1979 VW German Police Beetle - Jay Leno’s Garage

Oil Change on my 74 Beetle

I've finally gotten around changing the oil in my Bug. I haven't driven it much this year so it was put off as other priorities and acts of procrastination got in the way. It's fairly simple process if you haven't done this before and maybe this will help if you haven't done it before.

Here are some items you'll probably need:

• Oil & spout
• Strainer gasket / VW oil change kit
• 1/4 ratchet & 10mm socket or 10mm wrench 
• drain pan
• Floor jack/jack stands/ramps/wheel chocks or some means to raise rear end of vehicle. 
• Mineral spirits/brakes or parts cleaner

Oil

From my 74 Beetle Owners Manual.

 A sure way to start a battle on a Volkswagen website or page is ask about what type of oil to use in your air cooled engine.  Most of these engines were made in a time before multi grade oil so what was recommended in my owners manual for 74 Bug was anything from SAE 10 up to SAE 40. It usually depended on your climate or season you were in. When multi grade oils came along in the mid 70's VW recommended oils like SAE 15W-40 or SAE 20W-50 for air-cooled engines. 

In my case I go with Castrol GTX SAE 20W-50. Castrol has an excellent reputation(in my opinion) and it may cost a little more than other brands but I'd rather have something of a better quality in an older engine. Plus I'm not putting a lot of miles on the car so if I spend a little more on oil it's not a big deal.

VW Oil Change Kit 

Oil Change kit from Wolfsburg West

Another essential item is an oil change kit. These are usually few bucks on almost every VW parts site. They usually consist of thin cardboard gaskets and some tiny copper washers. The metal strainer/filter is reusable as long as it's not damaged or worn out. 

Oil Change

Try to pick a level spot to work. Chock your wheels for safety. I'm assuming you know the engine is in the rear(you never know these days) so you can jack up and support the rear end. You can use ramps too if you prefer. It can be done with out being lifted but it's a bit awkward reach and difficult to inspect internals without a mirror.

Using a 10mm socket or wrench loosen the six nuts that hold plate on. As you go the oil will naturally start seeping out so it's good to have your drain pan already in place. At some point you can just let the oil drain out completely. Once done you can completely take off the cover.

New strainer.

You may need a screwdriver to pry out the strainer and gasket. Once out you can inspect it you can clean it with some parts cleaner and reuse it as long as it looks good. It's also a good idea to wipe clean the area where the strainer goes with rag. Replace the gasket then strainer then another gasket  and finally the cover. I try to get all six nuts connected before tightening them down. Don't forget the tiny copper washers which I believe you can reuse or just use the new ones included with your gasket(they usually come as a set package). It can be a little tricky lining up all the holes so just be patient. The nuts only required about 5 pounds of torque so just a firm hand tightening is really all that is required as they could easily break off if you torque them too much.

Now your ready to do the most important part is to add oil. You'll only need about 3 quarts of oil. I usually get to the third quart and fill about 3/4 of it and then check the oil level. Then you can add more until you've reached the fill line.

You're now good to go now. Start it up and check for leaks. It's not to difficult and shouldn't take more than 30-45 minutes from set up to clean up.

Now you have a happy Bug. Thanks for coming by.

First time adjusting valves

I finally got around to adjusting my valves in my 74 Bug and I thought I'd share my undertaking. I've  heard repeatedly that this, and changing your oil, is one of things you should learn and be able to do on your vintage VW's. Although I'm not a newbie working on a car I've never done this before so I was a bit apprehensive about doing this at first.

 

 

I did some research on doing this and video's help me out a lot. One is a dvd series called Bug Me Video which are very helpful and on YouTube I usually check out Chris Vallone's Classic VW Bugs(see above videos) how-to videos which are very helpful. Another handy reference of course is the "How to keep your Volkswagen Alive" manual which was also very handy

A few things you'll need are:

• A feeler gauge
• Screwdriver - long blade if possible
• Valve cover gaskets  (Wolfsburg West part no. 113101481F)
• 13 mm wrench - a ratchet and 13mm socket may be used in initial loosening but open ended wrench works better for actual adjustment
• Large adjustable wrench. 
• PB Blaster or your favorite equivalent penetrating oil
• Permatex High Tack Gasket Sealant(again or your favorite equivalent)
• Rags
• Patience

From "How to keep your Volkswagen alive"(19th Edition) by John Muir

I inspected the area and the valve cover was in arms length under the passenger rear of Bug which is where it is recommended you start. In one video it was recommended you take the rear tire off for easier access but I didn't (and I would later regret this decision). It is recommended you start at cylinder number 1 which is on the passenger side furthest to the front of the vehicle(see above picture).

Cylinder 1 is the two on the right.

First step is to pop the valve which is pried off with your large screwdriver.Once you move the bar holding it down the cover should come off easily if it hasn't already. To start at cylinder one You must set the engine to cylinder 1 as mentioned to before. I used  my large adjustable wrench to turn the pulley wheel which has a notch in where TDC.

Starting with the first cylinder I loosen the nut on the rocker and insert the feeler gauge just behind it at (.006). Using my screwdriver I adjust the middle of the nut to just enough that it's just a light dragging and then tighten the nut. It took awhile to get it just right. It was a tough reach from my creeper and by now I'm already thinking I should have taken the wheel off like recommended but being stubborn and short on time I forged ahead. Kind of like other things in my life but thats another story.

Turning the pulley wheel 180 degree counterclockwise I did the number two cylinder switched the opposite side doing three and four. By the end I learned that I'll jack the car up and take wheels off to do it next.

Careful with gasket glue it can get on your clothes easily.

After that I replaced the valve covers after installing a new gasket. It's a good idea to use something like Permatex High Tack Gasket Sealant which holds the gasket in place while installing and also help give it a good seal. 

In summary I learned three major things:

• How to adjust the valves.
• Next time adjust valves remove wheels for easier access. 
• Also in future wear work clothes or at least something you won't mind accidentally rub red high tack gasket sealant on your nice khaki shorts. 

I did take it for a test drive afterward and it did seem to have a little more pep in the higher gears. I was happy that worked out and won't be as intimidated doing it in the future. 

Thanks for coming by and have a great day.