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REDKAFER
Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2006
Posts: 90
Location: New York
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 Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Hey bluebug, a slick trick for motor oil when you buy in the gallon jug is to get a cheap swan-neck watering can (sometimes called "long reach") and graduate it for the 5.3 pints (2.5 litres) that the VW takes. fill to the line and pour into engine with pretty much 0 chance for error!
I've also used a variety of funnels for the task however i've found that the ability to measure out into the watering can and just pour till its empty makes it easier than turning the jug flat and measuring through the (sometimes not very) clear bit on the side... eliminates the math error thing that happens sometimes too. |
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bluebug66
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Tennessean
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| Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 6:41 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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I will look for a watering can like you describe. Good idea. Thanks.
Yesterday I installed a new speedometer cable. The car still had the original one complete with VW marking on the speedometer fitting end. I had cleaned and lubricated it several times over the years but it never seemed to go very long before the speedometer needle started bouncing. Maybe this one will last for a while. Cofle brand cable used. |
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REDKAFER
Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2006
Posts: 90
Location: New York
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| Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Tow hitch! WOO! Now I can incorporate my sailboat into my adventures!
CURT Mfg. 68-later hitch with a bit of welding, drilling, and cutting for adapting to a 67 bumper mount style. Pretty happy with the result, took about 5 hours of effort in a shop im only partially familiar with so I'd say 3.5 hours if you dont run out of solid core wire half-way through your welding and start with the correct drill bit sizes...
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bluebug66
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Tennessean
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| Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 3:10 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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| Drove it to a car show today. 94 F today and it would not start when I left. I poured 3 bottles of water on the fuel pump and lines since I was sure it was vapor lock. Started up and drove it home. I need to find some ethanol free gas now that it is summer. I was the only VW in a sea of Chevrolets at the show. |
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Deathwishbug
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 4
Location: Tacoma, Washington
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| Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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I put my roof rack and luggage on this week, along with Swan neck mirrors
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shano63 
Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006
Posts: 3596
Location: Stormville NY
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| Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 9:15 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Was our 6 year anniversary this past Saturday. Drove the bug to Beacon for dinner and ice cream.
_________________
63 T1 Ragtop Gulf Blue
08 Civic 5spd
22 Wrangler 6spd
78 F250 4x4 4spd
Chris
Take it as it comes-- Morrison |
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TonyB
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2018
Posts: 173
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Like most old bug's this one has some light cancer in the floor panels and in the Clarence isle at Walmart they had several cans of Black Flex Seal Spray Rubber Sealant for $6 (half price) so I bought it all and used it as undercoat ... in spots where the corrosion had eaten completely through I took some steel wool and pushed it slightly through and gave it an extra heavy coat to keep the moisture out ... don't get the idea that I'm going boating in my Baja ... this is just a temporary fix that I hope will make the floors last a few more years until I retire and have the time (and space) to take off the body and do proper plan replacement ... when I drove it about 50 miles to a near by small town to put wreaths on my dad and grandpa's graves I noticed it really cut down the road noise too ...
Several months ago I had bought a Blaupunkt AM-FM-Bluetooth Stero from from Walmart (the advertising on the box said "Established in Germany, made in China) along with Blaupunkt speakers ... well the radio wouldn't fit in the dash opening but as luck would have it a friend of mind had bought a 1978 MGB and it had a Audiovox AM-FM Cassette player that was hanging out of the dash ... thinking it probably didn't work, he gave it to me just so I'd have something to fill the hole in my dash ... of course I had to hook it up and it works! Not the crackly kind of works that most 40+ year old radios but really works nicely!
So, since the Audiovox works I put the speakers in the rear package tray ... over the weekend however since I'd like to have Bluetooth to listen to my music from my phone I've decided to connect the Walmart radio too, it has a remote control so I'll probably put under the package tray ... |
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bluebug66
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Tennessean
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| Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 10:32 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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| Replaced the rubber body pads at the rear shock towers. Big improvement here. No more clunking. Original pads were hard and very thin at edge where the bolt goes through it. Also adjusted the striker plates on both doors to improve the latching of the doors. Installed a tennis ball on the engine lid latch and a wooden clothes pin on the metal fuel line in the engine bay to keep it separated from the intake manifold. Both of these were suggestions given by other members in threads about curing vapor lock. So far these seem to be working. It has been very hot here lately. |
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Stock Steve
Samba Member
Joined: April 10, 2005
Posts: 1963
Location: My Left Nutmeg State
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bigdog1962
Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2010
Posts: 1586
Location: Augusta, Georgia
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| Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 4:32 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Among other things, put that 4th (I say 4th because I saved it for last) engine bolt in.
_________________
Oprn wrote: I'm getting to the age that any self propelled woman (no wheel chair or walker) looks HOT!! Oooo! look at that Babe! She made it from the dining room all the way to the TV room without help!! Hubba, hubba!! |
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31379
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 7:15 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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| bigdog1962 wrote: |
Among other things, put that 4th (I say 4th because I saved it for last) engine bolt in.
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Uh - what's with that big washer under the clutch adjusting nut???
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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bigdog1962
Samba Member
Joined: August 11, 2010
Posts: 1586
Location: Augusta, Georgia
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| Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 7:48 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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It came with the car -  . It's always worked so I didn't change it.
Edit: Eric and Barb has pointed out the problem with it in another thread so I will be getting rid of it.
_________________
Oprn wrote: I'm getting to the age that any self propelled woman (no wheel chair or walker) looks HOT!! Oooo! look at that Babe! She made it from the dining room all the way to the TV room without help!! Hubba, hubba!! |
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smeag
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2019
Posts: 70
Location: Cooper City, FL
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Been going through my new old bug. Ordered the new fuel lines, fuel line grommet, visor clips oil filler cap gasket, oil change gaskets, and polished the bumpers. Pulled the hub caps off, cleaned them and painted the insides grey. Doen't know if any of you remember the old trick of using aluminum to remove surface rust on chrome. I did that on the bumpers and caps and then chrome polish, and done
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67rustavenger
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2015
Posts: 9772
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:29 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Adjusted brakes all the way around.
Adjusted valve lash. All the way around too!
Washed the car and Armoralled the tires.
Drove to the NW Bug Run 2019. About 50 miles.
Signed up for a couple of runs down the 1/4 mile.
First run did 14.928 @ 79.61 MPH. Eh!I let up early. 
Second run, 14.413 @ 91.73 MPH.  Kept the fun pedal matted through the trap.
Drove home through some pretty country side roads.
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!
There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
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TonyB
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2018
Posts: 173
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:15 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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I've just been enjoying my 62 Ragtop ... Memorial Day I took it to put flowers on Mom, Dad grave's which are here in town & Grandma's grave which is about 50 miles ... couldn't hear the radio over the engine (I put the Empi "quiet dual off road mufflers" ... I'm not so sure it's any quieter than the Stinger with a baffle in it  but there is also the trans noise ...
Yesterday I decided that I've had a new turn signal assembly long enough and finally took the steering wheel off and installed it, fixing more wiring behind the dash in the process.
Then yesterday evening I took it for another 50 or so mile drive, got home and as I was pulling into our drive the brake pedal went to the floor ... it little retainer that holds the pin to the plunge for the brakes had broken and the pin had wiggled out! Fortunately I was already going slow, I jammed it in first and turned off the key and came to a pretty abrupt halt ... however, looking around, before I found the pin had fallen out I discovered brake fluid dripping from the right rear drum ... I haven't pulled it apart but had adjusted the brakes just a few weeks ago ... and had replaced the wheel cylinders and hoses back in Jan or Feb. I was really happy that I'd replaced the single line brake master cylinder for a dual ... thanks to advise from Cusser! |
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smeag
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2019
Posts: 70
Location: Cooper City, FL
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| Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:56 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Okay I replaced a worn brake pedal rubber, replaced a broken visor clip, replaced dry rot door handle seals, and greased the door, bonnet and engine lid latches.
Still waiting on the new rubber fuel lines. A samba member had mentioned some 4.5mm fuel line from Belmetric.com that handles up to E50 gas. So I ordered that to replace my 54 yr old lines. It's a shame though, because the original line is still in great shape. This damn ethanol stuff. Better safe than sorry.
Replaced the oil fill gasket with one of WW silicon ones. The cork one was long gone and the thin paper on the PO had in there just wasn't doing it. I have the WW silicon oil strainer gaskets for them I do the oil change. To be done soon. Going to get their silicon valve cover gaskets next payday.
It's so nice to have a bug again.
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thomas.
Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2010
Posts: 1291
Location: South West (Pa.)
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| Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:41 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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| smeag wrote: |
Okay I replaced a worn brake pedal rubber, replaced a broken visor clip, replaced dry rot door handle seals, and greased the door, bonnet and engine lid latches.
Still waiting on the new rubber fuel lines. A samba member had mentioned some 4.5mm fuel line from Belmetric.com that handles up to E50 gas. So I ordered that to replace my 54 yr old lines. It's a shame though, because the original line is still in great shape. This damn ethanol stuff. Better safe than sorry.
Replaced the oil fill gasket with one of WW silicon ones. The cork one was long gone and the thin paper on the PO had in there just wasn't doing it. I have the WW silicon oil strainer gaskets for them I do the oil change. To be done soon. Going to get their silicon valve cover gaskets next payday.
It's so nice to have a bug again.
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Awesome Bug. Personally I didn't care for the silicone gaskets. A few years ago I tried the silicone and didn't like them. The cork ones I put on to replace them are still on there.It has to be three or four years. I glued them (the cork ones)with gasket-cinch to the valve cover side and they seem like a permanent part.Same with the silicone sump gaskets. I ended up going back to original type sump gaskets. Just make sure to use the correct torque. What is it ? 5 or 7 pounds for the small 6mms nuts and 25 foot pounds for the drain plug. You might have better luck with the silicone gaskets. |
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thomas.
Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2010
Posts: 1291
Location: South West (Pa.)
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| Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:53 am Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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| 67rustavenger wrote: |
Adjusted brakes all the way around.
Adjusted valve lash. All the way around too!
Washed the car and Armoralled the tires.
Drove to the NW Bug Run 2019. About 50 miles.
Signed up for a couple of runs down the 1/4 mile.
First run did 14.928 @ 79.61 MPH. Eh!I let up early.
Second run, 14.413 @ 91.73 MPH. Kept the fun pedal matted through the trap.
Drove home through some pretty country side roads.
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That is impressive! I use to have a stock '95 Mustang GT that struggled for a 14.5 if lucky. I have a '62 bug that I want to some day copy what you've done. |
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Stock Steve
Samba Member
Joined: April 10, 2005
Posts: 1963
Location: My Left Nutmeg State
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67rustavenger
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2015
Posts: 9772
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: What did you do to your Beetle this week? |
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Came out to the work parking lot and found a flat tire. The left rear barely had enough air in it to drive to a tire shop.
The tire shop tech said I had a roofing staple lodged in the rear tire side wall. I did.
So I had the shop put the spare on and drove home.
Took the two rear tire and wheels to the shop and had them install new 205/70/15 touring tires.
Today I took the fronts in and had the shop install new tires 185/80/15.
The results,
This was before,
The new tires fill the fender wells nicely! At least to my taste.
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!
There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
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