Chevrolet Corvair engine: Encyclopedia II - Chevrolet Corvair engine - 164

Chevrolet Corvair engine - 164

The engine was stroked out to 164 in&sup3 (2.7 L) for 1964. Power output was boosted to 95 hp (70 kW) for the base model and 110 hp (80 kW) in the high performance normally aspirated engine, while the Turbocharged engine remained rated at 150 hp for this year. This increase in stroke was the maximum the engine could tolerate, to the point that the bottoms of the cylinder barrels had to be notched to clear the big end of the connecting rods, while the bottom piston rings at the lowest point of the piston travel actually passed over these notches. This in turn required that the gaps in the piston rings be aligned so as not to catch onto the edge of the notches, a fact unfortunately not immediately obvious to all beginning Corvair engine rebuilders.

For the 1965 model year, all engines had the head gasket area between the cylinder and the head widened, in response to complaints of frequent head gasket failure. A 140 hp (104 kW) version with 4 single barrel carburetors was introduced in 1965; because this became the base engine for the Corsa model, it was unofficially known as the Corsa engine. The carburetors consisted of a single barrel primary and a single barrel secondary on each head, connected by a progressive linkage; in addition, the heads featured higher compression ratio, and the cars received dual exhaust systems. Engines supplied with the automatic transmission were equipped with a camshaft identical to that in the lower end (95 horsepower) two carburetor engine, while those supplied with manual transmissions got the camshaft out of the higher end (110 horsepower) two carburetor engine. This engine became optional when the Corsa line was dropped, in 1967. Chevrolet sold 279 of these engines in the 1967 model year, 232 with manual transmissions, and 47 with Powerglide transmissions. Only six were sold with the four carburetor engine and the AIR injection system required by California emissions standards. These figures include 14 Yenko Stingers and 3 Dana Chevrolet variants of the Stinger.

The turbocharged engine now developed 180 hp (134 kW). Contemporary reviews describe a similarity in power between the turbocharged and four-carburetor engines throughout the low and mid RPM range, with the turbocharged engine being superior only on the top end. Enthusiast publications, however, began to describe how to modify the turbocharged engine to deliver more power "off the line".

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "164", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki