got a new gear for the distributor. The one on there looks pretty worn. I need to investigate the cam teeth.

20230102_111111.jpg

Finally, I have a new water pump to replace the scuzzy one on there. It needs a coat of Chevy Orange first.

I'm determined to drive this car a little more this year.

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

So the water pump was looking really scuzzy and had to go. I got another one from Rock Auto and painted it up. It has a port up top that the previous one didnt have, but otherwise seems the same.

I cleaned up the intake a little bit too.

The old pump has a GM casting number it, could very well be the original. It will go over in corner with the rest of the original 327.

-Dave

[MostMint]

Maintenance item every 60 years lol

[TireSmoker]

I got the Corvette out today, washed it, and took it for the first real drive with the new exhaust. It's not loud, but you can hear it more than the old exhaust and it does seem to have more torque. We are ready to hit the car shows!

-Dave

[wxo]

What a beauty! Nothing like a red Corvette convertible.

[TireSmoker]

So when I was under the car doing the exhaust work the past few months, I noticed something a little shocking.. an oil filter dated Sept 2015???? Could it really be 7+ *years* since I changed the oil? I mean, I realize it doesn't get driven a bunch but wow.. The oil didnt look terrible, fwiw..

I changed the oil and filter a few days ago, using Pennzoil High-Mileage 10W-30. I probably should've put synthetic in, but good grief, I can't remember what I put in here in the past. (and didnt scroll here before buying oil). Also installed an AC Delco PF454 filter.

It still needs a full coolant flush after the water pump job. But otherwise running well!

[TireSmoker]

So with barely a few drives on the new exhaust system, both donut gaskets failed miserably, but of course not at the same time. First the driver's side, and I swear not a week after I did that one, the passenger side failed. I got the passenger side replaced yesterday with the departure of the Porsche. Took a drive up 91 and over through downtown Willoughby and River Rd. on the way home. Ran good with no exhaust leaks.

I'm still chasing an oil leak on the back of the engine. Potential candidates are the distributor (since I've touched it recently), the oil pressure sending unit, and the back of the intake. All right in the vicinity.

[TireSmoker]

I bought a new distributor off ebay a couple months back. Seems they are clearing out the mechanical tach-drive distributors. A couple years ago, they were $199 on ebay, I got one for $109 + shipping. Brand new. The guts look just like an MSD distributor, which also means I don't have points anymore.

This one was oddly difficult to get installed, though. I'm not even sure why, but it took *many* attempts to get it stabbed in. Luckily it was on the right tooth when it finally dropped in. Of course, when I went to test-fire it, the battery was dead, so that took an extra day to charge.

Then, on the first test-drive around the block, I knew the fuel was low (foreshadowing) but didn't realize just how low. I just went around the block (almost), when I pulled out onto WIlson Mills and it died within a couple hundred feet. Argh!! Walking home was relatively short, cutting through Jerry's driveway. But, no gas in the gas cans. Load up a can in the truck, go to Sunoco, stop at the Corvette on the way back to splash some fuel in it, drive the truck home, walk back to the Corvette and finally drive it home. Adventure-within-an-adventure.

All winter long, I had been smelling gas in the garage, and it turned out to be the short section of rubber hose between the frame and the fuel pump. It was barely held on at the frame end. I haven't touched this in a long time, so I can't imagine what happened. Worse, when you have the fuel line disconnected, it will just pour gas from the gas tank.

The C2 is the polar opposite of the C4 in terms of fuel-pump difficulty. The lower radiator hose is right on top of everything, the RF suspension is under it, the motor mount/cross member is behind it. It's a stupid PITA. But, in the end, I won the battle and there is now a new piece of longer, well-clamped hose on there. Problem solved.

I let the car idle in the garage for a while after the fuel line fix so that I could check the cooling system.

In the end, the oil leak seems to be gone and the fuel line is properly repaired. I'm gonna try to tune drive it a little this week in preparation for the annual Bair's Corvette show on Saturday the 18th.

I still need to replace the fuel sending unit with a 0-30 ohm unit instead of the incorrect 0-90ohm. I was hoping to do that while the tank was very empty, but I couldn't find the replacement after looking through all my inventory.

[TireSmoker]

Test drive complete.. oil leak remains. Passenger side rear of the engine. UGH. It's not the oil pressure sender, thats dry. I can't tell if its coming up between intake and distibutor, or if it is somehow leaking directly out the back of the intake. So I think my next step is pulling/re-sealing the intake. Sigh.

-Dave

[Fred32v]

Setting and sealing that intake maniold on a SBC can be a real son-of-a-gun, just sayin'.

[TireSmoker]

Its been on there aince 2011. If I have to reseal an intake after 13 years, i guess that isnt terrible. Im just under the gun with the Bair's Corvette show on Saturday.