need help with removing the doghouse

[scratchs68]

I'm trying to remove the doghouse from my stock engine with out dropping the block. so far i got everythin off except the right side of the housing. It seems to be caught on the hinge. if i reach around the back side of the housing i feel two bolts or screws which seem to be holding it from lifting up and out. the left side(driverside) lifts no prob. My question is if i remove these two items will that do the trip and will the hinge fly out, and i'll never get it back together. I want to remove to inspect, clean or replace oil cooler. this is my first try at working on a air cooled engine. please any help would be great.....thanks scott

[Viande]

The entire hinge has to be removed to do it in car. You can drop the engine and not fight all that in the same amount of time. Good luck
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[webwalker]

By doghouse do you mean the small tin at the front (front is front) of the fan shroud...or do you mean the fan shroud itself? What year engine are you working on?

Look underneath on the right side and see if the thermostat is still connected. Accordion thingy.

You probably shouldn't be taking this apart if you don't know what you're doing. Stop. Get the Bentley book for your car. Read. Then start again.

In VW parlance, it is a 'case' not a 'block' as it is not a solid piece of metal that has been machined, but rather two halves (like a suitcase) that have been cast and then machined. You can't take apart a block; you merely take things off of it.
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[scratchs68]

its a 68 sedan stock not auto stick. and the fan shroud is what i'm referring to.

[webwalker]

then yes, you are likely hanging up on the thermostat on the right side. A rod goes down between the cylinders to the 'stat. So unbolt the 'stat from its bracket (DON"T unbolt the bracket from the case) and unscrew it from the rod. Then you should be able to lift the whole fan shroud out in one piece, assuming you've cleared all of the other fasteners.

A 68 is a dandy Beetle to get started on if it is not rusty. Bought my 68 in 1991, pimped it up and sold it for enough to pay for my first term at college. I would not do to a car again what I did to this one. But its simplicity saved me from a lot of trouble. The only suggestion I can make to you is to relax and BE HAPPY with the power you have, rather than wishing for more.

M
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"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
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[scratchs68]

i removed the tin around the thremostat to take a closer look. now you say unscrew it from what rod? do you have a pic of this rod placement? Thank you for your help.

[webwalker]

there's where the rod would be:

And there is where it goes between the cylinders.

and there is where it attaches.

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"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
Click to view image

[74vwbuglove]

those pics would have helped me out so much about a week ago!

if you're taking the fan shroud off my suggestion is to drop the engine, i tried to do it with the engine on the car (keep in mind i have a baja, so i have almost no sheet metal around the engine) and just couldn't quite get the angle right. dropping the engine is easy, all you need is some 2x4 a skateboard and to remove 4 bolts, the accelerator cable, the fuel pipe and some wiring.
youll thank yourself for doing it.

[Cusser]

I've removed shrouds about 10 times without dropping the engine; for me this would be the easiest way, and I've R&R'd over 100 VW engines. Yes, I've removed the hood and the spring. I've never found the spring hard to re-install, I just grapped it with a vise-grip.
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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

[scratchs68]

how does the rod attach to the thremostat. does it just unscrew? the pic's are great thank you for your time.scott

[Glenn]

It just screws in.
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[74Pepper]

Hope this isn't too late...better to say, the thermostat screws into the rod. You can't turn the rod while it's connected to the flaps. Un-do the bolt that holds the thermostat to the bracket, then unscrew the thermostat from the rod.
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[scratchs68]

thanks to everyone for the help. i'm hoping to get to it this weekend. thanks again.

[scratchs68]

well it worked like a charm. i ordered a new thermostat today since i have it apart.