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DSVW
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 278
Location: Maryland
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 Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 5:13 pm Post subject: Oil drain plug? |
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Hi,
All original 1966 Bug here.
My car does not have an oil drain plug, but the manual shows one.
I have to remove all of the small bolts holding on the oil strainer cover and let the oil drain out on an angle....a real mess.
Is this something that I can add and why would my owner's manual show one?
Thanks. |
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zerotofifty
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 3713
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| DSVW wrote: |
Hi,
All original 1966 Bug here.
My car does not have an oil drain plug, but the manual shows one.
I have to remove all of the small bolts holding on the oil strainer cover and let the oil drain out on an angle....a real mess.
Is this something that I can add and why would my owner's manual show one?
Thanks. |
Some sump plates have the drain bolt, others do not. It might be the sump plate was changed at one time.
You can buy a sump plate with a bolt.
I also like to place magnets on the sump plate, under the filter screen, this will capture ferrous metal bits from the oil.
Besure that the nuts used to hold the sump plate are acorn style (sealed ends) else oil will drip around the threads and leak. also be sure to use real copper gaskets under each of the nuts. You will want soft copper washers. BEWARE some steel washers with copper plating are sold for this application, These will allow leaks as they dont crush tio make a nice seal. the fake copper plated steel washers can be found out with a magnet test. The copper washers can be hard if they were rapidly cooled, you may soften them by heating to red hot on your stove top, and then allow to slow cool, this will make them soft and allow them to crush into a good seal. a soft copper washer will make a thud sound when dropped on a cement floor, and bounce very little. A copper washer that has not been slow cooled and is hard will ring and bounce when dropped on a cement floor.
Two paper washers are required for the sump plate, on goes on each side of the filter screen.
Note I usually drain the hot oil from the drain plug, then after all is drained, remove the sump plate to clean it, the filter screen and the magnets which I have added. Do this for the optimal oil change.
Have fun, Keep a Bugging.
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Give Peace a Chance.
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tasb
The Distributor Distributor
Joined: April 27, 2002
Posts: 6722
Location: Pentwater, Michigan
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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As you suspect, there should be a large center drain bolt in the center of your cover. You don’t ad one to your current cover you replace it with a cover that has the drain bolt. Any of the vendors on here will have one for you.
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1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018
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Member# 2059
Last edited by tasb on Wed May 28, 2025 7:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DSVW
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 278
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| Great info. Thanks! |
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mukluk
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012
Posts: 7452
Location: Clyde, TX
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2025 7:13 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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Gee whiz info, VW changed over to a sump plate without drain plug roughly around the introduction of the '73 model. Supposedly this was done because too many people were just draining and refilling without dropping the strainer to clean it... or maybe VW just wanted to save a few pennies per car produced.
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runamoc 
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6086
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 7:51 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| mukluk wrote: |
| Gee whiz info, VW changed over to a sump plate without drain plug roughly around the introduction of the '73 model. Supposedly this was done because too many people were just draining and refilling without dropping the strainer to clean it... or maybe VW just wanted to save a few pennies per car produced. |
Weren't some cases made with a drain bolt beside the drain plate? Early engines....I think.
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Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
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VW_Jimbo
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Joined: May 22, 2016
Posts: 11110
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 8:30 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| runamoc wrote: |
| mukluk wrote: |
| Gee whiz info, VW changed over to a sump plate without drain plug roughly around the introduction of the '73 model. Supposedly this was done because too many people were just draining and refilling without dropping the strainer to clean it... or maybe VW just wanted to save a few pennies per car produced. |
Weren't some cases made with a drain bolt beside the drain plate? Early engines....I think. |
Yep! The later cases did not have the drain plug. Here is the early
Case that I rebuilt for the 54. Bottom view so you can see the hole, to the left of the sump plate opening, is for the drain plug.
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Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
| TDCTDI wrote: |
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indianpeaksjoe
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Joined: July 27, 2017
Posts: 636
Location: Moab, UT
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runamoc
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 6086
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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Is that a wax paper case seal?
_________________
Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 45 yrs - Plan B: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs- '80 Rabbit Diesel
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 35832
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 10:48 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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Cosmoline-soaked paper to prevent rust or chafing on the machined faces when shipping?
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79415
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 11:51 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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I would not trust a chrome EMPI plate to not leak. If you want aftermarket look at one of the billet aluminum ones.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
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splitjunkie
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006
Posts: 4193
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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Only 25hp and 36hp cases had a drain plug on the case next to the sump plate. For '60, which was the last year for the 36hp in most markets, they added a drain plug to the sump plate and didn't tap the boss on the case for the drain plug. 1200, 1300, 1500 and 1600 never had a drain plug in the case. Only on the sump plate. As mukluk said, they removed the drain plug in '73 to encourage people to pull the sump and clean the strainer.
There really is no need for the drain plug when you get down to it. Just remove all but one of the sump nuts and loosen the remaining one enough to allow you to pop the sump plate loose to allow the oil to drain. Once drained, remove the remaining nut and pull the plate and the strainer.
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bsairhead
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Joined: October 08, 2008
Posts: 4463
Location: viroqua wi.
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2025 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| How does it make a mess? Sounds like you need a bigger pan. You should clean the screen every oil change, 2500 miles. |
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indianpeaksjoe
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Zundfolge1432
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 12566
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2025 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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115.00 for a sump plate? Maybe for a show car, the kind with mirrors underneath the kind that get trailered to the shows. As for the chrome it would help to lightly abrade the sealing surface where the plate meets the gasket. Pay attention to the magnetic plugs sometimes they can ride high an restrict the oil suction especially if the strainer is missing.
Here’s an oldtimer not pretty but it works. |
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Bobs67vwagen
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Eastern north carolina
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| I'm sure one of the vendors on here could fix you up with an original German one with drain bolt. I have always changed oil every 2 to 3 thousand miles and found that I only needed to drop the screen every 2 or 3 oil changes as it was very clean. Good luck |
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79415
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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1973 and newer didn't have a drain bolt from the factory
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
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my3bugs
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003
Posts: 825
Location: Moreno Valley
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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i have a magnetic drain plug in a 1600 motor in the drain plate . can you just add another magnet or two to the drain plate ? like stick one of these new small rare earth magnets to the plate ? would it just hold its self ? of would it need to be glued ? is just the one more than enough ?
i have seen a thread showing how VW made a magnet to fit some of these filter screens . |
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zerotofifty
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 3713
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| my3bugs wrote: |
i have a magnetic drain plug in a 1600 motor in the drain plate . can you just add another magnet or two to the drain plate ? like stick one of these new small rare earth magnets to the plate ? would it just hold its self ? of would it need to be glued ? is just the one more than enough ?
i have seen a thread showing how VW made a magnet to fit some of these filter screens . |
I stick three or four magnets to the plate, under the filter screen. These magnets are roughly 3/16 th x 3/4 th x 7/8 th of an inch. No glue needed, they stay in place.
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Give Peace a Chance.
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my3bugs
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003
Posts: 825
Location: Moreno Valley
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Oil drain plug? |
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| thanks for sharing ZERO !!! ill prolly add some next time , but i have these small round super strong ones im thinking of , like the ones used in name tags . |
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