Chevrolet Corvair 95 RAMPSIDE User manual

RAMPSIDE GREENBRIER SPORTSWAGON
CORVAN
Whether you have one of the three sturdy delivery type Carvair 95 vehicles or the equally
sturdy "family size" Greenbrier Sportswagon, you
are assured of the usual high degree of
Chevrolet excellence
in design and manufacture. This booklet contains informotion and sug-
gestions designed to allow you to more quickly
and more fully enjoy the advantoges and
features built into your Corvair.
Your Chevrolet Dealer
is well trained and equipped to inspect and service your Corvair 95
and keep it ready to provide new car service and performance. Have him inspect and service
your
car at regular intervals.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Chevrolet-and to assure
you of our continuing interest in your motoring pleasure and convenience.
CHEVROLET MOTOR DIVISION • GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
DETROIT 2, MICHIGAN

Page
Operating Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.. 8
Controls . .
.. ...... •....•.......... . .. ...•.... .... ... ....... 10
Cleaning
Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . . .. 22
Mointenance
and Lubrication .......................•.......... 24
Specifications
38
Service Accessories ... . .... ........ • ......................... 40
Minor Trouble Shooting Guide ........ .... . . ... . ..• . .. . .. . . .... 41
Trouble Shooting Procedures .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 42
Index
............................•........................ 45
Owner Protection Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover
All information contained in this booklet is bosed on the lot.st product information available at the
time
of printing. Th. right is reserved to moke changes at any time without notic •.
PART NO. 3784616 • THIRD EDITION

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
BREAKING-IN PERIOD
Sound design and precision manufacturing methods
will permit you to operate your new Corvoir in a nor-
mal manner from its very first mile without adhering to a
formal "break-in" schedule. However, during the first
few hundred miles of driving you
can, by observing a
few simple precautions, add to the future performance
and economy of your car .
It is recommended that your speed during the first
500 miles be confined to a maximum of 60 M. P.H ., but
do not drive for extended periods at ony one constant
speed, either fast or slow. During this period, ovoid full
throttle "iack-rabbit" starts and quick, abrupt stops.
Gentle braking during the first few hundred miles of
operation will result in longer brake life and better
future performance. Avoid hard stops especially during
the first 200 miles of operation since brake misuse during
this period will destroy much future brake efficiency.
Always
drive at a moderate speed until the engine
has completely
warmed up.
DRIVING FOR ECONOMY
Proper maintenance and wise operation will com-
bine to help you achieve maximum fuel economy with
your Corvair. Your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer can
properly tune and maintain your car but wise operation
is your responsibility. Give the car sufficient warm- up
time, do not make "jack rabbit" starts or skidding stops,
and drive at reasonable speeds and as steady as traffic
permits to
gain the benefits of all the economy built into
your
Corvair.
CAUTION: Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by the engine of any car . It ;s odor·
less, so you cannot
detect its presence. Be safe. Never start or run engine in a closed garage.
2

STARTING THE ENGINE
...... --_.-
IGNITION SWITCH
START-Used only ·when starting engine. WHen released,
switch returns to
ON .
ON-For normal operation after engine has been started.
OFF-Turns off eng ine and accessories.
LOCK-Same as "OFF" except tha t sw itch cannot be
moved into or out of this po sition without ignition
key. Always switch to LOCK and remove the key
when leaving your car unattended.
,NOTE: Key cannot be removed from switch when in OFF
position, thus guarding against accidentally leaving
switch
OFF but not lacked. The key may be removed
when the switch is in LOCK or ON po sition and the
switch may be removed between OFF and ON pos ;·
tions without the use of the key .
3
STARTING
1. Place transmission in
Neutral position.
2. COLD ENGINE-Depress
accelerator pedal half
way, pull choke knob
fully out , and release
pedal.
WARM ENGINE-Depress
accelerator pedal half
way
and hold.
3. Turn ignition switch to ON, Release switch and accel-
erator pedal as soon a s engine starts,
4. Adiust the
choke position to obta in smooth engine
ope r ation . As soon as eng i ne will run smoothly with-
out the choke, push the choke knob fully in .
NOTE: The eng i ne may be run at fast idle speed without
choking, if desired,
by pulling the choke knob out
up to
the first third of its travel.
MANUAL CHOKE
Your Corvoir is equipped with a manual choke
des i gned to give you full control of the vital function of
engine choking. Since the choke operates to enrich the

fuel mixture delivered to the carburetors , its improper use
can easily result in excessive fuel consumption. Therefore
the
choke should be used only as described above under
" Starting". If, after the engine has become warm, the
choke is still necessary to provide smooth operation, your
authorized Chevrolet Dealer should be called upon to
perform such
engine adjustments as are necessary.
WARM-UP
Never race the engine or drive at high speeds until
the
engine has hod a chance to warm up. Always drive
at moderate speeds for several miles, especially in cold
weather . Failure to allow sufficient warm-up time causes
much unnecessary
wear to the engine. Also, excessive
speeds before axle and transmission lubricant becomes
warmed up can couse harm to these parts.
DRIVING WITH THE
MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS
The Three-Speed and optional Four-Speed Trans-
missions
are operated in basically the same manner. Shift
patterns differ, of course, as illustrated here. The light
green dots with blode numbers which appear iust below
4
the speedometer dial indicate the recommended speeds
at which the optional 4-speed transmission should be
shifted into 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear .
lst GEAR (LOW)-Depress clutch pedal, shift into 1st
geor, slowly release clutch pedal while pressing on
accelerator. As car gains speed, depress clutch pedal,
release accelerator ond move gearshift into 2nd gear .
2nd GEAR -Release clutch pedal and depress accelerator
os above as car gains speed, then, in same manner
as before , move gearshift lever into 3rd gear.
3rd GEAR (HIGH)-Slowly release clutch peda l and de-
press accelerator pedal. This is the cruising gear for
all normal driving with the
3-speed transmission.
With
the 4-speed transmi ss ion 3rd gear will provide
more
response and higher performance for dr iv in g
in heavy traffic.
4th
GEAR (HIGH-4-speed Transmission Only)
Shift into fourth
gear in the same manner for normal
cruising with the
4-speed transmission.
NOTE:
Whenever the vehicle begins to labor in any gear,
depress the clutch pedal , and shift to the next lower gear .

Three Speed Shift Pattern
TO STOP-Release the accelerator and depress the
broke pedal. As car slows down, depress the clutch
pedal and move the gearshift lever into Neutral.
NEUTRAL-For use when starting or idling engine.
REVERSE-Operate as for 1sf Gear but always at a
slow speed.
TOWING-Atta ching points for lifting and towing are
located in the front and rear bumper bracket s.
5
Four Speed Shift Pattern
PUSHING TO START
• Turn on key and depress clutch pedal.
• Pl ace gearshift lever in Neutra l position until car
speed reaches 15 MPH .
• Move shift lever to 3rd position and slowly release
clutch pedal.
• Never attempt to start the cor by towing.

DRIVING WITH THE POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSION
The optional Powerglide transmission is a completely
automatic transmission which replaces
the standard clutch
and transmission. After starting the engine with the se-
lector lever in "N" (Neutral) position, merely select the
range desired and depress the accelerator. The Power-
glide transmission will do the rest.
During normal
forward driving, the transmission starts
in automatic low gear and will shift to cruising gear at
s ome point between approximately 12 and 50 mph, de-
pending on the accelerator position. Thus, a gradual start
with a
steady, gradual increase of pressure on the accel·
erator pedal will enable the transmission to shift into the
more economical cruising gear in the shortest possible
time. Hard acceleration for fast starts will cause th~ trans-
mission to remain in low
gear for a considerably longer
period with resultant
higher fuel consumption.
When driving at speeds below 40 mph, the transmis-
sion may
be shifted back into low range for extra acceler-
OPERATING YOUR POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSION
POSITION
R-REVERSE
N_NEUTRAL
D_DRIVE
L-LOW
OPERATION
For Backing Car (From Stopp ed Position)
For Starting Eng i ne (Brakes Applied)
For all Forward Driving. Step hard on
accelerator for extra acceleration below
40 MPH.
For Hard Pull ing at Low Speeds, Climb-
i ng, or Descending Steep Grades and for
additional engine braking below 40 MPH .
6
NORMAL
DRIVING
RANGE
SAND, SNOW ,
MUD OR ON
STEEP GRADES

ation for passing by depressing the accelerator pedal.
fully . The transmission will automatically shift back into
cruising
gear when the accelerator pedal is momentarily
releas
ed .
PUSHING TO START
• Pull choke knob out about Y, of its length.
e Turn on key and move selector lever to Neutral. At
20 to 25 MPH move lever to " L" .
e · When engine starts, move selector lever to "0" .
NOTE : Never tow to start.
TOWING
• Pl ace selector lever in Neutral.
e
If transmission or axle are malfunctioning, tow with
rear wheels raised.
Never tow faster than 50 MPH.
• Attaching points for lifting and towing are located in
the front and rear bumper brackets.
ROCKING CAR
When stuck in mud, sand or snow, you may rock
the
car forward and bock by depressing the accelerator
slightly
and shifting the selector lever between "R" and
"D." Avoid excessive engine speed while performing
this operation.
WHEN PARKING CAR
It is imp 'ortant that when your Corvair 95 or Green-
brier is parked the parking brake be fully engaged. Do
not count on the transmission in "L" or "R" to hold the
car. Always
engage the parking brake when parked.
POWERGLIDE DRIVING CAUTIONS
• Alway. engage parking brake when parked.
• Do not accelerate engine in L, 0, or Rwith
the brakes
engaged. This can cause damage
by overheating transmission.
•
Do not hold car on an upgrade byaccelerat-
ing engine.
Use B,rakes.
•
Do not use Low position exceptfor hard pulls
ot low speed, or climbing, or descending
steep
grades .
• Always stop car before shifting to Reverse.
When towing any vehicle on
its front wheels, the steering wheel
should
be secured to maintain a stroight forward position.
7

INSTRUMENTS
All driving instruments are grouped in the instrument
cluster which is located immediately in front of the driver
to provide quick reading and a maximum of convenience
and accessibility. The "Temp·Press " and "GEN·FAN" in·
dicator lights provide important information concerning
the condition of the engine and should be checked regu-
larly during operation of the car. The information on
these pages will help you understand the operation of
these instruments and the illustrations here and on page
10 will acquaint you with the instrument cluster and the
instrument panel as a whole.
FUEL GAUGE
This gauge indicates fuel
quantity in the tank only when
the ignition switch is in the
" ON" position. When the ig-
nition is "OFF," the indicator
pointer will not necessarily re-
turn to the EMPTY mark, but
may stop at any point on the
gauge.
8
BRIGHT BEAM
SPEEDOMETER
Shows speed in miles per h our . The odometer below
the speedometer registers accumulated mileage .
Information
concerning the four speed transmission
shift points
indicated below will be found in the manual
transmission operating instructions on page 4.

"TEMP-PRESS" AND "GEN-FAN" INDICATORS
These indicator 's are extremely important since they
provide a constant check on the operating condition of
the air cooled engine and the generator of your Corvair
95. Both indicator lights should light with the ignition
switch "ON" and before starting the engine. Indicator
lights will go out shortly after engine is started and dur-
ing normal operation of the car . Flickering of the "Gen-
Fan" light while engine is idling is a normal condition.
Engine cooling depends on operation of the fan
driven by the Gen -Fan belt. A broken or slipping fan
belt will cause the Gen-Fan indicator to remain lighted
during normal operation and continued engine operation
can result in serious damage.
INDICATOR REMAINING
LIGHTED DURING
NORMAL OPERATION
PROBABLE
CAUSE
ITEMS
TO BE
CHECKED
Low Oil Pressure
Engine Oil
Level
TEMp·PRESS Indicator
Excessive Engine Temp.
Generator Not Charging
GEN-FAN Indicator
Fan Not Operating
Oil Level
and Fan Belt
Generator
Fan Belt
IMPORTANT:
If either of the indicators light during normal operation,
STOP CAR IMMEDIATELY and turn off ignition. Check
for a broken or slipping fan belt or low engine oil level.
NEyER DRIVE CAR UNTIL BROKEN FAN BELT IS
9
REPLACED. Never drive car when "Temp-Press" indicator
is lighted. Car can be driven at slow speeds if only " Gen-
Fan" indicator islighted and fan belt is not broken. however,
generator must be checked and serviced as soon as possible.