Hi Mike. I own a 58' beetle. She is mechanically sound and runs daily. I however have experienced that she does not allow the wipers and headlights to work together at once. The previous owner converted her to 12volt. Do you perhaps know what this can be?
at 6:24 you show a light blue Bug, and it appears to habe a turquoise steering wheel, which should be only offered on early 61 Bugs with body color Turkis, which you light blue body is not. Whats the story on the body color and steering wheel color? PS you have a nice video, and show some very nice early Bugs. Inspiration for to drive mine! Thank You!
Allen Loser i have graduated now and started working but the bug is still sitting in storage sadly because now when I have started working I have basically no spare time at all😅
Mr Mac … I have a system for my hobby. It has a budget of $100 per month. If I need something for my old car I just back track to the last time I made a purchase. If it was a year ago then I get to spend $1200 with no questions! Right now I have $1700 into my vehicle (over 5 years) but haven't spent a dime in ages, besides gas and oil. It needs transmission work.... no questions so far.
One to add of substantial importance! "Do NOT fail to carry one or two spare VW V-belts in the car, since a broken V-belt means overheating disaster!" It would also be advisable to carry a spare accelerator cable assembly with you if you do any traveling in your bug, since finding one on the road at the 'Last Chance Garage' would be nearly impossible. Thanks for providing not just VW 'newbies' but all VW owners a service with these observations, Mike! Of especial relevance is the information about keeping the battery's positive terminal protected from the rear seat springs! Dozens of wonderful VW Beetles have suffered catastrophic fires due to that particular hazard (particular if the back-seater is a VERY heavy person! Back in 1930s KdF days, most of the backseaters were children, not 200 pound American adults, LoL!). Good on ya, mate! Cheers!
That belt also runs the generator or alternator. If the red light below the speedometer comes on (indicating that the generator isn't charging), stop ASAP and check that belt. If the generator (and the fan attached to the back side of its shaft) isn't spinning, you will cook that engine in a hurry. Back when I drove air-cooled VW's (40 years ago) parts were pretty easy to find. I suspect that is no longer the case.
@@htimsid - about 4-6” from where the fuel line comes out from the back firewall. Between firewall(the actually rear of the body of the car itself) and engine shroud/doghouse. Behind the engine up under and above the rear left tire. Just close off the gas hose with 2 clamps and cut the gas line. Insert your fuel filter and be sure to use fuel line tightening clamps on the filter, one on each side, remove It can be a bit of pain but better that than it coming off and literally spewing gasoline all over the engine which will most likely catch on fire by a spark plug before dying from lack of fuel. Used to happen all the time when I was young and all of our parents and friends parents had one. My fathers literally burned up on fire and so did my wife’s fathers. Simple fix and there’s plenty of videos on TH-cam explaining how to do it
omg I was so frustrated with that i had to make a video on just that. so many people think it will be a low budget build then they bite of more than they can chew.
@@vwbusguy I got my current VW baja free from a neighbor many many years ago. The young kids he got it from had rolled it and trashed it. Someone had converted it to a baja before they got it. It had been in an accident at some point, crunched in the nose and rear. While a baja, it had been partially submerged in mud and rusted badly from the door handles to floorpans. Heater channels were gone as well. He saved it from them and gave it to me free. He said they couldn't make it start. I just shook my head and thought piece of crap. However, I figured it would be a challenge. I immediately saw the engine wiring was all messed up. I got it running in 15 minutes and drove it for a year with cracked heads. Took me 12 years total to restore, new tools and had to learn a lot more about body work and welding that I did not already know. Put a cost on my time, tools, parts, paint, supplies, etc. Probably spent around $30K and still going. She's my garage queen now. Drive a few times a month and to car shows. What a story to tell. In the end it was worth it to me. I'll never sell it.
At 73, I was an Air Cooled VW Wrench for over 20 years - do NOT let a cold car idle to "warm up" - it WON'T. Start and drive IMMEDIATELY (moderately at first). Three different Metals in the VW engine - Magnesium, Steel, Forged Aluminum will all heat up and EXPAND at DIFFERENT Rates when at cold idle, causing the parts to permanently deform. Cold under a light load will cause the metals to heat and expand at a more similar rate. This will add THOUSANDS of miles to your engine's life and lower oil burning caused by the cold steel cylinders rubbing on the cold aluminum pistons, making them permanently egg shaped (leaky). PLUS don't do all the other things Mike has wisely told you not to do.
I’m 31 and I’ve been a two way ethanol transfer pump since I was 21(I’ve also spent some time as a cotter pin, and have a bit of experience as a 5 gallon bucket)- and I have nothing valuable to add to the conversation.
I have always heard and done the opposite. That you don't want a load on parts that are not up to operating temp. And also you want the oil warm enough to be flowing freely. You make a good point though. I don't think you want to sit and idle for 10 minutes. But I always tried to never load a cold engine. Mike is right about "lugging" the engine. I bought my first beetle from a neighbor who was a VW mechanic. He told me over and over, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER lug this engine. I did take that to heart.
I got my first VW right after I graduated from High School in 1962 - a 57. Over the years I’ve owned 5 VW’s and probably put over 500,000 miles on them total. Over the years I have broken most of these “never do’s with a VW”. I don’t recall ever having a fire extinguisher and I never had a fire
Do not run a engine that has been sitting for years until you remove the fan shroud and inspect for mouse nest...motor will burn up if the cooling airflow is blocked
I had that issue in my ‘66 and I was the third person owning it after sitting on a filed for so long. Thank God I did that !found the remaining of three dead mice!
Just to add to that good point, don’t forget to check the small airflow pathway for cooling the generator. Mud dobbers/ mud wasps love to build nest in there on such a car. It will burn out gen
Had one towed into my shop in the 70's that had a blanket sucked into the fan. The lady said she thought maybe it would start easier on the cold morning if it was warmer.
this is one of your better videos on tips especially now that the old arcools have a new young generation of people getting into them as a hobby those guys don’t remember a day when everyone drove VWs
Here's another one: Do NOT abominate your classic QT bug into a baja (OK if already wrecked both front and rear)! So many were ruined that way needlessly during 70's and 80's.
Don’t leave home without a spare....belt, tools, points, bulbs, a VOM, duct tape, a length of fuel hose, a small container for gas, a quart of oil, spare tire, Fire extinguisher ,your gun, wallet, money and a cell phone. Don’t drive the car unless BOTH warning lights work. Don’t drive a marginal car...marginal brakes, engine noise, smoke....all means a breakdown on the freeway. Don’t tow an airstream trailer....don’t pull some one out of the ditch.....that’s what AAA is for. Don’t let ANYONE work on or drive your car, especially kids. Don’t wash your white hot engine....or your dark color car while hot...the first is obvious...the second.....car wash soap will eat into a hot paint job and ruin it. Don’t coast down a hill, in the mountains thinking it will be good for the engine....use third and it’s better to run fast, with ....the fan running fast...than no fan speed. Don’t....at all...never....don’t drive your car to the service station with the oil light or generator light on. Stop...shut off the car, and fix the problem. Don’t cheep out on parts....your damn lucky you can even find parts. Wolfsburg is a great place. Pricy? Price parts on a new VW and compare....cheaper? Your welcome. Don’t put hot rod parts on your car, unle$$ you. Plan on $pending lots of $$$$ making it right..even then that candle burning at both ends will only go 40k miles, instead of 80 k. Plan on $$$pending more on your car to make this 200 hp engine, stop, transmit the power to the wheels, track the power and steer the whole mess around corners. Good luck...cause it’s going to be hard to out do the eggheads at Wolfsburg. Dont try to engineer something on your car, unless you have a plan, did it before satisfactorily, or have a degree in engineering .....most of the time putting a bigger screw in that hole...will make your transmission shift incorrectly...ha,ha,ha...see the “egghead” comment above. Don’t plan on making a 4 hour trip in four hours....it will take 6. Enjoy your self. Don’t drive the car cold ,Start your car.....roll a cigarette...get it hitting good. Then go. Don’t give big high out put cars a jump start with your car running.....when their car starts it will fry the electrics in your tiny archaic voltage regulator. Hmmmm what else have I seen Don’t turn your 49 Hebmuler or 52 Rometch into the “Hawaiian look “, or a sand rail. It’s considered blasphemous and may result in lead poisoning. If you have a cool older VW, and want a sand rail....sell it to a nice person.....and go buy one of those bombardier things....or a corolla. Have a battery cutoff switch....so you can save your car when your 60 year old wiring harness grounds itself. Don’t try to see if your car will float....it most assuredly will not. Subaru engines belong in Subaru’s. Don’t cheap out on brake parts....stopping is the most important thing a human being can do. Speaking of stopping..........
Larry Woodruff And valve adjustments (especially #3) on non “dog house” oil cooler engines is critical. Factory specs call out for every 3K miles but I do mine every 2K just in case. Mine is a 66 bug.
Garage Time - Restomod It takes a long time for that to happen, especially with the later ball-bearing type throwout assemblies. Sitting with the clutch depressed for 10 or 20 seconds waiting for a light to turn green won't hurt anything. I would worry more about the thrust bearing in the crankcase. The old carbon block throwout bearings in the split-windows and such would wear faster.
@@felicitad4095 it's the warning light on the speedometer that says there's a problem with the charging system. It comes on when the belt that runs the generator breaks, also runs the cooling fan. When the fan isn't spinning, the engine gets extremely hot and will literally burst into flames and burn the while car up. Know this from experience lol
True, so true. I worked in a garage years ago & my boss was supposed to 'look over' this 71 Beetle for the new owner. He proceeded to put the car on the lift- Yeah, you guessed it- with the pads touching the undercarriage, the lift went up 5 inches before the car moved. Not only did the running boards look like wings, the pads of the lift were poking through the floor in the passenger compartment. OOPS- car ended up being a parts donor!
Yup. Ask any VW community about how many engine fires that has caused over the years and that should be enough of a motivation to move it out of the engine bay. One single line without any extra weight or joints on it going from the fuel pump to the carb is the proper way to do it.
Odd as this may seem. I drove a 62 bug from 1972 to 1997. That particular model, right from the start, as in brand new right off the VW dealer’s lot never had a fuel filter of any kind. That was a stock configuration for that model. The majority of the fuel lines were metal w/a minimum of braided fuel line used for connecting the metal gas lines to and from the fuel pump to the carburetor as well as the line connecting to the gas tank. Never installed a filter. Never. Flushed the gas tank twice the whole time I drove the car. No fires. No fuel problems regarding blockages in the carb or fuel lines. Put a lot of miles on the car. Even replaced the speedometer after about three hundred thousand miles. Replace a lot of wear and tear parts required to sustain reliability. The original fuel pump and ignition coil was something that never ever was replaced as long as I owned the car.
Leonard Zangs I worked on Beetles and Golf 1 in the late 70’s. I maybe remember that some maybe older beetles had a mesh filter build in the fuel pump. And some really old beetles had a open/close valve inside the car. This valve was installed directly in the tank. Like a motorcycle. This valve had also a mest filter inside the tank. (I Think to remember) :-)
Zee Governator All VWs had a mesh screen on the fuel tank outlet whether it had the reserve valve or not. The original fuel pumps had mesh screens in them as well. Some aftermarket fuel pumps had no screen. With those pumps it was pretty important to use the fuel filter.
My dad bought me a '71 Super Beetle in "77. I didn't know much about cars, especially VW's. Had the car about 6 months when the accelerator cable broke. You all know what happens- car goes down to idle & that's it. Had it towed to a guy's garage who worked for a VW dealership before opening his own repair shop. He ordered the cable & even showed me how to install it. I always kept 1 in the (front) trunk, along with a belt & a few measly tools. After the 3rd one broke, I looked at the accelerator pedal. It was a little bent, so instead of pulling the cable straight, it sort-of bent the wires of the cable. I grabbed the pedal & bent the steel (or tin) mount a little to the right. Never had to put another cable in :-)
Had the accelerator cable break in my '73 SB. I was able to avoid a tow by using an electrical butt splice to attach 12ga electrical wire to the broken end of the accelerator cable. It had broke right by the carb. Was able to get to a nearby VW shop and buy a replacement, but my splice job was working so well I waited to change it after I got to my destination 2 hours down the road.
My 1973 VW Type 2 owners manual says not to wait for the engine to warm up on a cold day. It says to drive it at normal RPMs immediately. Is that wrong?
@@MattLaVoie1 But on cold days 6 deg C to -20 C first the choke will operate until the engine warms up enough. How can you start and take off while the choke is operating. The oil viscosity will also be thicker, putting a heavy load on the oil pump.
Not sure if this applies in the States, but it certainly does over here in the UK. Do not use rubber fuel lines that are more than a couple of years old. The ethanol content in fuel rots the rubber and they will leak. Make sure you change them for proper ethanol proof lines, including the short one under the tank.
I Agree. ESPECIALLY the one under the tank. I drove my bug for several years with the stench of gas. I couldn't find the problem until that small fuel line failed and a good sized puddle of fuel was on the floor of the garage. Yikes! I replaced it with ethanol proof lines and haven't had a problem since.
Windhund Garage That is excellent advice! Ethanol petrol “E85” is widely used in the USA. The “OEM” fuel hoses for air cooled VW ‘s were never designed for such fuel.
Loved the video and thanks for sharing. Everyone here has some Awesome tips and subjection's. All in all, Don't take your Bug or Bus for GRANTED, listen to the warnings so you don't become stranded somewhere you DON'T want to be. :-).
All good tips! thanks for confirming what I already know (knew). For newbies: do your research! VERY important. . . Remember: AIR and OIL both do the cooling. . . check your oil level every week. My 36 HP original engine is close to 150,000 miles and STILL strong and fine. ;)
When I rebuilt my Beetle engine 20 years ago, I decided to place a small 12 - volt Buzzer - in the circuit for the Oil Light. What happens here, is that the Buzzer will sound - when the Ignition key is turned on. When the engine starts, the Oil Pressure switch (on the engine) will become open- circuit, and the Oil Light on your Speedometer will go out, and the Buzzer becomes silent. Now, here is the benefit of doing this: You may be on a lengthy drive in your beloved Beetle, and your Oil Light may illuminate - due to loss of engine oil and Oil Pressure. Placing a Buzzer in this circuit will alert you instantly!! We all know that (in bright sunshine) that the tiny Oil Light Warning is extremely difficult to see, and many VW Owners may not even look for any indications of Oil Pressure Loss whilst driving. It really is too late - when you become alerted to Engine Oil Loss - when the Big-End Bearings are knocking to alert you that something is wrong.............I have revisited this site for a second time - just to add this note, and the VW Engine does not really have a large quantity of Engine Oil. Hope that this helps the Beetle Fraternity. Greetings from Australia.
Great tips, well presented. I’ll add Lift your spare wheel out of the well to inflate it as it can jam in there as it expands. Keep a stash of spare oil (for topping up when you’re out) in a 750ml sauce ketchup bottle with a pointy nozzle (so there’s no spill or funnel required) next to your spare tyre. Mine’s labeled ’bug juice’ 🤣 Pop a new spare alternator belt in next to the spare wheel too. Change the oil regularly (it’s the coolant too) If you can’t hold your dipstick the engine is overheating (slow down and enjoy the ride) Carry spare ceramic fuses (not everywhere has them in stock these days) SMILE & Wave to other bugs 🤙
I had a rather pristine '69 bus in the mid-eighties, still with it's original mediam blue paint .. loaded it with camping gear and my two children to go up to Bishop, California from Pomona made the mistake of pushing it at 70 up the Cahon Pass in hot weather and shortly before Summit lost the exhaust valve and broke the piston in #3 cylinder
If your carbs intake has a loose brass fitting, Epoxy it in, and then to be doubly safe, stake it. I staked mine with a punch. Later engines have a doghouse that relocates the oil cooler from over cyl 3, to outside in back of the engine. UNLESS you are running a dune buggy, DO NOT try to out-engineer the VW Engineers! They knew what they were doing. Keep all the sheetmetal stock, and around the engine! The engines run too hot unless you keep them stock. My KG was always needing it's valves adjusted, they were tightening up, which will burn exhaust valves, I replaced the worn-out adjusting screws and that really helped.
DO NOT overtighten your oil drain bolts! I stripped one once and it blew-out on the highway! Luckily an engine shroud bolt fit in it's place, installing it with a quarter because a screw driver was too long! LOL!
You could blank off the original pump hole, and fit an electric pump. Problem solved. I did this with my Windscreen Washer (originally connected to the Spare Wheel).
George Curious Excellent advice. It seems that almost everyone over inflates the front tires. This makes for poor braking and worst of all, very sketchy handling around corners or quick lane changes.
The one about using only Bosch points and condenser: Back in the late '70's or early '80's when I had a few old bugs and one Karmann Ghia -- they were dirt cheap back then and I was broke -- I learned that the hard way. I bought "Road baron" points and condenser at an auto parts store, Checker if I remember right, and I had two or three of them in a row put me on foot. The condenser screws onto the outside of the distributor, and there is a wire that goes from it to a plastic plug that fits into a hole in the bottom of the distributor, with a brass male spade connector inside it, and the points connect to that spade connector. On the cheap knockoff set, after a few thousand mile, that plastic plug would disintegrate, and the connector would short to ground, which meant no spark, no run. The Bosch point and condenser set cost a couple bucks more but I never had that problem with them. The plug was made out of a better plastic that was at least good enough to outlast the points and condenser.
Great vid. Stock is Rock! Stock fuel pump has a filter. Make sure your tank has it's screen. No after market filter is needed. Make sure your axle boot nuts are at 3 or 9 O'clock. Not on top. Factory spec. Most problems occur from modifying the German engineering. Cheers!
yea for sure on the axle boots. so many guys make that mistake. I try to put on the solid ones when the trans is out but when it has bolts ususlly 2 Oclock but some guys use 3. either one works. 12 o'clock is a no no. torn boot
@@Mikefngarage 10-4. 'Need that acordian action on the top and bottom. The side just has to bend, not stretch. The seam gets sealant so as to not leak. I see these being installed improperly all the time.
You forgot to mention not only should you carry a full toolbox with you at all times when driving a Volkswagen you should also bring along blankets to keep warm at night and enough snacks and entertainment in case your repair takes a while to fix.
For winter driving, make sure the steel cables from the knobs beside the emergency are properly adjusted or you will get no heat. Usually these cables are broken when removing the engine for service. Also, the thermostat that opens & closes the door on the fan shroud has to be set to factory spec, .for the engine temp and for heat inside the car. Great cars but not tinker free!!!!
Good tip about the fuel line onto the carb. I had just finished a full respray on a '63 40 HP Beetle, had put the re-furbed engine back in had the rear up on axle stands, fired the engine up without exhaust system just to make sure it'd start. The fitting you mentioned popped out, fuel sprayed into engine bay and onto floor, open exhaust, boom, up it went. Thank goodness for the workshop fire extinguisher, but all new paint on rear ruined, back to square one!
My story goes like this: I was in a car scrapyard, looking for Fiat Bambino 110F parts. I saw this '71 Super Beetle, almost on its' side, but being propped-up by a border fence. I went over to view this. Clearly, there had been a very serious engine fire. All the rear had been fire-damaged (even the interior). Damage was bright orange rust everywhere. I said to the Scrap Yard Boss: " What is going to happen to the Beetle?" He replied: "It's gonna get crushed tomorrow". I had never considered EVER owning a Beetle, but I asked "How much?" His reply was five hundred dollars - and delivery to my home on a Tilt-Tray Truck. After just over one year later, at a cost of $14,000, the car looked brand-new, with original Alpine White 2-Pak paint. I will never forget the very first time that I drove the Beetle on the street, following the restoration. At the time, the Engine Decklid Had not yet been fitted. Now, bear in mind, that I didn't know what originally caused the Beetle Engine Fire. I had only driven the car about three hundred metres - when I smelt a very strong smell of petrol!! I immediately stopped the car, the engine still running, and I jumped out of the car, ran to the rear. I was horrified to see a heavy jet of fuel (from the top of the Fuel Pump). The Fuel Pump was the type that has a removable top, with four(4) screws, and a Lid. The Fuel Jet was being sprayed onto the Distributor!!! I stopped the engine, dried the petrol. I tied a cloth around the leaky pump, drove home and replaced the pump with a 'sealed' type. I had now found the original cause of the Beetle's near-cremation. Glad that you saved your Beetle too, but I got away lightly, but you didn't. I saved the life of a "sad" Beetle. Today, it's still my baby, for the last 17 years. Just been converted to 100% electric with Tesla Batteries and Hyper 9 Motor. I'm keeping the engine and fuel tank, and can be converted back.
Gotta say...I owned two VWs many years ago, and suffered no disasters...But after reading your excellent info, I would never consider owning one of these now...too many things to keep track of!
Every bug I’ve owned I wired a push button switch in between the front seats on the tunnel direct from the hot side of the battery through the switch to the starter solenoid. Disconnect the large starter key wire to the starter solenoid and tape it so it doesn’t arc on metal.
Accelerator cable breaks, not carrying spare now what, don't despair, pull throttle lever a bit & put a piece of foam or rolled up paper to keep the throttle from going back to idle, the motor will rev up and keep on revving till you remove the foam or paper, it's a little tricky when you stop in traffic as the motor is revving fast be careful releasing the clutch as the car will shoot fwd and on each gear change the revs will be fast but you'll get home. Another tip, I have an early 67 K G which was 6 volts, in around 1982 I converted to 12v, the two things I left 6v were the hooters ( 2 on the KG) and the starter motor, you should hear those hooters running 12v, the starter turns super fast, it's now 2023 and all I've had to do is replace the worn brushes on the starter motor😊
that last comment is true, that was my 1st lesson to learn when i bought my voksy 30 years ago and the 1st problem i had with it, didn't know anything about VW back then especially the simple common things, then you get more knowledgeable as the years progress
The main reason bugs can catch fire is due to having the fuel hose next to the steel pipes that get red hot when the car is running, as shown in the vídeo, where the fuel filter is located, this hose must be always located on the outside of the alternator, which means as far as possible from any direct source of excessive heat.
I bought a burnt-out Beetle from a car scrapyard. I discovered the cause of the engine fire. It was the old Fuel Pump. The old Fuel Pump was the type made from Cast Alloy, with the four (4) screws on top. The gasket failed, and spurted a high-pressure jet of fuel - straight onto the Distributor! My advice here, is simply to check that there is NO weeping of fuel around the top gasket of the Fuel Pump. I simply replaced this old Pump with a steel (sealed) version. It was a '71 Beetle, which was completely rebuilt. I gave it a new life, and I've been driving this Beetle (now) for 20 years.
If you're in the market for a Mexican Beetle with fuel injection system (or already have one): change all your fuel hoses, especially the ones that go into the injector rails as they love to crack and make a mess. And try to keep the needle above quarter tank mark, your fuel pump will thank you later and will last much longer. My grain of sand just in case someone needed to know! Keep those VWs rollin'!
don't forget to turn the fuel valve back to main after refilling fuel I had the '59 with the big back window and the small tail lights but it had indicator arms that came out of the door pillar behind the drivers head and they would stick in a lot
Great video. Keep up your excellent work. My VW had by factory installed metallic cover on top of the battery ( BOSCH ) held by a strap with a quick release clamp connected to 2 anchors in the floor. The metallic fuel line by factory goes trough a rubber grommet mounted in the sheet metal cover.
If you do not smell raw gasoline, do not start the car, it is out of fuel! lol Thanks for video! Those rules you said are what the "Old V.W. only" mechanic shop tells me as well!
Do not use "P" rated tires on any VW Bus...Always use "LT rated tires...Do not use plastic gas filters. Use all metal filters...Do not forget to adjust your valves at least once a year.
oh, and do NOT screw the oil preasure sending unit all the way in , those threads are tapered, if it was screwed all the way in by someone else then you probably have to screw it all the way in also
FYI plastic filters were used in EVERY car back in the 70s and 80s. There was never a fire issue. Datsun toyota, Nissan Ford. GM. Isuzu Back in the carburetor days that is what was done and they were in the engine compartment. In 30k cars that i have heard of that have a filter right there. NONE have caught fire. There were people that THOUGHT it was the filter but usually it was a old hose, or the filter and hoses did not have clamps. or more commonly the brass fitting slipped out of the carb causing the engine to catch fire.
Just be sensible with fuel line, and you'll be fine. Tie wrap line so it can't pull from carb. Tie wrap it so it can't get against anything sharp or hot. Keep filter ahead of pump. Change out hard brittle hoses. Ensure clamps are tight. Ensure no rubbing of hoses or sharp edges without grommets at firewall, etc.
I owned 3 bugs & 3 buses and they all took regular gas & 30 weight Pens detergent oil ,but always good 2 have extra fan belts & fire extinguisher , also traveling a long distance, give it a rest every hour or especially if you feel a reduction in power, good to have a oil temperature gauge, Goodluck 👍👍☮
Absolutely correct about the engine fires due to the brass fuel fitting on the carb. I highly recommend having a tech pin that brass fitting. Don't try it yourself unless you know what you are doing. Otherwise, everything mentioned in this video is correct. How do I know? I was a line and engine room tech for VW in the 60's and 70's. Over 125 eninges built.
Great vid and comments! If you install new carb don’t forget to make sure the fuel nipple is pressed in properly! Had a new 34pict3 that the fuel nipple shot out of the body and she caught on fire! Luckily had an extinguisher on board! Hahahaha posted this before I got 2 the end! You covered it!!! Great stuff!!!
The original oil cooler is mounted inside the fan housing. I put an external oil (electric fan type) cooler away from engine under my bus. Far better cooling. Deep sump helps too. More oil to cool engine. Also, put on ALL the original tin around engine.
The most important point for me was the last one regarding the brass feed tubes which are pressed into the pump and carb coz I've had two come loose so I've wrapped copper wire between the jubilee clips and round the body of the crab and the pump just to make sure that these tubes can't ever Work loose coz if they can They possibly will and it doesn't, take a lot of imagination to predict the Outcome! Very important tip indeed.
I got lucky, just reinstalled my original glass with new window rubbers on my 72 1200 standard Bug for a respray and nothing broke. The small side windows where the hardest to fit.
@@johncollins5552 sounds good, nice stage to be at, I remember re fitting my windows on my 62 and the alloy insert trims were a fiddly job but the rear side window rubbers were good so I left well alone. Ps good luck with the rest of the project.
@@johnroberts3723 Thanks, thing is Bug looks great, however I hoping to do a mig. welding course in the autumn so I can tackle heater channels next summer, probably a body off job and a load of rust repair to look forward to on the corners of the chassis.
@@johncollins5552 definitely body off is the only thorough way to do it. I did mine, heater channels plus extensive areas including front and rear door pillars, all sorts of repair panels in fact it got quite scary when I'd removed almost six inches all the way around the bottom of the body shell, pan was ok after much sand blasting, then I went on to do a colour change as I had the car in pieces, I finally spent two and a half years of spare time on the project but it was worth it. So yes go for it and please let me know how you get on.
I had an Engine Fire. The gasket on the pressure side of the fuel pump failed, sprayed gas all over the Distributor. The Fuel Pump was the type with four (4) screws on top. All VW Bug Owners need to know that this is a problem that suddenly appears with disastrous consequences. Buy a Later Fuel Pump - that is sealed. Carry a Fire Extinguisher in your car.
Change your oil every two thousand miles and adjust the valves every oil change. Adjust the number three exhaust valve loose with more clearance that will allow that valve to remain closed longer to help it cool. I would adjust all valves to .006 with the number three set to .007-.008
...adjust the valves to the above clearance when the engine is stone cold. VW manual says to adjust to .004, but that is for a car that was driven to the dealer. Adjusted mine with a cold engine to the factory specs... ran like a bat out of heck for exactly 185 miles... left me stranded in Beeville, Tx. Never forgot that lesson.....
gabor korthy I would add to that oil change schedule 2K or every six months whichever comes first. As I used to tell my customers: Oil is cheap, engines are not.
E-curb I prefer longevity in an engine to quite ! The number three exhaust valve is the one to always fail because the way the oil cooler is positioned the air that reaches the number three cylinder has been preheated by passing through the oil cooler.
@@gaborkorthy8355 .."The number three exhaust valve is the one to always fail because the way the oil cooler is positioned " This is what everyone parrots. If you talk to the engine rebuilders they say it's a myth. VW retarded the timing of #3 to eliminate its hot running. Every engine after 71 had the oil cooler out of the way of the cooling airflow to #3 & #4. The problem is, those that parrot the above myth, still say the same about the later engines when it's theoretically not possible. My engine is the original engine, not rebuilt. I've set the valves to .004" since I got the car 25 years ago. It runs cool and doesn't leak a drop. The key to my success with .004" is to measure the lash before adjusting it. Don't just go in there with your .004" gauge and say it's too loose, or too tight, actually measure it. That way you know what is happening to the lash. If you find it to be .002, then maybe you have a problem developing. Do you know why VW said to set them to .006 instead of .004" back in the 70s? It was because by that time, most other cars on the market had hydraulic lifters that self adjusted, so no maintenance. Car owners didn't like to have to pay for a service other car owners didn't have to do, so it was very common for owners to neglect their valves. In response, VW increased the lash to accommodate those neglectful owners. Are you that type of owner? If not, it is perfectly safe to run at .004", as long as you know that your lash isn't going to close up to nearly nothing. By measuring the lash like I described above, you can see a problem developing.
Burning Bananas Oops. I was reading all the don't do this and don't do that, I thought I read DON'T get the fuel inlet threaded! I am aware of the potential problem and have the carb top ready to ship to him. Sorry for the confusion.
Please like of dislike the comments that apply
Mike Fn Garage
Or NOT of. LOL
Hi Mike. I own a 58' beetle. She is mechanically sound and runs daily. I however have experienced that she does not allow the wipers and headlights to work together at once. The previous owner converted her to 12volt. Do you perhaps know what this can be?
at 6:24 you show a light blue Bug, and it appears to habe a turquoise steering wheel, which should be only offered on early 61 Bugs with body color Turkis, which you light blue body is not.
Whats the story on the body color and steering wheel color?
PS you have a nice video, and show some very nice early Bugs. Inspiration for to drive mine!
Thank You!
?
Your missing the covers around the heat risers😉
Don't let it sit , drive it
of course this comment would be from you good one.
My wv bug is sitting over the winter but I will take it out of storage and restore it when I graduate school and hope I get some time to put on it😊
@@johanmattsson6572 Christmas is in 4 months. Ask for replacement parts.
Allen Loser i have graduated now and started working but the bug is still sitting in storage sadly because now when I have started working I have basically no spare time at all😅
I daily drive mine through rain, snow, and whatever nature throws at me
Always wave to other bugs, great fun in the 70's
Late 50s, 60s and 70s are my favourite era of bugs
Beetle
Meep MEEP! 😁👍👍🇺🇲
Do not tell your wife what you really paid for it. Ever!!
or the parts
Mike Fn Garage Especially the parts 😂
This is the best
Mine thinks they all came with the bus....
Mr Mac … I have a system for my hobby. It has a budget of $100 per month. If I need something for my old car I just back track to the last time I made a purchase. If it was a year ago then I get to spend $1200 with no questions! Right now I have $1700 into my vehicle (over 5 years) but haven't spent a dime in ages, besides gas and oil. It needs transmission work.... no questions so far.
One to add of substantial importance! "Do NOT fail to carry one or two spare VW V-belts in the car, since a broken V-belt means overheating disaster!" It would also be advisable to carry a spare accelerator cable assembly with you if you do any traveling in your bug, since finding one on the road at the 'Last Chance Garage' would be nearly impossible. Thanks for providing not just VW 'newbies' but all VW owners a service with these observations, Mike! Of especial relevance is the information about keeping the battery's positive terminal protected from the rear seat springs! Dozens of wonderful VW Beetles have suffered catastrophic fires due to that particular hazard (particular if the back-seater is a VERY heavy person! Back in 1930s KdF days, most of the backseaters were children, not 200 pound American adults, LoL!). Good on ya, mate! Cheers!
Are new vw vehicles less fussy
That belt also runs the generator or alternator. If the red light below the speedometer comes on (indicating that the generator isn't charging), stop ASAP and check that belt. If the generator (and the fan attached to the back side of its shaft) isn't spinning, you will cook that engine in a hurry. Back when I drove air-cooled VW's (40 years ago) parts were pretty easy to find. I suspect that is no longer the case.
Don't leave home without a fire extinguisher.
good one. thanks for that.
Not sure its a good idea to leave home if its going to involve fire extinguishers lol
I was getting ready to say the same thing. LoL
@@_f30_b58 thanks for commenting anyway helps the video
Rene Drew I lost my 69 beetle bc of that exact reason..motor was bright blue in a matter of seconds. It was definitely a lesson learned the hard way.
he missed to mention "Do not put a fuel filter to the fuel line in the engine compartment, that's a fire hazard" 🔥🔥🔥🔥
This is the most evident issue the author forgot mentioning.
What is the best place for the filter?
@@htimsid - about 4-6” from where the fuel line comes out from the back firewall. Between firewall(the actually rear of the body of the car itself) and engine shroud/doghouse. Behind the engine up under and above the rear left tire. Just close off the gas hose with 2 clamps and cut the gas line. Insert your fuel filter and be sure to use fuel line tightening clamps on the filter, one on each side, remove It can be a bit of pain but better that than it coming off and literally spewing gasoline all over the engine which will most likely catch on fire by a spark plug before dying from lack of fuel.
Used to happen all the time when I was young and all of our parents and friends parents had one. My fathers literally burned up on fire and so did my wife’s fathers. Simple fix and there’s plenty of videos on TH-cam explaining how to do it
@@dtrujillo12 he mentions it at the end of the video…
Do NOT start a project on your vehicle thinking you're not going to spend more money than planned. sheesh
omg I was so frustrated with that i had to make a video on just that. so many people think it will be a low budget build then they bite of more than they can chew.
Its ok if you have no money at all because you cant spend it.
My v.w. mechanic died of old age back in 2013..sheer folly to work on them with out one.
Be me 6 years ago"yeah ima going to restore this car to a show car for about $1000 and no tools......still going.....and buying tools....
@@vwbusguy I got my current VW baja free from a neighbor many many years ago. The young kids he got it from had rolled it and trashed it. Someone had converted it to a baja before they got it. It had been in an accident at some point, crunched in the nose and rear. While a baja, it had been partially submerged in mud and rusted badly from the door handles to floorpans. Heater channels were gone as well. He saved it from them and gave it to me free. He said they couldn't make it start. I just shook my head and thought piece of crap. However, I figured it would be a challenge. I immediately saw the engine wiring was all messed up. I got it running in 15 minutes and drove it for a year with cracked heads. Took me 12 years total to restore, new tools and had to learn a lot more about body work and welding that I did not already know. Put a cost on my time, tools, parts, paint, supplies, etc. Probably spent around $30K and still going. She's my garage queen now. Drive a few times a month and to car shows. What a story to tell. In the end it was worth it to me. I'll never sell it.
At 73, I was an Air Cooled VW Wrench for over 20 years - do NOT let a cold car idle to "warm up" - it WON'T. Start and drive IMMEDIATELY (moderately at first). Three different Metals in the VW engine - Magnesium, Steel, Forged Aluminum will all heat up and EXPAND at DIFFERENT Rates when at cold idle, causing the parts to permanently deform. Cold under a light load will cause the metals to heat and expand at a more similar rate. This will add THOUSANDS of miles to your engine's life and lower oil burning caused by the cold steel cylinders rubbing on the cold aluminum pistons, making them permanently egg shaped (leaky). PLUS don't do all the other things Mike has wisely told you not to do.
i warm mine till the chokes allow me to drive it away ;)
@@RodderFiles Yikes! I just inherited my dad's 57. I had no clue you weren't supposed to idle it in the garage. Lesson learned!
I’m 31 and I’ve been a two way ethanol transfer pump since I was 21(I’ve also spent some time as a cotter pin, and have a bit of experience as a 5 gallon bucket)- and I have nothing valuable to add to the conversation.
I have always heard and done the opposite. That you don't want a load on parts that are not up to operating temp. And also you want the oil warm enough to be flowing freely. You make a good point though. I don't think you want to sit and idle for 10 minutes. But I always tried to never load a cold engine. Mike is right about "lugging" the engine. I bought my first beetle from a neighbor who was a VW mechanic. He told me over and over, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER lug this engine. I did take that to heart.
No matter what, always carry a fire extinguisher.
P.S. Do not think you never need to adjust your valves.
What valves?
Every oil change adjust valves
Unless you have a 1500/1600 with the hydraulic lifter mod done.
The VW manual would say to adjust them every 6k miles. But VW experts say every 3k miles.
I got my first VW right after I graduated from High School in 1962 - a 57. Over the years I’ve owned 5 VW’s and probably put over 500,000 miles on them total. Over the years I have broken most of these “never do’s with a VW”. I don’t recall ever having a fire extinguisher and I never had a fire
Do not leave home without your triple A calling card.
Do not run a engine that has been sitting for years until you remove the fan shroud and inspect for mouse nest...motor will burn up if the cooling airflow is blocked
yea for sure or the leaf pile blocking the air.
I had that issue in my ‘66 and I was the third person owning it after sitting on a filed for so long. Thank God I did that !found the remaining of three dead mice!
always check fan flow from time to time. you can feel if the air is not moving sometimes without removing the shroud.
Just to add to that good point, don’t forget to check the small airflow pathway for cooling the generator. Mud dobbers/ mud wasps love to build nest in there on such a car. It will burn out gen
Had one towed into my shop in the 70's that had a blanket sucked into the fan.
The lady said she thought maybe it would start easier on the cold morning if it was warmer.
this is one of your better videos on tips especially now that the old arcools have a new young generation of people getting into them as a hobby those guys don’t remember a day when everyone drove VWs
yea for sure lots of newbies and people without tech Gurus that need to know some of this suff.
Herbie Azeitona, restaurem!
th-cam.com/video/9J1nb0Or2OE/w-d-xo.html
Here is a do. In Bug, cover the battery with a cheap rubber Welcome mat like from Home Depot. This will prevent shorting on seat springs.
Good to know. I just took my back seat out of my 57. Co pilot only.
Herbie Azeitona, restaurem!
th-cam.com/video/9J1nb0Or2OE/w-d-xo.html
Here's another one: Do NOT abominate your classic QT bug into a baja (OK if already wrecked both front and rear)! So many were ruined that way needlessly during 70's and 80's.
Don’t leave home without a spare....belt, tools, points, bulbs, a VOM, duct tape, a length of fuel hose, a small container for gas, a quart of oil, spare tire, Fire extinguisher ,your gun, wallet, money and a cell phone.
Don’t drive the car unless BOTH warning lights work.
Don’t drive a marginal car...marginal brakes, engine noise, smoke....all means a breakdown on the freeway.
Don’t tow an airstream trailer....don’t pull some one out of the ditch.....that’s what AAA is for.
Don’t let ANYONE work on or drive your car, especially kids.
Don’t wash your white hot engine....or your dark color car while hot...the first is obvious...the second.....car wash soap will eat into a hot paint job and ruin it.
Don’t coast down a hill, in the mountains thinking it will be good for the engine....use third and it’s better to run fast, with ....the fan running fast...than no fan speed.
Don’t....at all...never....don’t drive your car to the service station with the oil light or generator light on. Stop...shut off the car, and fix the problem.
Don’t cheep out on parts....your damn lucky you can even find parts. Wolfsburg is a great place. Pricy? Price parts on a new VW and compare....cheaper? Your welcome.
Don’t put hot rod parts on your car, unle$$ you. Plan on $pending lots of $$$$ making it right..even then that candle burning at both ends will only go 40k miles, instead of 80 k.
Plan on $$$pending more on your car to make this 200 hp engine, stop, transmit the power to the wheels, track the power and steer the whole mess around corners. Good luck...cause it’s going to be hard to out do the eggheads at Wolfsburg.
Dont try to engineer something on your car, unless you have a plan, did it before satisfactorily, or have a degree in engineering .....most of the time putting a bigger screw in that hole...will make your transmission shift incorrectly...ha,ha,ha...see the “egghead” comment above.
Don’t plan on making a 4 hour trip in four hours....it will take 6. Enjoy your self.
Don’t drive the car cold ,Start your car.....roll a cigarette...get it hitting good. Then go.
Don’t give big high out put cars a jump start with your car running.....when their car starts it will fry the electrics in your tiny archaic voltage regulator.
Hmmmm what else have I seen
Don’t turn your 49 Hebmuler or 52 Rometch into the “Hawaiian look “, or a sand rail. It’s considered blasphemous and may result in lead poisoning.
If you have a cool older VW, and want a sand rail....sell it to a nice person.....and go buy one of those bombardier things....or a corolla.
Have a battery cutoff switch....so you can save your car when your 60 year old wiring harness grounds itself.
Don’t try to see if your car will float....it most assuredly will not.
Subaru engines belong in Subaru’s.
Don’t cheap out on brake parts....stopping is the most important thing a human being can do.
Speaking of stopping..........
@OkFixer sounds like you mightve had a veedub or two lol best comment ever🤙
now that is a real vw owner.
@@extract_a_mundo3732 a few... and all beaters...except the one I am putting together now.
@Jordan Winders you'd be surprised the amount of people who leave it behind.
@@Mikefngarage thank you sir for being able to ''vent'' on your page! Keep up the good work.
Wish you lived 10 minutes from my house. No bug experts I know of in my area, did not know any of this stuff, vital information, thanks much.
VW-- making mechanics out of regular people for 60 years--
Larry Woodruff And valve adjustments (especially #3) on non “dog house” oil cooler engines is critical. Factory specs call out for every 3K miles but I do mine every 2K just in case. Mine is a 66 bug.
How about don't leave the clutch depressed when at a stop light? It wears the thrust bearing.
Garage Time - Restomod
It takes a long time for that to happen, especially with the later ball-bearing type throwout assemblies. Sitting with the clutch depressed for 10 or 20 seconds waiting for a light to turn green won't hurt anything. I would worry more about the thrust bearing in the crankcase. The old carbon block throwout bearings in the split-windows and such would wear faster.
@@rescue270 that's what I meant. The case bearing! Much harder to replace.
Garage Time - Restomod
Yah, I see that now. Sorry!
@@rescue270 Ha ha no worries!
shouldn't be a problem if you shimmed your bowden tube properly
Do not leave without liking the video!
and rund the comments with likes too helps the video get watched.
Yess...We should appreciate him for gave us not to do with your Volkswagen...😁😊🙏🏼
Do not go anywhere without a spare fan belt.
Do not continue driving if the orange light on the dash comes on.
Andrew Swanson or a pair of pantyhose.
My generator light is always on😂 but it’s the alternator that’s not charging properly but it still spins the fan
What is the orange light? Sorry :-( I really don't know.
@@felicitad4095 it's the warning light on the speedometer that says there's a problem with the charging system. It comes on when the belt that runs the generator breaks, also runs the cooling fan. When the fan isn't spinning, the engine gets extremely hot and will literally burst into flames and burn the while car up. Know this from experience lol
Do not purchase a old bug without inspecting the floor pans, heater channels and wheel wells for rust and rot
oh yea for sure gotta look for that rust. could be costly.
bluekangaroo kw And look for areas that have excessive amounts of undercoating. It’s amazing what people try to hide under an inch thick glob of UC.
True, so true. I worked in a garage years ago & my boss was supposed to 'look over' this 71 Beetle for the new owner. He proceeded to put the car on the lift- Yeah, you guessed it- with the pads touching the undercarriage, the lift went up 5 inches before the car moved. Not only did the running boards look like wings, the pads of the lift were poking through the floor in the passenger compartment. OOPS- car ended up being a parts donor!
Inspect the unibody extensions that the rear bumper mounts to for bad rust, or the bumper will fall off unexpectedly.
And gutters
do not drive it until you check the oil
What oil??? jk!
And inspect fuel lines for wetness
Do not have a fuel filter installed in your pressure line. Have it in the suction line in the front of the car or near the transmission.
Zee Governator absolutely. That's the worst thing ever to do on a vw.
Yup. Ask any VW community about how many engine fires that has caused over the years and that should be enough of a motivation to move it out of the engine bay. One single line without any extra weight or joints on it going from the fuel pump to the carb is the proper way to do it.
Odd as this may seem. I drove a 62 bug from 1972 to 1997. That particular model, right from the start, as in brand new right off the VW dealer’s lot never had a fuel filter of any kind. That was a stock configuration for that model. The majority of the fuel lines were metal w/a minimum of braided fuel line used for connecting the metal gas lines to and from the fuel pump to the carburetor as well as the line connecting to the gas tank. Never installed a filter. Never. Flushed the gas tank twice the whole time I drove the car. No fires. No fuel problems regarding blockages in the carb or fuel lines. Put a lot of miles on the car. Even replaced the speedometer after about three hundred thousand miles. Replace a lot of wear and tear parts required to sustain reliability. The original fuel pump and ignition coil was something that never ever was replaced as long as I owned the car.
Leonard Zangs I worked on Beetles and Golf 1 in the late 70’s. I maybe remember that some maybe older beetles had a mesh filter build in the fuel pump. And some really old beetles had a open/close valve inside the car. This valve was installed directly in the tank. Like a motorcycle. This valve had also a mest filter inside the tank. (I Think to remember) :-)
Zee Governator
All VWs had a mesh screen on the fuel tank outlet whether it had the reserve valve or not. The original fuel pumps had mesh screens in them as well. Some aftermarket fuel pumps had no screen. With those pumps it was pretty important to use the fuel filter.
do not buy an older bug if you don't want to continually be tinkering-learn how to adjust your valves-get used to the oil leaks
My dad bought me a '71 Super Beetle in "77. I didn't know much about cars, especially VW's. Had the car about 6 months when the accelerator cable broke. You all know what happens- car goes down to idle & that's it. Had it towed to a guy's garage who worked for a VW dealership before opening his own repair shop. He ordered the cable & even showed me how to install it. I always kept 1 in the (front) trunk, along with a belt & a few measly tools. After the 3rd one broke, I looked at the accelerator pedal. It was a little bent, so instead of pulling the cable straight, it sort-of bent the wires of the cable. I grabbed the pedal & bent the steel (or tin) mount a little to the right. Never had to put another cable in :-)
Had the accelerator cable break in my '73 SB. I was able to avoid a tow by using an electrical butt splice to attach 12ga electrical wire to the broken end of the accelerator cable. It had broke right by the carb. Was able to get to a nearby VW shop and buy a replacement, but my splice job was working so well I waited to change it after I got to my destination 2 hours down the road.
Yeah, I got one......"DO NOT start and gun down your VW on a cold day". Wait for the engine to warm up...!!
wow thanks for that I like having a choke for that reason.. dual carbs no choke.
My 1973 VW Type 2 owners manual says not to wait for the engine to warm up on a cold day. It says to drive it at normal RPMs immediately. Is that wrong?
@@MattLaVoie1 But on cold days 6 deg C to -20 C first the choke will operate until the engine warms up enough. How can you start and take off while the choke is operating. The oil viscosity will also be thicker, putting a heavy load on the oil pump.
Mohabat khan Malak and it’ll stall at every stop in my experience until it’s at operating temp
@@MattLaVoie1 I have a '72 Super and I let it warm up for at least a few minutes before taking off!
Not sure if this applies in the States, but it certainly does over here in the UK.
Do not use rubber fuel lines that are more than a couple of years old. The ethanol content in fuel rots the rubber and they will leak. Make sure you change them for proper ethanol proof lines, including the short one under the tank.
wow here they last a few years or more. good to know
I Agree. ESPECIALLY the one under the tank. I drove my bug for several years with the stench of gas. I couldn't find the problem until that small fuel line failed and a good sized puddle of fuel was on the floor of the garage. Yikes! I replaced it with ethanol proof lines and haven't had a problem since.
@@sawdust311 why would you put ethanol in your car to begin with? -- CORN IS FOOD, NOT FUEL!!!!!
@@andylaird1368 Because that is all you can get in about 99% of gas station in US.
Windhund Garage That is excellent advice! Ethanol petrol “E85” is widely used in the USA. The “OEM” fuel hoses for air cooled VW ‘s were never designed for such fuel.
Dont install fancy radio your engine IS the radio
your damn right!!
Do not take out the back seat and fill it with sub-woofers!
Mine has eight track! Doesn’t work, but it has one.😀
Loved the video and thanks for sharing. Everyone here has some Awesome tips and subjection's. All in all,
Don't take your Bug or Bus for GRANTED, listen to the warnings so you don't become stranded somewhere
you DON'T want to be. :-).
thanks for watching and the comment. love to hear it.
All good tips! thanks for confirming what I already know (knew). For newbies: do your research! VERY important. . . Remember: AIR and OIL both do the cooling. . . check your oil level every week. My 36 HP original engine is close to 150,000 miles and STILL strong and fine. ;)
I'm new to the vw world and found you advice very appreciated.. Thank you
My uncle bought a brand new Beetle in 1967 he was captain in Pakistan army, i was 9 years old then.
Thanks for uploading very informative video.
When I rebuilt my Beetle engine 20 years ago, I decided to place a small 12 - volt Buzzer - in the circuit for the Oil Light. What happens here, is that the Buzzer will sound - when the Ignition key is turned on. When the engine starts, the Oil Pressure switch (on the engine) will become open- circuit, and the Oil Light on your Speedometer will go out, and the Buzzer becomes silent.
Now, here is the benefit of doing this: You may be on a lengthy drive in your beloved Beetle, and your Oil Light may illuminate - due to loss of engine oil and Oil Pressure. Placing a Buzzer in this circuit will alert you instantly!!
We all know that (in bright sunshine) that the tiny Oil Light Warning is extremely difficult to see, and many VW Owners may not even look for any indications of Oil Pressure Loss whilst driving. It really is too late - when you become alerted to Engine Oil Loss - when the Big-End Bearings are knocking to alert you that something is wrong.............I have revisited this site for a second time - just to add this note, and the VW Engine does not really have a large quantity of Engine Oil. Hope that this helps the Beetle Fraternity. Greetings from Australia.
My advice from running two clapped out VWs is don't worry about the don'ts but do whatever keeps it running!
Great tips, well presented. I’ll add
Lift your spare wheel out of the well to inflate it as it can jam in there as it expands.
Keep a stash of spare oil (for topping up when you’re out) in a 750ml sauce ketchup bottle with a pointy nozzle (so there’s no spill or funnel required) next to your spare tyre. Mine’s labeled ’bug juice’ 🤣
Pop a new spare alternator belt in next to the spare wheel too.
Change the oil regularly (it’s the coolant too)
If you can’t hold your dipstick the engine is overheating (slow down and enjoy the ride)
Carry spare ceramic fuses (not everywhere has them in stock these days)
SMILE & Wave to other bugs 🤙
I had a rather pristine '69 bus in the mid-eighties, still with it's original mediam blue paint .. loaded it with camping gear and my two children to go up to Bishop, California from Pomona
made the mistake of pushing it at 70 up the Cahon Pass in hot weather and shortly before Summit lost the exhaust valve and broke the piston in #3 cylinder
Oh man, what a bummer. Do you still have it? (Note to self, no Summits)
This is good advice for any vehicle.
The tip at the end is the best! My $10 grand bug 63 ragtop, I'm just worried about that fire shit. Thank you so very much! 🙏🤘
My first car a 1966 1300. it was only 10 years old and the side boards were rusted off. I sold it for 50 bucks in 1978. it actually ran great.
If your carbs intake has a loose brass fitting, Epoxy it in, and then to be doubly safe, stake it. I staked mine with a punch.
Later engines have a doghouse that relocates the oil cooler from over cyl 3, to outside in back of the engine. UNLESS you are running a dune buggy, DO NOT try to out-engineer the VW Engineers!
They knew what they were doing. Keep all the sheetmetal stock, and around the engine! The engines run too hot unless you keep them stock.
My KG was always needing it's valves adjusted, they were tightening up, which will burn exhaust valves, I replaced the worn-out adjusting screws and that really helped.
Great helpful video. Thanks mike. Made me think. I have to check the pressure side of my carb and see if fitting is secure.
Great tips Mike!! Thank you!!!
thanks for watching and the comment.
Great info Mike, I've seen so many VW'S break from not knowing these simple things
DO NOT overtighten your oil drain bolts! I stripped one once and it blew-out on the highway! Luckily an engine shroud bolt fit in it's place, installing it with a quarter because a screw driver was too long! LOL!
Very informative appreciate your comments & words of wisdom !
Check your oil level often . If the level is higher than you remember check for a gasoline smell . The fuel pump maybe leaking into the crankcase .
OMG how many motors have I seen like that.
What a life-saving advice! Thanks!
Indeed, I blew an engine that way. The fuel pump leaking into oil sump seems to be a bit of a design flaw.
It could also be wrong float height in the carb…it usually is…
You could blank off the original pump hole, and fit an electric pump. Problem solved. I did this with my Windscreen Washer (originally connected to the Spare Wheel).
Do not let your tire shop or you over inflate your VW OEM tire psi. Front tires: 16-18psi
Rear tires: 26-28psi (bugs & ghias).
George Curious Excellent advice. It seems that almost everyone over inflates the front tires. This makes for poor braking and worst of all, very sketchy handling around corners or quick lane changes.
The barking dog leaves a professional touch to this video😂
I agree with all of your comments and suggestions.
A great video series.
Thank You
Thanks. Learnt a lot
Do not ignore a carb that is leaking gas from the throttle shaft
The one about using only Bosch points and condenser: Back in the late '70's or early '80's when I had a few old bugs and one Karmann Ghia -- they were dirt cheap back then and I was broke -- I learned that the hard way. I bought "Road baron" points and condenser at an auto parts store, Checker if I remember right, and I had two or three of them in a row put me on foot. The condenser screws onto the outside of the distributor, and there is a wire that goes from it to a plastic plug that fits into a hole in the bottom of the distributor, with a brass male spade connector inside it, and the points connect to that spade connector. On the cheap knockoff set, after a few thousand mile, that plastic plug would disintegrate, and the connector would short to ground, which meant no spark, no run. The Bosch point and condenser set cost a couple bucks more but I never had that problem with them. The plug was made out of a better plastic that was at least good enough to outlast the points and condenser.
I have one of those older style fuel pumps! But I have an alternator! I run my fuel filter down along the transmission.
sorry- ait have brushes too-- and not the only ignition source--
Great vid. Stock is Rock! Stock fuel pump has a filter. Make sure your tank has it's screen. No after market filter is needed. Make sure your axle boot nuts are at 3 or 9 O'clock. Not on top. Factory spec. Most problems occur from modifying the German engineering. Cheers!
yea for sure on the axle boots. so many guys make that mistake. I try to put on the solid ones when the trans is out but when it has bolts ususlly 2 Oclock but some guys use 3. either one works. 12 o'clock is a no no. torn boot
@@Mikefngarage 10-4. 'Need that acordian action on the top and bottom. The side just has to bend, not stretch. The seam gets sealant so as to not leak. I see these being installed improperly all the time.
You forgot to mention not only should you carry a full toolbox with you at all times when driving a Volkswagen you should also bring along blankets to keep warm at night and enough snacks and entertainment in case your repair takes a while to fix.
yea dont forget the snacks that one is important. nothing like a bag of chips to get you or your passengers through the repair. or tow truck ride.
For winter driving, make sure the steel cables from the knobs beside the emergency are properly adjusted or you will get no heat. Usually these cables are broken when removing the engine for service. Also, the thermostat that opens & closes the door on the fan shroud has to be set to factory spec, .for the engine temp and for heat inside the car. Great cars but not tinker free!!!!
As someone who is new to Bugs this is much appreciated. Thank you
Glad to help
WOW! Those are beautiful bugs! I'd love to own one again!
They are!
Herbie Azeitona, restaurem!
th-cam.com/video/9J1nb0Or2OE/w-d-xo.html
Good tip about the fuel line onto the carb.
I had just finished a full respray on a '63 40 HP Beetle, had put the re-furbed engine back in had the rear up on axle stands, fired the engine up without exhaust system just to make sure it'd start. The fitting you mentioned popped out, fuel sprayed into engine bay and onto floor, open exhaust, boom, up it went.
Thank goodness for the workshop fire extinguisher, but all new paint on rear ruined, back to square one!
At least no one was hurt, & you saved the car (for the most part)!
My story goes like this: I was in a car scrapyard, looking for Fiat Bambino 110F parts. I saw this '71 Super Beetle, almost on its' side, but being propped-up by a border fence. I went over to view this. Clearly, there had been a very serious engine fire. All the rear had been fire-damaged (even the interior). Damage was bright orange rust everywhere. I said to the Scrap Yard Boss: " What is going to happen to the Beetle?" He replied: "It's gonna get crushed tomorrow". I had never considered EVER owning a Beetle, but I asked "How much?" His reply was five hundred dollars - and delivery to my home on a Tilt-Tray Truck. After just over one year later, at a cost of $14,000, the car looked brand-new, with original Alpine White 2-Pak paint. I will never forget the very first time that I drove the Beetle on the street, following the restoration. At the time, the Engine Decklid Had not yet been fitted. Now, bear in mind, that I didn't know what originally caused the Beetle Engine Fire. I had only driven the car about three hundred metres - when I smelt a very strong smell of petrol!! I immediately stopped the car, the engine still running, and I jumped out of the car, ran to the rear. I was horrified to see a heavy jet of fuel (from the top of the Fuel Pump). The Fuel Pump was the type that has a removable top, with four(4) screws, and a Lid. The Fuel Jet was being sprayed onto the Distributor!!! I stopped the engine, dried the petrol. I tied a cloth around the leaky pump, drove home and replaced the pump with a 'sealed' type. I had now found the original cause of the Beetle's near-cremation. Glad that you saved your Beetle too, but I got away lightly, but you didn't. I saved the life of a "sad" Beetle. Today, it's still my baby, for the last 17 years. Just been converted to 100% electric with Tesla Batteries and Hyper 9 Motor. I'm keeping the engine and fuel tank, and can be converted back.
DO NOT miss this video! Hahaha this guy is great, thanks for the good advise.
Thanks for sharing this information. Best of luck in the future.
Good stuff, man.
Get rid of that fuel filter between the pump and carb, it's a fire waiting to happen. Put it by the trans so when it leaks it's on the ground.
I don’t know anything about what to do or what not to do with my Volkswagen, but I certainly do love the one you are showing on the screen!!
Gotta say...I owned two VWs many years ago, and suffered no disasters...But after reading your excellent info, I would never consider owning one of these now...too many things to keep track of!
Do not purchase a new starter until you test the existing one...you may only need to install a hard start relay
yea for sure on the 6v especially on a 6v car. also know the sound of the growling bad bushing that may be all you need.
Or, as happened to me, I only needed a new heavy current cable from battery to starter. The old one was corroded and became very resistive.
Every bug I’ve owned I wired a push button switch in between the front seats on the tunnel direct from the hot side of the battery through the switch to the starter solenoid. Disconnect the large starter key wire to the starter solenoid and tape it so it doesn’t arc on metal.
Also, DON'T install your fuel filter in the engine compartment!
Where do you have your fuel filter?
Accelerator cable breaks, not carrying spare now what, don't despair, pull throttle lever a bit & put a piece of foam or rolled up paper to keep the throttle from going back to idle, the motor will rev up and keep on revving till you remove the foam or paper, it's a little tricky when you stop in traffic as the motor is revving fast be careful releasing the clutch as the car will shoot fwd and on each gear change the revs will be fast but you'll get home.
Another tip, I have an early 67 K G which was 6 volts, in around 1982 I converted to 12v, the two things I left 6v were the hooters ( 2 on the KG) and the starter motor, you should hear those hooters running 12v, the starter turns super fast, it's now 2023 and all I've had to do is replace the worn brushes on the starter motor😊
that last comment is true, that was my 1st lesson to learn when i bought my voksy 30 years ago and the 1st problem i had with it, didn't know anything about VW back then especially the simple common things, then you get more knowledgeable as the years progress
The main reason bugs can catch fire is due to having the fuel hose next to the steel pipes that get red hot when the car is running, as shown in the vídeo, where the fuel filter is located, this hose must be always located on the outside of the alternator, which means as far as possible from any direct source of excessive heat.
Don’t want gas dripping on that distributor cap
I bought a burnt-out Beetle from a car scrapyard. I discovered the cause of the engine fire. It was the old Fuel Pump. The old Fuel Pump was the type made from Cast Alloy, with the four (4) screws on top. The gasket failed, and spurted a high-pressure jet of fuel - straight onto the Distributor! My advice here, is simply to check that there is NO weeping of fuel around the top gasket of the Fuel Pump. I simply replaced this old Pump with a steel (sealed) version. It was a '71 Beetle, which was completely rebuilt. I gave it a new life, and I've been driving this Beetle (now) for 20 years.
What not to do,
Don't make it an EV
The sounds of that boxer is beautiful
Good one
If you're in the market for a Mexican Beetle with fuel injection system (or already have one): change all your fuel hoses, especially the ones that go into the injector rails as they love to crack and make a mess. And try to keep the needle above quarter tank mark, your fuel pump will thank you later and will last much longer.
My grain of sand just in case someone needed to know! Keep those VWs rollin'!
I’m very new to the vw world but I just bought a 1968 beetle for 1200 running !! Very helpful video
don't forget to turn the fuel valve back to main after refilling fuel I had the '59 with the big back window and the small tail lights but it had indicator arms that came out of the door pillar behind the drivers head and they would stick in a lot
Great video. Keep up your excellent work. My VW had by factory installed metallic cover on top of the battery ( BOSCH ) held by a strap with a quick release clamp connected to 2 anchors in the floor. The metallic fuel line by factory goes trough a rubber grommet mounted in the sheet metal cover.
Great tip!
All the tips you shared are really helpful and every beetle owner shoul know.
Just getting my first bug, thank you for the advice!
"Do not drive your car on salty roads during winter".
With proper care this shouldn't be an issue. (any car in general)
Excellent! great info
If you do not smell raw gasoline, do not start the car, it is out of fuel! lol
Thanks for video! Those rules you said are what the "Old V.W. only" mechanic shop tells me as well!
This was very useful info. Thank you so much.
Do not use "P" rated tires on any VW Bus...Always use "LT rated tires...Do not use plastic gas filters. Use all metal filters...Do not forget to adjust your valves at least once a year.
oh, and do NOT screw the oil preasure sending unit all the way in , those threads are tapered, if it was screwed all the way in by someone else then you probably have to screw it all the way in also
Thanks very helpful. Im new to VW bug
Thank for the info. I always wanted a VW bug.
Any time!
FYI plastic filters were used in EVERY car back in the 70s and 80s. There was never a fire issue. Datsun toyota, Nissan Ford. GM. Isuzu Back in the carburetor days that is what was done and they were in the engine compartment. In 30k cars that i have heard of that have a filter right there. NONE have caught fire. There were people that THOUGHT it was the filter but usually it was a old hose, or the filter and hoses did not have clamps. or more commonly the brass fitting slipped out of the carb causing the engine to catch fire.
Just be sensible with fuel line, and you'll be fine. Tie wrap line so it can't pull from carb. Tie wrap it so it can't get against anything sharp or hot. Keep filter ahead of pump. Change out hard brittle hoses. Ensure clamps are tight. Ensure no rubbing of hoses or sharp edges without grommets at firewall, etc.
I owned 3 bugs & 3 buses and they all took regular gas & 30 weight Pens detergent oil ,but always good 2 have extra fan belts & fire extinguisher , also traveling a long distance, give it a rest every hour or especially if you feel a reduction in power, good to have a oil temperature gauge, Goodluck 👍👍☮
Simple and sound advice.
Thanks for the tips brother. Courtesy and kindness os always appreciated sir.
Do not use crappy fuel lines that are not compatible with today’s fuel mixture
Absolutely correct about the engine fires due to the brass fuel fitting on the carb. I highly recommend having a tech pin that brass fitting. Don't try it yourself unless you know what you are doing. Otherwise, everything mentioned in this video is correct. How do I know? I was a line and engine room tech for VW in the 60's and 70's. Over 125 eninges built.
Thank you!
Great vid and comments! If you install new carb don’t forget to make sure the fuel nipple is pressed in properly! Had a new 34pict3 that the fuel nipple shot out of the body and she caught on fire! Luckily had an extinguisher on board! Hahahaha posted this before I got 2 the end! You covered it!!! Great stuff!!!
The original oil cooler is mounted inside the fan housing. I put an external oil (electric fan type) cooler away from engine under my bus. Far better cooling. Deep sump helps too. More oil to cool engine. Also, put on ALL the original tin around engine.
The most important point for me was the last one regarding the brass feed tubes which are pressed into the pump and carb coz I've had two come loose so I've wrapped copper wire between the jubilee clips and round the body of the crab and the pump just to make sure that these tubes can't ever
Work loose coz if they can
They possibly will and it doesn't, take a lot of imagination to predict the
Outcome! Very important tip indeed.
I got lucky, just reinstalled my original glass with new window rubbers on my 72 1200 standard Bug for a respray and nothing broke. The small side windows where the hardest to fit.
@@johncollins5552 sounds good, nice stage to be at, I remember re fitting my windows on my 62 and the alloy insert trims were a fiddly job but the rear side window rubbers were good so I left well alone. Ps good luck with the rest of the project.
@@johnroberts3723 Thanks, thing is Bug looks great, however I hoping to do a mig. welding course in the autumn so I can tackle heater channels next summer, probably a body off job and a load of rust repair to look forward to on the corners of the chassis.
@@johncollins5552 definitely body off is the only thorough way to do it. I did mine, heater channels plus extensive areas including front and rear door pillars, all sorts of repair panels in fact it got quite scary when I'd removed almost six inches all the way around the bottom of the body shell, pan was ok after much sand blasting, then I went on to do a colour change as I had the car in pieces, I finally spent two and a half years of spare time on the project but it was worth it. So yes go for it and please let me know how you get on.
I had an Engine Fire. The gasket on the pressure side of the fuel pump failed, sprayed gas all over the Distributor. The Fuel Pump was the type with four (4) screws on top. All VW Bug Owners need to know that this is a problem that suddenly appears with disastrous consequences. Buy a Later Fuel Pump - that is sealed. Carry a Fire Extinguisher in your car.
Change your oil every two thousand miles and adjust the valves every oil change. Adjust the number three exhaust valve loose with more clearance that will allow that valve to remain closed longer to help it cool. I would adjust all valves to .006 with the number three set to .007-.008
...adjust the valves to the above clearance when the engine is stone cold. VW manual says to adjust to .004, but that is for a car that was driven to the dealer. Adjusted mine with a cold engine to the factory specs... ran like a bat out of heck for exactly 185 miles... left me stranded in Beeville, Tx. Never forgot that lesson.....
gabor korthy I would add to that oil change schedule 2K or every six months whichever comes first. As I used to tell my customers: Oil is cheap, engines are not.
Set your valves loose like that if you like a clattery engine. I set mine to .004" across the board. If you know what you're doing, this works.
E-curb I prefer longevity in an engine to quite ! The number three exhaust valve is the one to always fail because the way the oil cooler is positioned the air that reaches the number three cylinder has been preheated by passing through the oil cooler.
@@gaborkorthy8355 .."The number three exhaust valve is the one to always fail because the way the oil cooler is positioned " This is what everyone parrots. If you talk to the engine rebuilders they say it's a myth. VW retarded the timing of #3 to eliminate its hot running. Every engine after 71 had the oil cooler out of the way of the cooling airflow to #3 & #4. The problem is, those that parrot the above myth, still say the same about the later engines when it's theoretically not possible.
My engine is the original engine, not rebuilt. I've set the valves to .004" since I got the car 25 years ago. It runs cool and doesn't leak a drop. The key to my success with .004" is to measure the lash before adjusting it. Don't just go in there with your .004" gauge and say it's too loose, or too tight, actually measure it. That way you know what is happening to the lash. If you find it to be .002, then maybe you have a problem developing.
Do you know why VW said to set them to .006 instead of .004" back in the 70s? It was because by that time, most other cars on the market had hydraulic lifters that self adjusted, so no maintenance. Car owners didn't like to have to pay for a service other car owners didn't have to do, so it was very common for owners to neglect their valves. In response, VW increased the lash to accommodate those neglectful owners. Are you that type of owner? If not, it is perfectly safe to run at .004", as long as you know that your lash isn't going to close up to nearly nothing. By measuring the lash like I described above, you can see a problem developing.
Good tips! Thanks for taking the time to make this video!
Thanks for the tips. Just subscribed. Look forward to looking back at your videos.
Do get Tom @ Vollsbitz to thread your fuel inlet pipe into you carb. Do not ignore this tip. Thanks for another great video Mike 👊🏻
for sure
Burning Bananas Just curious...why not?
Bingo Jamas the fuel inlet can work it’s way out of the carb and start a fire. Mike has mentioned this many times
Burning Bananas Oops. I was reading all the don't do this and don't do that, I thought I read DON'T get the fuel inlet threaded! I am aware of the potential problem and have the carb top ready to ship to him. Sorry for the confusion.
That’s Tim at Volkzbitz. Not Tom at Vollsbitz.
do not just leave it in the garage, drive it
you beat me to it Bob 👍
that is just why I dont build them perfect you gotta drive it. and have fun. meet with friends and enjoy the car.
Digging this post , Great INFO !
Good tip on checking carburetor barb.
You bet