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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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 Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:36 pm Post subject: Needing some help with restoring a 1968 vw Bug |
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I am currently a student at school in illinois and my project car is my parents 1968 vw bug. It has been parked for about 3 years since it stalled out in front of a semi so im trying to get it to running smoothly again. When i got it on the lift at school i saw on the rear right axle boot was leaking fluid. I have looked on multiple places and some are saying just replace the boot. Others say there is a seal that needs replaced. So i am extremely confused on what parts other than a boot that i should buy.
It is a swing axle, disk brakes front and back. So overall i am curious on what parts, other than a boot of course, that i should get to start getting this bug back on the road.
Thank you,
Brenden  |
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60ragtop
Bonneville Belt Bitch
Joined: March 13, 2006
Posts: 7800
Location: Big Wonderful WYO 82401
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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If the boot is torn, replace it and clean up the area. Then you can see if you have other leaks.
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986
| tasb wrote: |
I've restored a large number too, but I don't toot my horn quite as loud.
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| sb001 wrote: |
maybe he just snapped cause his car sucked  |
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BugMan114
Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2007
Posts: 3744
Location: Ellenwood, GA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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The boot goes on the axle tube, over where the axle pivots in the transmission. The seal among other gaskets is under the brake drum (or in your case, under the disc brake rotor) to seal the end of the axle to the tube. You may or may not need this part.
When u say stalled in front of a semi, do you mean it got hit by the semi? 
_________________
1974 Super Beetle: Custom resto in progress
1972 Super Beetle: Daily Driver
1971 Std. Beetle w/ 1929 Mercedes Benz Gazelle kit
1960 Baja Bug
1969 Baja Bug
Sand Rail- Homemade
Sand Rail- FUBAR
Aircooled Airheads
Why the hell do they call it a gland nut. its obviously a big fat bolt!!! |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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Ok, so the only seal i really need to worry about is directly under the disk? other than replacing the boot of course.
No, it didn't get hit by the semi, was close though, it started back up a few seconds before the semi hit and we moved out of its path. |
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Aussiebug
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2002
Posts: 2162
Location: Adelaide Australia
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:26 am Post subject: |
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Sure good to hear the car didn't get shortened by the semi, and that both you and the car are OK as a result.
Don't forget that when replacing the rubber boot, if you are using the split boot style, place the seam at either 3 O'Clock or 9 O'Clock, and not at the top. That way the bolted seam will flex less and last longer.
You only need to worry about the seal at the brake disc if it's leaking oil there. The swing axle bugs use a small pool of gearbox oil behind the wheel bearing to lubricate it - that's why there is a rubber boot around the axle tube and a seal at the outer end. And the axle needs a slight down angle (positive camber) to keep that pool of oil there - folks who lower the rear so there's a negative camber are running their rear wheel bearings dry.
_________________
Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:11 am Post subject: |
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Have never worked on a swing axle before, lol. Since there is fluid coming from the boot will i have to replace the gearbox oil? Also how do i go about replacing the gearbox fluid? I have mainly worked on a 3500 diesel, so the bug is a bit odd to me.
When we got the bug the prior owner lowered the bug, we raised it back to original, or positive camber as it was supposed to be. |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:07 am Post subject: |
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| ok, i have parts ordered.. 2 new split boot's. new oil, new gear oil, and 2 new rear seal kits. Will be having it all by tuesday to work on..am excited a bit to work on this! |
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jhicken
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2003
Posts: 9466
Location: Fallbrook, CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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You should have ordered the Bentley Manual as well.
-jeffrey
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Der Kleiner Kampfwagens |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Pretty sure i have one up north at the house. Currently in school a couple hours south. I also can't really order too much at a time because i have to wait between paychecks in order to get all the parts. I know they are not that much to buy, its just interesting to come by at the moment.. |
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Aussiebug
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2002
Posts: 2162
Location: Adelaide Australia
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Mistshade wrote: |
| Since there is fluid coming from the boot will i have to replace the gearbox oil? Also how do i go about replacing the gearbox fluid? |
The transaxle (gearbox and diff together) use just 2.5 litres of any good 80w90 hypoid gear oil or 75/90 synthetic gear oil. If you live in a cold climate the synthetic oil will give you smoother gear changes on a cold morning. The upper number should always be 90 so it has the right viscosity when warm. You should check the oil level once you have new boots installed - or even change the tranny oi completely if you dont know how old it is - it should be changed every 30,000 miles or 2 years - whichever comes first. You need a 17mm allen key for the drain and filler plugs. The filler is on the left side. Make sure you can loosen that one BEFORE you drain the oil, just in case the filler plug is seized. You keep filling until the oil drips out the filler (car level).
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Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| I do not know how old all the oils are entirely. I am just going to be replacing all the fluids alltogether. i have 80w90 gear oil tomorrow. Will be replacing both boots. Engine oil, gear box oil, cleaning out the oil screen and replacing the air filter since the prior owner put a normal air filter on it instead of the oil air filter. It has been 3 years since the bug last ran. It also has just 23k original miles on it. |
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Aussiebug
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2002
Posts: 2162
Location: Adelaide Australia
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| Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Mistshade wrote: |
| I do not know how old all the oils are entirely. I am just going to be replacing all the fluids alltogether. i have 80w90 gear oil tomorrow. Will be replacing both boots. Engine oil, gear box oil, cleaning out the oil screen and replacing the air filter since the prior owner put a normal air filter on it instead of the oil air filter. It has been 3 years since the bug last ran. It also has just 23k original miles on it. |
That's quite a catch, with just 23000 original miles.
When bringing a car back from a long rest, it's a good idea to crank the engine over by hand to make sure it's not seized or catching anywhere, fill it with fresh oil and remove the spark plugs, inject a few cc of engine oil into each cylinder to pre-lube the walls, spin the engine for about 15 seconds on the starter to prefill the oil galleries and bearings, then put the plugs back in and try to start it (clean the carb out fist if it has any signs of dried up fuel in the bowl).
That will minimise any wear from surface rust etc. It's also a good idea to then drain the oil after a hundred miles or so and replace it - just to get rid of any crud which has formed whilst it rested.
If the engine number starts with an H (it should if it's original), be aware that VW used a more brittle metal on those cases (they were experimenting with high heat transfer metals), and these cases are usually OK if kept completely stock as 1500s (or if they need new P&Cs replacing them with 1600s is fine), but dont try to get more than stock power out of them - that way they will usually last a good while. They dont make good cases for high power rebuilds. The later "aluminium" cases (actually still mostly magnesium but with a higher aluminium content than previously) make must better cases for full rebuilds - any case with AS21 or AS41 cast into the sides.
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Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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I have already cranked it over before starting to check. none of the parts were siezed...was so relieved..
Today i had a few hours in the shop to work on the bug, had to fight a mustang for a lift... but, got it up. I replaced both the boots and changed out the gear oil...the oil was so bad...needed to be replaced a long time ago..so fresh gear oil. I also have changed the engine oil, same issue.
Didn't have enough time to charge the battery and time the engine..so ill be getting that tomorrow morning. I have 2 gallons of fresh gas for it as well as the lead additive.
Yes, the engine number starts with an H. but didnt know about the more brittle metal part. I will pass that information to my parents as it is their car. They wanted to do some modifications to it, but now i know its not the safest idea with the engine we have. Thank you very much for telling me that before i found out the hard way..lol |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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Well, she turned over, was a little rough at first. The shifter took me a few seconds to figure out the pattern.
It was also idling extremely high, instructor told me the carb probably needed cleaned up and we could adjust it down to a normal idle. Will also have to replace all the brakes, and an E Brake cable.
Also found out the that groundskeep at the college has a blasted vendetta against the automotive side of campus and is trying to get us shut down.. |
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Aussiebug
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2002
Posts: 2162
Location: Adelaide Australia
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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Good to hear you got it running.
You DONT need lead additive for any bug engine - they never did need lead in the fuel, but will run on either unleaded or leaded fuel without any problem
www.vw-resource.com/octane for a full explanation of fuels for the bug engine.
For a complete tune up guide,
www.vw-resource.com/30pict2.html if your carb has only one adjusting screw in the left side (should have if it's original), or
www.vw-resource.com/34pict3.html if the carb has two adjusting screws (large and small) in the left side.
Good to hear you are working on the brakes. Make sure you replace all the flexible brake lines near the brake hubs - these swell internally when they get old and can stop fluid flow which will either mean that brake wont work, or else it wont release properly (bind).
If you replace the master cylinder, make sure it's bench-bled before you install it in the car - it's almost impossible to get all the air out of a new MC when it's in the car.
_________________
Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2011
Posts: 1593
Location: Louisville, ky
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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CV joints get packed with HP, High Pressure, grease, not axle grease.
On the gear lube, grabbed this from another thread. The oil discussion goes on forever at this site. The engine oil discussion goes on for several thousand pages so we don't discuss engine oil on these forums or the moderator will yell at us.
| type3dude wrote: |
Moderator summary
GL4 or GL5-MT1 is fine for all VW transmissions.
Details of GL5 "controversy" in this post below:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2789226#2789226
The MT1 designation, which almost all current GL5 fluids contain, eliminates any fear of using GL5.
Original post is below:
What is the difference? Is one better than the other? I am about to put GL 5 in my tranny. Is this bad good or does it really not matter. Thanks |
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flyboy161
Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2009
Posts: 2091
Location: Perry, GA
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 7:55 am Post subject: |
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As previously said, i have swing axle. Not irs. I explained the Vw bug that i had at the beginning post.
Ahh, ok, on the lead additive. The link posted does not work though Aussiebug. It keeps saying there isn't a page found.
As far as the brakes when i tested them they were not binding, it was just feathery. I looked at the MC brake fluid level and it was a little low. So ill be bringing all the brakes back in before i add more fluid. Just so that i don't accidentally overflow the MC. |
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Aussiebug
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2002
Posts: 2162
Location: Adelaide Australia
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| Mistshade wrote: |
Ahh, ok, on the lead additive. The link posted does not work though Aussiebug. It keeps saying there isn't a page found. |
OK, we'll look at that link. We are currently doing a very slow review of the whole site to fix up any problems and to improve some articles.
The long and short of lead in fuels is that...it does three things.
1. It improves the octane number of any fuel so you can use a higher compression ratio for better engine efficiency. But the engine does not care HOW the octane number is obtained and unleaded fuels do it with different hydrocarbon mixes, and sometimes by adding some Ethanol. So long as the octane number is 91RON (87AKI in the USA) or higher, it's OK for the bug engine.
2. Tetra Ethyl Lead in the fuel stops Valve Seat Recession, which was a problems for engines with cast iron heads, where the softer cast iron valve seats got eaten away by non-lead fuels. But the bug has hard steel valve seats inserted into the aluminium heads, so it does not suffer from VSR.
3. Tetra Ethyl Lead is a slightly oily liquid and a trace of that proved useful in lubricating the cast iron valve guides cut into cast iron heads. But bugs have phosphor bronze valve guides which get plenty of lubrication from the oil inside the rocker covers splashed on the valve spring area, which works it's way up the valve stem by capillary action.
So the bug engine does not, and never did, need lead in the fuel. Just fill it with unleaded of 87AKI/91RON octane of higher and drive it.
A word on Ethanol in the fuel though. Ethanol contains almost 40% used oxygen, which cannot be burnt again, so it runs the engine lean, as there is less fuel in the fuel. E10 (10% Ethanol) runs the engine about 4% lean. Fuel Injected engines with engine computers adjust for this, but the carburettor can't so the engines using carburettors will run lean on this fuel. So if the engine is hesitant or running hotter than it should when using E10, you can adjust the carb by increasing the main jet by 2 sizes, and it might also need a one size increase on the idle jet too.
_________________
Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com |
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Mistshade
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2014
Posts: 19
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:08 am Post subject: |
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So there isn't really any advantages nor disadvantages with the lead. but will keep that in mind. I have enough lead additive currently for a while so i will use it while i have it.
I just bought a new battery for the bug since the old one died... (woot for core charge ontop of school discount! knocked a 136 $ battery to a 88 dollar battery) So i will be turning the bug over this coming monday to clean out the carb. I will also have my instructor there to help me adjust the carb down to lower the idle. may or may not help keep it from dieing when i sit still at stop signs.. |
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