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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:36 pm Post subject: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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My '74 Beetle is my daily driver, but most it’s trips are 30 mins or less. Because of the short drives, a lot of sludge builds up in the oil fill and cap. I’ve read on here that a long drive will clear it out, but I took a 1 1/2 hour drive with a 1 1/2 hour return trip and it’s still all there. Any recommendations on removing it other then just taking a rag and trying to wipe it out?
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VW_Jimbo  Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 10704 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Do you have a breather hose connected to your air cleaner? _________________ Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
TDCTDI wrote: |
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Yes, completely stock setup. Get build up there too. |
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VW_Jimbo  Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 10704 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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That is strange. Should have cleared out on that long drive. When was the last oil change? _________________ Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
TDCTDI wrote: |
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:05 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:06 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Last oil change was a week ago. |
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VW_Jimbo  Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 10704 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:10 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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You are a brave man posting that up!
That is a clean engine. Nice job!
Last oil change was? _________________ Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
TDCTDI wrote: |
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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VW_Jimbo  Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 10704 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Not sure. I will sleep on it and post up what I dream about. Solved many car issues in my dreams! _________________ Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
TDCTDI wrote: |
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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Tim Donahoe Samba Member

Joined: December 08, 2012 Posts: 11775 Location: Redding, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Rick, what brand and size belt are you running. It delves deeper into your pulley, so I’d like to get one like yours.
Also, I suspect that water is somehow getting into your engine, but I can’t figure out how that could be with your oil only being a week old, as well as your having a stock setup.
Tim _________________ Let's do the Time Warp again!
Richard O'Brien |
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74 Thing Samba Member

Joined: September 02, 2004 Posts: 7582
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Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Where is the oil filler on that?
Are you running a thermostat and the flaps? |
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grandpa red Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2018 Posts: 520 Location: Hollister,Ca.
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:07 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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What color is the sludge? _________________ '72 Beetle |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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I call it sludge, but it’s kind of a milky honey color. I’ll try to take a picture of it, but not sure if I’ll be able to get a good shot of the fill area but definitely can take cap off and get a shot of that. |
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grandpa red Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2018 Posts: 520 Location: Hollister,Ca.
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Moisture will make it a whitish or cream color.
Have you cleaned out the area and then recheck? _________________ '72 Beetle
Last edited by grandpa red on Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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74 Thing wrote: |
Where is the oil filler on that?
Are you running a thermostat and the flaps? |
Oil fill at top of alternator stand and completely stock with breather in place.
Thermostat and flaps all in place and operational. |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:16 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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74 Thing wrote: |
Where is the oil filler on that?
Are you running a thermostat and the flaps? |
yes everything inplace and operational. |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:16 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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I call it sludge, but it’s kind of a milky honey color. I’ll try to take a picture of it, but not sure if I’ll be able to get a good shot of the fill area but definitely can take cap off and get a shot of that. |
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runamoc  Samba Member

Joined: June 19, 2006 Posts: 5929 Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:27 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Quote: |
Thermostat and flaps all in place and operational |
This will fix your problem. The engine is not getting 'hot' enough to 'boil' out the moisture. Get a long stem cooking thermometer and put it down the dip stick tube and even after a long hard ride, the temp won't be over 170º. You'll need to get it up to over 212º to 'boil' the moisture out. _________________ Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs-
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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tnjyoung Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2019 Posts: 153 Location: Tennessee
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:36 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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I have only been a member for about 15 minutes and already one of my questions has been addressed. The long-ish black air cleaner appears to be stock. I have the same one on my 1974 SB. Yours looks great (better than mine) and is inspiring. Not sure about the sludge as I am new to the VW thing, but I will be watching for the answers to come in. |
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:06 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Here’s the pictures of what I’ve got going on.
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Ricksurfin Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:10 am Post subject: Re: Oil fill and oil cap sludge |
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Don’t think I’d want my engine so hot that the heat would extend all the way up the oil fill tube to boil that out. Not sure if there’s a good answer to being able to drive that out. Might just have to clean it out periodically.
From the view of that picture I also see some cracking of the intake boot. I don’t have any symptoms of a vacuum leak but it’s going to be something I need to address before a problem arises. |
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