overheating CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1964 Owners Manual

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