How to make your old VW more reliable and last longer......and what NOT! to do 

3000 mile oil change and valve maintenance is a must. Maintenance pays off.

ALL valuable information. Took me 30+ years to learn all this stuff. KIDS, listen to THIS advice, everyone around will think you're a genius! You'll be driving your ACVW, while your buddies are broken down, waiting on parts. Buy once, cry once.

I'm going out on my own and say "external oil cooler" keeps it cool prolonging engine life!

I got tired of VW maintenance…. Eventually sold it and bought a Citroën 2CV. No problems since with the 2CV.

Great job with all the helpful hints, Mike. You have the experience, so to me that's pretty much gospel. On those tiny Bug taillights... I remember when my dad bought his new 1960 tomato-red Beetle, he was concerned about those lights and the ability for drivers behind to see the brake lights. So he pretty much invented the third stop light. He bought a 5" diameter chrome-housed red stop light at the auto parts store, used black stick-on letters that read "STOP," wired it to the stop circuit and mounted it on the center of the venting above the rear deck lid. Nobody ever rear-ended us in that car and we were running it in busy traffic on Long Island, NY. Those taillights and the lack of gas gauge were a couple of reasons that Dad traded in our '60 for a new '62 Bug. I still have his old stop light... wish I had the tomato-red 1960 Beetle.

Oil level on the increase I wish I knew about that a few years ago. I screwed up big time and let my fuel pump leak internally into the oil and washed out my engine bearings. that's a very good tip. It will never happen again ( I hope) I have learned much watching your videos and others. I love these little cars thanks for the info.

I have followed all of these tips for my recent Bug build and cost wise it's all pretty much the same as a "stock" setup but the performance and longevity is insanely better. Fantastic general set of tips to keeps these VWs alive longer. Keep up the great content Mike!

That last point is a good one. Drove my car daily for 10 years. It was a constant battle with maintenance. Got an Accord now. Rebuilding carbs this weekend.

One of the reasons why premium fuel works better in an air-cooled engine is that it is slower burning and is less prone to uncontrolled combustion (pinging/detonation). With today's fuels usually being blended combinations with alcohol I prefer to use nylon lined fuel injection hose. The quality of parts is now an issue for all brands of cars - there is an amazing amount of poorly finished new parts. Your advice to carefully inspect and be picky is spot on. I got blacklisted from a major online parts supplier - they were upset that I was returning so many defective parts! I would say that if you are going to daily drive a classic to go ahead and spend the money on fuel injection. Good advice on keeping the compression in the 8's for reliability. If you are building a fresh engine and going up in displacement, then I would also suggest freeway flyer gears to lower your highway rpms. Disc brakes and bright taillights are a must if you are driving with modern traffic.

Great video Mike! This is the video I've been waiting for.

2 things about the fuel system, don't install plastic filters on the fly in the engine bay. Don't use the cloth covered fuel hoses. They look nice and original but you can't see any cracks in the rubber. The reinforced high pressure hoses for fuel injected cars are more reliable. The rubbish rubber material today is so worse and dangerous. Protect from fire. Made in Germany today is crap produced in China and sold for much money and it's not worth it. Points capacitors from Beru are more reliable than the crappy Bosch made in China. This are my experience last 20 years run 4 aircooled VWs.

Great Video! Thanks for all the suggestions! 👍

These are great tips Mike. Excellent video mate. Love that ragtop Beetle too!

Thanks for the news about the Low Budget fuel injection system! Good to know.

Thanks so much for sharing man. It means a lot to all of us.

You got me thinking a lot about dual carbs vs single carbs , you are right , I frequently fiddle with dual carbs and plugged jets regardless of good filtering . My 1600 cc with Brosol H30/31 was really great back then . hmmmm.

Great video Mike! 😀 One upgrade I always do is convert to dual circuit brakes. Single circuit is fine until it suddenly isn't...

Car Wizard install elec fuel pump on a hard to start 70's bug, fires right up and can be returned orig. easily

Well that was a revelation about the gas and oil. I'm so grateful that we have electronic ignitions available. Chinese parts are what is available and affordable any more.

2:36 this fuel line is great if high quality, the problem is that there is fuel line like this out there , which will look fine from the inside but the rubber part will be cracked ( and fuel will seep trough the mesh ) .

Yup , I've been using Castrol 20,50 in the vw's since high school the 80's was taught that then 👌

Ethanol is the issue for fuel hoses and fuel pumps. Most available hoses are ethanol "resistant' to varying degree's. 100% ethanol proof is available, but pricey and likely the stuff OEM's are using on new vehicles. This is the only hose I now use and after 4 years it shows no signs of degradation or hardening. All fuels here in the UK now have at least 5% ethanol so it's essential insurance in my opinion.

Excellent practical information Mike. Thanks

Really good tips. Thanks for this video 😃

Great video!! Lots of very good points!!

I got to meet u at OCTO last Saturday Love ur video's Keep it up bro

Hey, that's the Oil I've got! Also STP usually cheap at walmart.

Thanks for the video mike.

Thanks for making this video. Great tips 👍😀

Total agreement about dual carbs.

Learning a lot from you before I get my first air cooled vw this weekend (a 73 super beetle)I agree on the electric fuel pumps had one on a old ram charger never ran right with it

Good comment on fuel in air cooling engine, thanks.

Drive it! Every single weekend, drive it. Absolutely beautiful bug, man.👍

Hi Mike, I am still running the original hoses in my fuel tank, new trans rebuilt engine 1970 Beetle. I will be swapping them out soon and use the German Braided ones, along with disc breaks and returning the Beetle to stock height so I can drive with a passenger and not just the dog. I just got rid of my points, and went Elec. So far so good, I love my Beetle "The Omen" and will keep improving what I have. Thank you for all your videos I am enjoying them. I have a friend with a 73 SB AS and he has nothing but problems with EMPI's work as of late, FYI Quality Control issues as of late. I will say steer clear of EMPI except the rims. EMPI hasn't been the same since the 90's. Mike super important at least in a Beetle, don't forget the Heater Box Seals they go around the hose and in the hole super necessary anyone who is missing those get on it. I had to get mine they were missing at Avery's VW in Kelso, WA. a couple hours away from me in Seattle.

Good suggestions! New here....reminiscing about my '69 that I haven't owned for 50 years. My biggest issues were poor spark plug wires absorbing moisture on rainy days. Heater control "cables" rusting through -- I should have lubed them ...with something. And not knowing to adjust the valves -- until I burned an exhaust. If I still owned it, I would put in an electronic ignition and switch to an alternator. Have fun!

Fantastic! Saved this to my own collection of videos in a playlist as important sh!t to remember, lol. I'm glad to say I have done a lot of what things you have mentioned, and the bay runs very well. Just need some beach boys music and I'm happy. I'm not that old, but older stuff is much more fun. Blend of old and new ✨️ 👌 🏄‍♂️🌊🏄‍♀️

Lots of good information here. We have a gas station that has one pump with Premium Non Ethanol gas. I run with that and get better gas mileage plus I don't have to worry about all the crap that happens with ethanol fuel.

Great job Mike, the big revolution to me was the Castrol motor oil. I’m going to try it as I’ve always been fighting heating issues with my motor and Valvoline VR1

Great tips Mike, especially about the oil and gas octane. What about that oil cooer?

Some great tips Mike ! I worked at a vw shop in the 80's in San Jose...all we used for oil was Castrol GTX 30 heavy Duty....great stuff ! What do you think of the old CB Performance external oil filter brackets on the oil pump ?

When I owned my 2 '73 bugs (1 regular and 1 super) or any other car in my life, I only Castrol GTX oil.

Thank you for another great video Mike. To stir the oil war pot. Castrol has come out with 20w-50 Classic With ZDDP available at Walmart.

Great Video Mike…

Thank you for the affirmation of the new aluminum case. I regret not buying one sooner- they just keep going up in price. I need to pull the trigger sooner than later and purchase one for my bus.

Do you have any videos on how to keep your vw from overheating? Or how to have your engine tuned up correctly, like the engine being able to go 60 or 70 miles per hour?

Some great helpful hints. Definitely lots of controversy about brands of oil. Been using Royal Purple in my 64 1776 for awhile now but it's $$$$ and hard to find. Might try Castrol next time. Thanks for the video!

Those cheap walmart grade crimp-on wire plugs, is definitely NOT doing anything for your reliability. Seen tons of engine issues with corroded, loose, or plain fallen off connectors. Either invest in commercial grade crimp tools and plugs, or go the cheap route and just solder it, then use some shrink tubing. They are also open to water moisture entering them which furthers corrosion. Personally I use a little butane powered soldering tool, very handy to not have to futz with extensioncords, or in the field fixes. Otherwise, lots of good tips.

I had an empi for about 10 months. Over 9000 miles till an electronic short in my ignition switch behind the dash killed it. Now I'm trying an accuspark out of Europe. 3ohm coil with 38 tho spark plug gap. Got a little over 100 miles so far.

I use castrol 20/50 on my vehicles and Lucas oil stabilizer GOOD STUFF!

Instead of points it's better electrical ignition, points are troublesome especially when it rains

Nice video.👍

So I own a corvair, it's a similar machine but obviously made by Chevy. They are reliable regardless of being original or not and in most if not all cases the aftermarket stuff for them is better than original, mine has twin carbs and they did also make models with 4 or just one for the turbocharger, once the carbs are adjusted they are fine for quite a while. How the community treats things is just completely different from VW.

Bosch is making some stuff like spark plugs in Russia and they aren’t that good anymore. I like to use a oil with high zinc level or add zinc to it for my vw’s engines.

Great great great video!!! Agree with your VW ideology!!! I also want to stay with single carb,..avoiding the dual carb peer pressure! Which single carb , do u recommend for performance and reliability? Thanks

According to my Vintage VW shop...the trouble with getting parts today is the fact that the older workforce in Brazil retired at Covid. Parts are still around/made but the quality that the older workforce knew how to build is not the same as the new stuff on the market. The old part supplies came to an end until the manufactures started up again after covid. 1900cc 1969 VW Dune Buggy

Whats your take on Shell Rotella oil? I hear that the oil in the T4 or 5 are great for old engines because there is lots of zinc added. Because they are engineered for diesel engines, they can withstand the temperatures.

hello Mike!! saludos desde Argentina!! QQ for you, we have no chance to get Lucas HD Oil Stabilizer here, but we can get Liqui Moly products, do you know if the Liqui Moly ViscoPlus + GTX 20W-50 will do the trick? I usually run my 1.2CC with GTX15W-40 but as the summer is coming I am thinking on swap it to ensure that ir runs as cooler as possible. Thanks in advance!

Hi Mike. Hope you’re well? I’ve been told to use a high content zinc 30 weight mineral oil in old vw engines, as there are no detergents in it. I also hear that you are meant to use ‘newer oils’ with detergents like 20w50 etc, only if you have a full flow engine with removable filter, as it suspends the crap in the oil, which then get removed by the filter. A straight 30, is better for cooling but puts all the crud into the strainer, which you then clean out ever other oil change. What do you think? All the best.👍🏾🛠🇬🇧

I use the same oil.

If I'm not running a rear apron or decklid will I have problems with cooling? I don't drive the bug too often, it's a 1600 with dual 34s. The engine sort of hangs off the transmission like a baja but it's a street car

I don't know if they ever corrected the fit . Those gold gen-alt pulleys would just fall on . One of those came with the alt. and I threw it in the garbage ! If you don't have to beat it on the shaft = that boy ain't right . give it a year and it will rattle the key way.

Do u have a video on tuning that carb on the bus engine?

Hey Mike. Isn't Castrol gtx synthetic? Didn't VW recommend mineral oil for their aircooled motors? I could be wrong, I am frequently.

I use Rowe 20w50 vintage. Because of the Zink.

First I've heard about aluminum case...great news on that and the valve lash. But I havent had a vw for 40 years so maybe didnt have at that time

Looking good. Lately I have been seeing advertisements where they are saying German quality but made in China in small print. Like they are pushing the laws on what they say.

Im running a 1300cc dual port motor me and my dad rebuilt cam has been reprofiled a few degrees from stock. Using the empi street curve distributor, its still uses points and condensor. I use a module that replaces the condensor its called G-tech its south african made the builder tests it on his own cars too see if relaible for usage. So far no issues. All engin tins are replaced with newer plates. On my bug i have a stand off plates too keep my motor cool on long runs or when in traffic. Only thing i need too replace is my alternator. I do a weekly run through too see if everything is still good. Bosch coil in south africa is super expensive. Been using a cheap coil and never have issues

Hey Mike! Enjoy your video today… The carburetors you got on your bus, What size carburetor and brand it is? Thanks

Rotella 15w40 diesel oil has the ZDDP and seems to run good

Number one: Warm up the engine! Don't listen to the people who say otherwise.

Good info

Good video, the only thing that i wonder about is that if you're running 7.2:1 the engine is running such low temperatures that low octane fuel would not make any difference.

Thank Mike for the great video!! I just had an engine builder build me a original 40hp and an 1835 and swore that Valvoline VR1 20-50 was the best oil. I am running an exterior oil cooler and with the 40 hp have not passed 160⁰. I have not installed the 1835 yet because I am waiting on heater boxes. Is the Casterol synthetic and does it matter? I am only using 91 0r 93 octane gas. Thanks again for a great video!

By experience Empi quality has been absolute 💩💩💩. They eventually get better, but at our expense. Buy quality 1st, empi as last resort. Sorry Joni, but not as sorry as I am after I waste money and time on low quality, made by anyone, not just Empi.

Your comment about Castrol was interesting...Project Farm did an extensive comparison of engine oils a year or two ago and the thing I remember about it was that, compared to other brands of oils of the same weight, Castrol seemed to have slightly higher viscosity. I wonder if that is why it works so well for you in your VWs. Have you ever tried Shell Rotella T4 in your VWs? I've only had an ACVW for a few years now and used Lucas Classic Car oil when I did an oil change but am debating what to use next. Other classic car channels I follow use Rotella for the higher zinc content.

Want your engines to last? Change the oil often and keep it standard.

I run the same oil in my bug I run the 15w-40

Hi Mike! I am new to VW and am restoring 70 1600 T2. The PO installed dual carbs. In doing so they bent the engine bay out of shape making them fit, leaving huge gaps where the seal should be. It runs pretty good but hot, I have learned why from your videos. My question is do I go back to single carb or come up with something to seal up what I have? Also I have new heater boxes and muffler. Should I pull the motor to do all this work or worry in place Thanks for the feedback!

Anyone who thinks that a vintage VW is a tangible daily driver is crazy! I know first hand because I have had a 1969 bug as my only car for about 4 years now. I think that it has ran for maybe one and half years of that time. It has NEVER been reliable. I'm not a slouch around cars either. I grew up building hot rods and built a few solid sow cars. So I know how to turn a wrench.

How about using 3/16 inch diameter fuel line?. It works out to 96% of the 5mm I.D. German fuel line.

👍👍👍😎😎😎 informative video

Can you install a AC in this cars? My wife wants one but the one she wants doesn’t have it, is it possible?

74 standard beetle partially rebuilt looking for a new home. Love me some bugs but no time anymore to work on them. Respond to this comment.

What about ethanol free gas instead of premium. Premium has 10 to 20% ethanol which can cause rust build up internally in the engine and mess up fuel lines.... even german braided. Would you prefer premium over ethanol free gas? Gas without ethanol tend to have better gas mileage as well. What are your thoughts?

nice.

What carburetor is that it looks like it's mounted backwards

It's coming up 50 years since I bought my Beetle. Impressive video. Volkswagen aren't unreliable. They just require your attention. That's why it's called "The People's Car", the people could fix their own car. Originally, in the '30's, they'd give you a set of tools with a new car. Or so I heard. Aaaaand, My '72 Van still has the sticker on the gas flap. It says there in German to use Regular gas, 91 octane. Today's regular is only 87.

Kindly ,,continew your blog ,,abuot this car,,illove ,,this car,,vw

Long story short: keep it original- use bosch electrical and german spare parts- avoid modifications

Thanks Mike all good Stuff ! Stright Ahead ✌😎 PS You say they dont see the samll lights ! They dont see at all ! its hare to see what is going on if your face is in your hand looking at your sex organ (cell phone )

❤

Wow, I just saw that fitech was banned on thesamba Not very flattering comments

that German stuff isn't ethanol safe AFAIK. you'd better be running ethanol free gas

Why do you set valves to zero? Is it possible to talk to you on the phone sometime?

fix the drivway first

Empi 😂😂 hate that shit

Keep it German. Done!

The oil argument is like two bald men fighting over a comb. The quality of the cheapest engine oil on the rack today is better than the best oil you could buy when that engine was manufactured. Pick an oil, ANY oil of an appropriate weight and you'll be doing better than spec. There being no filter, the best thing you can do is frequent oil changes whether you hit the mileage or not.