fuel CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1964 Owners Manual

FUEL
GAUGE
..
The ele ctr ically o p erated fuel gauge will indicate
th e amoun t o f fuel in the lan k when th e ig nition
switc h i s turned on. W hen the ignition switch is
turned off, the nee dle will not necessar ily retur n to the em pty mark.
TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
..
Showing engin e coo lant temperature, gauge readings w ill vary with air temp eratur e and operating condi­
tions. Hard driving or prolonged idling in very hot
weather may produc e above normal readings. The ignitio n swit ch must be o n [or accur ate r eadings.
CLOCK
..
Resetting the dock provides a utomatic regulat io n
providing ther e is an error, either fast o r slow, of at
lea st 3 minu tes. No regulat ion will be introd uced if
the clock is reset for an error of less than 3 minutes. When resetting, pull out the small knob and turn in the direction in whi ch you wi sh to set the hands­clockwise if the clock is slow, counterclockwi se if the clo ck is fast. Do not move the hand s pas t the cor­
rect time. Your clock should be cleaned and oiled periodi cally.
The courtesy lights beneath the o u ter
en ds of the dash p a nel, as well as the Sport Coupe dome light and the Con-
COURTESY vertible r ear compartment light, will
LIGHTS come on when eithe r door is opened. They may a lso be lighted by turning the headlight switch fully counter­clockwise past the slight resi stan ce.

Fuel System Requirements The high performance V-8 engine in your Corvette is designed to operate efficiently on premium type gasolines. See page 43 for
octane requirements. Use of regular grade gasolines in higher
performance engines may result in potentially dangerous engine
detonation.
FUEL
FILLER
CAP In some areas, grades of gasolines may be encountered which result
in severe detonation. Should this occur consult an authorized Chevro­
let
Dealer so that adjustments can be made to eliminate this detona­
tion or reduce it to a safe level.
Lift tip the Corvette emblem on the rear deck to reach the fuel filler cap. II the cap is lost be sure to replace it with a vented cap.
In
all cases excessive engine detonation, or knocking, should be
avoided in order to prevent possible eng ine damage .
Oil System Requirements
Lowest Anticipated Recommended Singhl Recommended Multi-Tempefohue Viscosity Oil ViltIcosltyOil
32 0
F. SAE 20 or 20W SAE 10W-30
0 0
F. SAE lOW SAE IOW-30
Below 00
F. SAE 5W SAE 5W-20
SAE
30 or IOW-30 is recommended when most o[
the driving is at high speeds and/or at temperatures
above gO°F . For continued reliability and perform- ance
from your Corvette
engine, it
is recommended
that you use an oil whic h, according to the label on the can, is (I) intended for service MS and (2) passes car makers' tests or meets General
Motors Standard GM 4745 -M.
Follow the accompanying vicosity
and change interval recommenda­
tions
and check the oil leve l (with
engine hot) on the dipstick regu­
larly. Keep oil level between the
FULL and ADD marks, by adding oil when level is at or below ADD mark. It is not
necessary to keep the level at the FULL mark. DO NOT OVERFILL.

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.

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

TECHNICAL DATA AND SPECIFICATIONS
Serial and Unit Numbers -Stamped on identifi cation
plat e located on instrument panel brace under glove
box.
Bore Engine Compo Disp. Fuel Cyls. X Exhaust Name Ratio (Cu. In.) Induction Stroke
Corvette V·8 4' x 3~' 10.5 327 4 Bbl. Dual Corvette V·8 4 .... x J~1;. 10.5 327 H.B.4 Bbl. Dual Corvette V·8 4" x 31;4 ~ 11.1 327 Holley 4 Bbl. Dual
ENGINE IDENTIFICATION - Stamped on righ t
front engine boss next to water pump.
Gross Trans. Octane Horsepower Ufters Torque ReQ'menl
350 @ 2800 RPM 250 @ 4400 RPM Hyd. 1·2·4 99·101 360 @ 3200 RPM 300 @ 5000 RPM Hyd. 1·2· 4 99·101 360 @ 4000 RPM 365 @ 6300 RPM Mech. 1·3 100·102
'I. 3·speed 2. 4·speed regular 3. 4·speed close ratio 4. Powerglide
CHASSIS DIMENSIONS
Wheel base Length (Overall) Width (Overall)
Height Loaded-Folding Top Up. Loaded-Hard Top Loaded-Sport Coupe
Tread Front Rear 98"
175.3"
69.6"
49.8" .. 49.3" 49.8"
56.3"
57.00"
ENGINES Firing Order 1·8·4·3·6·5·7 ·2
AMA Horsepower-51.2 Distributor :
Dwell
Point Gap Breaker Arm Tension Spark Plugs .016"
used-
.O 19" new
19·23 oz.
AC
45 or AC 46-City Driving Only AC44 (Orig. Equip.) -Town and Country Driving
AC C43 COM-Heavy duty and h igh output AC C42·l COM-Extended and extreme high output Plug Gap .035"

Four speed (Close Ratio)
Powerglide Positraction (Available
with all
Transmissions)
(Available
with 4-speed
Transmissions only)
(Available
with 4- speed
Close Ratio Transmission only)
STEERING
Steering Gear Ratio Overall Ratio (with Fast Steering Adjustment)
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
3.70:1
3.36:1
3.36:1
3.08:1
3.55:1,
3.70:1,
4.11:1, 4.56:1.
16.0:1
20.2:1 17.6: I
{ Caster
.
Front Camber
Toe In (Total)
Rear
{Camber. . . . Toe In (Per Wheel")
Pos. 1%0 ± y.o Pas. %' ± y.' %6" to %6" . Neg. y.0 ± y.o (y'to JAG'" "Each whee l must be adjusted independently . Size
Pressures
Front and Rear
TIRES 6.70 x 15-4 ply rating-tubeless Cold" Hot" 24 29 • After car has been parked for 3 hours or mOTe or driven less than one mile. ··Pressures can rise as much as 7 pounds above cold
figures, depending on loads carried, length of
driving and car speed prior to check.
Fuel Tank Crankcase refill
CAPACITIES
250 and 300 h.p. engines Without filter With filter
365 h.p_ engines Without filter With filter Cooling System Without heater With heater Transmissions Three speed Four speed
Powerglide
Rear Axle
20 gallons
4
quarts 5 quarts
5 quarts 6 quarts
18 quarts 19 quarts
2 pints 2Y. pints 9 quarts 3.7 pints

INDEX Page
Page Hard Top Care
. 29 Pushing Tips. .10 Installation .25 Radio .22
Headlight Operation .17 Rear Compartment 24
Page
Heater .20
Seat
Adjustment .23
Air
Conditioning . .21 High Beam Switch .... 18 Spare Tire Stowage .
33
Ammeter 14 Hood Release . 19 Specificat ions .44-47 Automatic Transmission 7
Ignition Switch . 6 Speedometer 13
Batter y Care .. 34
Jack Stowage . .... 33 Starting 6 Brakes . 19
Lighter 16 Steering Adjustments II Bright Metal Care . .... 27 Light Switch . .. 17 Tachometer .13 Changing
Wheels .34 Lighting System Trouble Checks. 18 Temperature Gauge . 15 Cleaning-Exterior .26-27 Locks . .... 23 T h ermostac .32 Interior
.28 Maintenance and Lubrication . .
35-40 Tire Care .
32
C l ock . 15
Manual Transmission .8-9 10 Tire Chains Cililch Adjustments . .... 11 Metallic Brake Linings 9
. . 10 Towing Tips . Cooling System Care . . 31-32 Odometer 13 Trailer Towing II Courtesy Lights. ... 15 Oil Pressure Gauge. . .. 14 Trip Odometer . .13 D e f
roster
20 Oil Requirements .... 30 Troubl e Shooting Guide .41·43
Doors ... 23 Parking Brakes 19 Turn Signal .18 Folding Top Care .... 28
Plastic \oVindow Care . .. 29 Ventilation 20 Operation ... 25 Polishing Your Corvette . .27 Washing Your Corvette .
26
Removal ... 24 Positraction Rear Axle. Waxing Your Corvette .26
Fuel Gauge ... 15 Power Brakes 19 Whitewall Tire Cleaning .27
Fuel Requirements . 30 Power
Steering . . 19 Windshield Washer .
. 16 G love Box
.24 Powerglide Transmission
7 Windshield Wiper 16