engine CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1964 User Guide

Cooling System Care
Your C hevrolet engine cooling system is equipped with a 180 0 thermostat and is designed to operate on permanent type
(ethyle n e glycol) anti·freeze. Non· Perm anent type coolants are not recommended since
t hey are not sat isfactory for year around use and may not effect ive ly inhibit corrosio n of the engine cool· ing system when used with the quality of water found in some a reas.
If the a nti·freeze was installed at the factory or if it meets the require ments of Gener a l Motors Standard GIVe 1899-1'v1 whi ch contains adequate corros ion pro­
t ec tion, i t may be left in the cooling system for 24 months or 24,000 miles, which eve r occurs first.
C h eck th e
coolant leve l regularly and add water or permanent anti-f reeze as required to maintain supply tank h alf fulL Concentration of coolant should b e to 0 0 F . or b e low to insure sufficient corros ion protection.
Drain and Rush cooling system ever y 24 months. F ill with mixture o f p erma n ent type anti- fr eeze (G1\1 1899-1\'[ or equivalent) and wa te r to provide proper concentrati o n of coolant.
Each Call have your C h evrolet dealer inspect the
cooling syst e m to insure that all connections are leakproof and that the anti-freeze content will pro­
vide adequate protection in cold weather.
NOTE: Your Corvette has on aluminum radiator and supply tank. Therefore, when adding anti-freeze, rust inhibitors or cleaners, make ceria in that they are sale lor use with aluminum radiators .
JI

Check the front of the radiator core occasionally for
insects and leaves. Flush them out from the back
sid e of the radiator using a water hose and city water
pressure.
RADIATOR CAP
The Corvette cooling system is equipped with a 13 lb. pressure cap. To remove the cap, carefully turn ~ turn to allow exces s system pressure to escape, then turn the cap all the way off. If the engine is
ov erh eated, wait for several minutes before removing
the
radiator cap.
Tire
Care
To enjoy maximum service from your tires, keep
them inflated to the pressures recommended on
page
46.
Regular Corvette tires should not be used for ex­
treme vehicle operation. Special purpose tires are
available,
if needed, from major tire manufacturers. DRAINING
AND FILLING
THE COOLING SYSTEM
I. Open the drain cock at the bottom of the
radiator.
2. Remove the drain plug located on each side of the engine block just above the oil pan and be· hind the spark plug wire shields. 3. Replace the engine drain plugs and close the
radiator drain cock before refilling the radiator.
4.
To refill , add coolant until supply tank remains
one -half full. Then start engine and add coolant as necessary to maintain normal one-half- full level in supply tank. Recheck when cool and fill to
normal level.
Rotate tires
as shown every
6000 miles to distribute wear
. over all five tires. This will help you to obtain maxi­
mum service from your tires.

Recommended Schedule for Periodic
Maintenance
and Lubrication
The time or mileage intervals on the following pages
are intended as a guide for establishing regular main­
tenance and lubrication periods for your Corvette .
Sustained heavy
duty or high speed operations or operation under adverse conditions may necessitate
more frequent servicing. To determine specific rec­ommendations for conditions under which you use
your car, consult your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer.
BATTERY
Check the fluid level in each cell of the battery regularly and keep filled with distilled water to the bottom of the split ring in the vent tube of each
cell. DO NOT OVERFILL.
Clean and oil the battery terminals and oil the felt
washer at each regular engine oil change.
Check the state
of charge regularly, especially in
freezing weather when an undercharged battery may
freeze and break.
ENGINE OIL
Engine oil should be changed at 60
day or 6,000 mile intervals. whichever occurs first. U ndef prolonged
dusty driving conditions it may be necessary to
change the engine oil more often.
CRANKCASE VENTILATION
Check
at every oil change,
more often during dusty driving conditions. If dirty or plugged, clear with suitable drill. Twist drill by hand to remove
any sludge or carbon for­
mation.

FAN BELT
Every 6,000 miles inspect fan belt for wear, fraying,
cracking and tension. Belt should be retightened
only when
it deflects more than Y2" with modera te thumb pressure applied midway between pulleys.
AIR CLEANER
Ev ery
12,000 miles (more often under dusty o r other
adverse driving conditions) rem ove the polyurethan e
eleme nt from its support screen and clean in suit able
solvent such as Kerosene . Squeeze out all solvent,
then soak i n engine oil and squ eeze out. Remove
excess oil
by then squeezing the element in a clean dry cloth.
OIL FILTER
The oil filter should be changed at 6,000 miles or 6 month intervals, whi ch ever occurs first. During pro­
l onged dusty driving conditions the filter should be
cha nged more often.
DISTRIBUTOR
Change cam lubricator end for end at 12,000 mile intervals-Replace at 24,00 0 mile intervals.
FUEL FILTER
In-Line Filter-Replace
the entire filter every 12,000
miles. To replace: Re­
move inlet fitting and
loosen filter bracket, then
turn entire filter
to re­
move. 0 hserve the direc­
tion of fuel flow when in­
stalling the new filter.
Carburetor Type Filter - R emove the fuel line and inlet fitting at the carburetor to replace the filter
only if car bur etor Hooding occurs. Do nor att,cmpt to clean the filter. This filter is used on the 250 hp engine only.
BRAKES
Master Cylinder -Every
6,000 miles - Check fluid
le vel and maintain IA" below filler opening with GM Hydraulic Brake Fluid, Super No. 11.
Lining-Inspe ct brake linings periodi cally. Frequency o[ inspection ,viII depend on traffic, terrain and the
driving habits of the driver.

38
TRANSMISSION
3-Speed and 4-Speed-Every 6,000 miles-Check at operating temperature and fill as nec essary to level
of filler plug hole with lubricant specified in Note 2, page 39.
Powerglide-Every 6,000 miles-Check fluid level on dipstick with engine idling, selector lever in neutral
"N" position, parking brake set and transmission at
operat ing temp erature. Add Automa tic Transm ission
fluid
"Type A" bearing the mark AQ-ATF, followed
by a number and suffix letter "A" to "full" mark on dipstick. DO NOT OVERFILL.
Lubricate shift linkage with lubricant specifie d in Note I , page 39.
WHEEL BEARINGS
Every 36,000
miles-Clean and repack front and rear bearings with a high melting point wheel bearing lubricant.
REAR
AXLE Eve ry 6,000 miles-Check and keep filled to level of
filler plug hole with lubricant specified in Note 2, page 39.
With Positrac-tion, use only the special Positrac tion
Rear Axle Lubrica nt available from your Chevrolet
Dea ler.
CLUTCH CROSS
SHAFT Periodic lubricatio n of the clutdl cross-shaft i s not required. At 36,000 miles or sooner, if necessary,
remove plug, install lubrication fitting and lubricate
with lubricant specified in NOTE I Page 39.
ENGINE TUNE-UP
Every 12,000 miles
have engine tune-up operations performed for maximum engine performance.

HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT
Replace individual head lamp s as follows:
Open head lamp doors and remove cover panel, dis­
e n gage spring from retaining ring, then remove
two retai
ning ring attaching screws per lamp indi­
cate d b elow. Don·t dist",·b the larg e head adjusting
screws . Pull lamp fanltard and unplug the electri cal
connector. Plug in the new l amp and reverse the
removal procedure to install.
HEADLAMP AIMING
Improperly aimed headlamps can be dangerous.
Periodic headlam p checks for proper aiming and adjustm en t are strongly recommend ed. Your Chev­
rol et Dea l er is well equipped to provide such service.
NOTE 1: Lubricate with water resi stant EP chassis
lubri cant. BODY
LUBRICATION POINTS
L ubric ate the following items when possible.
Hood Latch Mechanism and Hinges-Apply light en­
gine oil to pivot points. Don't oil lock pins or catch
plates.
Rear Compartment Lid Release and Hinges-Apply
light engine oil.
Side Door Hinge Pins-Apply light engine oil.
Door Lock Rotor
and Striker Plate-Apply light en­
g ine oil or stai nles s stick lubric ant.
Lock
Cylinders-Lubricate wit h powdered graphite.
Window Regulators and Controls and Door Lock
Remote Link-Apply light engine oil.
Gas Tank Filler Cap Hinge-Apply light engine oil.
Wecdherstrips and Rubber Bumpers-Coat lightly
wit h a rubber lubricant such as Chevrolet Spray-a­
Squeak (G. M. Part No. 987883) .
NOTE 2: Lubricate with SAE 80 or SAE 80-90 Multi-purp ose Gear Lubricant meeting
requirements of U. S. Ordnance Spec.
M1L-L-2105B.

MINOR TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE
IfYDUrn~ performing in the following manner:
E~reinseqUen" shown for possible causes.
.....
See Page Number
CAR WILL :\OT STA RT: Engine Will Turn Over Engine \,Vill Not Turn Over CAR WILL START- BUT: Only Af(er Repeated Tries Stalls in a Few Seconds Stalls When HOT I d les Roughl y
Engine Overheats
No Oil Pressure Indicate d Ammeter Points to "Zero" or Negacive Side "'See Your AuthOrized Chevrolet Dealer
~ c ~ 1 E u ~ 0; ~ "ll ~ '" I ~ "8 ~ -" 0: "
15 41 42 42
~ .~ 0
·z
£ u
~ U '" eQj u ]
" ':~ j ~ 0; 0
I! .8.8 ~ ~ ~ ~j l ~ ~ 6 "'0
"'''' 14 35 and 36 43 and 42 30 42
! '" j 0; ~~
i ~ ~ ~~ 0 ~~ :e§ f-~~ ~ ~~
J
s:E ~~ !j
'" ~ ~~ 8i £ ~~ 0 ~ ~ ~ ~'i ~ o.s
'i3 c:.~ ~ ~~ 8 6l i:! ~~ ~~ f-f-31 42 42 and 31 36 32 32

MINOR TROUBLE SHOOTING PROCEDURES
T h e chart on the p reviou s page, and the information on the pages which follow, contains information designed to
aid th e average drive r to d iscove r, and possibly correc t,
conditions resu ltin g i n m inor m echanica l difficulties i n his
c ar. The chart, des igned to point out poss ible solutions to
s evera l of the most cQ,mmon autom otive malfunctions and point out a log ica l checkin g seq uence, will lead step by step to the most lik el y causes and corrective proc edures.
H, afte r makin g the checks and adjustments suggeste d, the source of the trouble has not been found and corrected, it is stro ngly recommended that an Authorized Chevrolet Dealer inspect the vehicl e and make whatever r e pairs or adjust me nts are necessary.
FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE If the ignition switch will cause the e n gin e to "turn over" or "crank" but the car will not sta rt, check Steps A through D below.
a
TE: ,l Continuol "flooding" of the carburetor is ev;de by 0 carburefor wet with fuel o r blade exhaust smoke
perform the operation suggested in paragraph D only
(A) T h e first and most obv ious , and one of the most frequently overlooked, items to check when you have difficulty in starting your car is the amount of fuel in the
tank. Make it a habit to chec k the FUEL GAUGE reg - ularly
a n d m ost especia lly
at a time when the engine _ "turn over" but will not start. (B) If th e fue l tank is not empty, you may check fur.=c to see whether the fuel is reachin g the carburetor. Disc:o&r neet the fuel line at the carb uretor. Place a jar or c:r
under the open line and brieRy "crank" the ~~e ... mean s of the st arter. ]( fuel spurts from the fiuiog.
may assume that the FUEL LINES are clear and the FeIl.. PUMP is operating properly. If n o fuel leaves the :me. either the fuel lines, fuel pump or the in-lin e filter art' 1-fault. See your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer. (C) Befor e recolln ecting the fu el line to me carbu..~ r emove the FUEL FILTER from the carburetor inlet ux! check its co ndition. !{ it appears to be clean , replace i~ a=. reconnec t the fue l line. If the filter appears to be p1!:s--;rt!
clean it as we ll as possible by scraping out the foreigt!~. rial and cleaning in a solvent. Then reinst all the filter ~== a new one as soon as possible.
(D) If the fuel seems to be reaching the carburetor prop­
erly , th e problem may be: a n EMPTY CA.RBL""RET O::" BO'VL caused by a "stuck shut" carburetor; a ROODE:> CARBURETOR caused by a "stuck open" condition 2r.C. ev idenced by gasoline flowing down the outside 0: :.2 carburetor ; or a stuck CHOKE valve. Remove the U:­cleaner from the carburetor. Check that the choke ~~ moves free ly and is not stuck . (Don't mistake no~ sp~~ tens ion for a stuck valve.) Tap the side of the carb~..lX sharply seve ral times with a light tool such as a sc::::-ew­driver handle or plie rs. R e p lace the air cleaner and a~?,­to start the engin e in the normal manner.

(E) If the car will start but sta lls w h e n hot or has a roug h idle, you can sus pect a f aulty IDLE ADJUSTMENT, a malfunctioning AUTOMATIC CHOKE or an extremely
dirty and blocked AIR CLEANER ELEMENT. Clean
your air cleaner element if necessary. If the above Fuel Syste m checks and the checks suggested under the Electr ica l System followi ng do not corre ct the malfunction , i t is recommended that you turTI to your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer for further checks, adjust­
ments or repairs.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM If, when the ignition key is turned to "Star t," the engine
will not turn over, you have good reason to sus pec t elec­
trical trouble.
(F) '
Vhen there is
no response at all to attempts to star t
the car , check the obv ious-your AUTOMATIC TRANS· M ISSION SELECTOR LEVER mus t be in Neutral or Park position befor e the engine can be started. Turning
the IGNITION SvVITCH rapidly back and forth several
times will sometimes correct a poor internal switch contact.
(G) The BATTER Y may be discha rged. If so, lights will
be dim and the horn will have a poor tone if it will blow a t
all. Usually a
garage recharge will be nece ssary to return the battery to operation. Occasiona lly, however, a p u sh start and long driv e will recharge the battery .
POOR BATTERY CONNECTIONS may be suspec ted if
th e car has operated prope rly a short time befor e and now not eve n the horn will operate. Check both ends o f both battery cables. If the connections are corroded, a car ma y
som etimes be restore d to operation by removing all cab le
e n ds, scraping all contacting surfaces clean with a pen
knife, and reassembling. If the cables a r e broken, they
must be replaced. The power supply should now b e restored
unless the battery is dead.
(H)
If, however, the lights and horn work properly but
th e starter will still not turn ove r , c heck the STARTER connections. A "click " from the starter soleno id indicates
th a t the wirin g to the starter is properly install ed. If the
wiring seems to be clean and tightly installed, the trouble
is proba bly in the starter itself and sho uld be referred to
your Authorized Chevr olet Dealer.
When the e ngine will "turn ove r " but will not start, [h e
foll owin g items may b e checked along with the Fuel Syst em
Checks listed previous ly.
(I) With a clean dry cloth wipe the ceramic portions o f
t he spark plugs dry. In particul arly damp or rainy weather dampness may be the cause of not starting, espec ially when the e ngin e is cold.
0) C heck the cables
at the top of the distributor and coil as well as eac h spark plug cable for tightness.
(K)
If the car w ill stilI not st art. ch eck for spark at the
spark plugs in th e foll owing manner:
Pull o n e of the spark plug wi res off its spark plug. Insert a
short piece of bare wir e (such as a bobby pin) between the

rubber cup at the end of the
spark plug wire and the tubular metal connector in­side of it. If the spark plug wire is wet or oily, wipe it
dry . Wrap a dry handker·
chief or facial tissue, folded
several thicknesses, around
the wire at least three inches
back from the end and grasp
the wire at this point. Hold the bare wire about Yi inch from the bare tip of the Checking Spork
spark plug fro m whidl you removed the wire or from any part of the engine. When the engine is "turned over" a
spark should jump ac ross the y.;, inch space , indicating ample current supply. If no spa rk jumps, th e d ifficult y is probably caused b y a defective ignition part and should be
cor rect ed b y you r Authorized Chevrolet Dealer.
COOUNG SYSTEM
'When the car will run but evidences serious overheating on the temp erature gauge in the instrument panel, there are
seve r al i tem s which may be check ed.
(L)
Engine overheating wjll occur when the OIL LEVEL falls dangerousl y l ow. Check the oil lev e l as a matter of
course.
(M) Low
WATER LEVEL will, of course, cause engi ne over
heating.
De termine the cause of the low water level and have it correc ted if necessary. (N) Check the RADIATOR CORE. Clean it if it is plugged with bugs, leaves or other foreign material.
(0) Condition o f the FAN BELT is very important, not only for engine cooling but also for proper generator operation. Check the condition of the belt. Replace it if i t is wor n or frayed. Loosen the generator bolts and move the generator toward the engine to remove and replace the belt. Tighten the belt, whethe r n ew or old ,
by loosening the generator bolts, prying with a bar on the generator until the belt is tensioned properly,
then re t ighten the generator bolts. Proper belt tension is
such that, when pressed hard at a point midway between
th e ge nerato r and fan pulleys, the belt will deflect about ~4 inch.
(P) Another ca use of en­
gine overheating ma y be an inoperative COOLING SYS­TEM THERMOSTAT. II the thermostat sh ould fail in the closed position, it will not permit wa ter to circulate through the system. In such an emergency the thermostat may be removed but should be replaced with a properly functioning thermostat as
soon as possible .
Thermostot Instal/ot;on
43