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
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| 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
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| 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.
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.
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| 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.
