1979 Super Beetle - tips on converting to a carburetor from FI

[SJ_Phil]

My 79 Super Beetle overheated and got oil into the FI system. I'm thinking my best move is to put a carburetor conversion kit on like Jbugs sells. Its a California car and I'm trying to preserve the exhaust system (I have good heater boxes and a catalytic converter/muffle assembly). Seems like all I need are slightly modified exhaust header parts but am having trouble locating them. Any advice/experience appreciated.

[Dwayne1m]

Explain how you got oil into the FI system.


I'm not in California nor familiar with their laws, but don't you have to keep it FI to pass emissions?

[busdaddy]

Indeed, how will you pass smog with a carb?

And X2 on oil in the FI system and how that's a terminal problem?
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[Glenn]

If you put a carb on it you'll need to change the exhaust to connect the heat riser. Otherwise it will run like crapmwhent cold.

And as stated you won't pass emissions.

So it would be cheaper to just fix it.
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[sawed off]

The only component that could be affected by oil would be the AFM and the breather hose that sits behind the oil fill would be the only thing I can think of that could possibly have burped oil from that breather hose up into rubber elbow boot getting oil into AFM. Everything else should be able to be cleaned. The AFM could be salvaged also if needed. Who came up with this diagnoses??

[SJ_Phil]

Thanks for the feedback. Quick answers:
Getting my car through smog in CA has been hit and miss with the stock FI prior to my engine rebuild. A carb + catalytic converter should pass the tailpipe test but fail the visual inspection. This is my main reason to keep the FI system going. The point about the heat pipe is also a concern but the car lives in San Diego so a little less. On the diagnosis, I don’t have anything difinitive. Advice came from a good repair shop that FI is likely to fail. I don’t mean to overstate the Oil in the system. When the motor let go it shot oil everywhere. Cleaning the FI system to see what’s damaged vs just oily is next step. Overall, appreciate the feedback. You’ve given me energy to get working on cleaning the FI and try it before bailing to a carb.

[ShakeyVW]

When working properly, the Bosch FI systems work great and are very reliable. My wife's '76 SB gives great service, and starts reliably in all weather...important considerations, as she cannot comprehend the triangle of combustion, much less chokes, setting the fast idle cam, etc. She just turns the key, and it starts. Plus, it can run down the road over 80mph (on level ground, of course!).

I encourage you to expend the time and effort to learn your FI and make your car run well; you'll be rewarded with good, dependable performance. There are a lot of resources available here to assist you.
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1972 Yellow Super Beetle Convertible (daughter)
1976 Blue/White Super Beetle Convertible (wife)
...sometimes I get to drive one

[Lingwendil]

[SJ_Phil]

👍

[VW_Jimbo]

From a mechanic who performed Smog checks in the state of California, back in the 90s. If you have a carburetor under the decklid when I look in there, that is an automatic fail! Since it was modified, you are on the hook for fixing it back to stock, as in the day it exited the show room floor.

Fixing the FI system is the only solution. In California there was a maximum amount that you have to invest into your vehicle, if it was failing, with all stock components. I forget what it is, or if they still have that loop hole. Many customers were able to side step the monetary damages by a year, with the use of that loop hole. But only one year!
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