1974 Standard

[Southpaw]

This unit has not been running in 6-7 years . Or in a Flood for 2-3 days . I can't see that amount of water going down the carb if the air cleaner being off for a day or so .

[81pumagtc]

Glen:

This is why I now drop the sump if possible, or at least drain the oil before I try to start anything up any more. The oil will give you a great idea what kind of storage the car has been in. I doubt it was in a flood, or under a ton of water, but suspect it was probably outside for a while in a low area, or has been stored inside in a relatively damp are with a door that is opened and closed a lot in the early spring. The sudden change from cold to warm, wet air will create a great deal of condensation inside the engine. Over time it builds up. It takes less than two cups of water and old oil combined with running to cause the oil to discolor like what you describe. It's very nasty looking.

Fortunately, it usually doesn't do much damage. You might have some surface rust on the outside of the crank if it has been sitting long enough, and often you will get rusty throttle plate in your carb. Often you will get some very light rust on high spots on the cylinder walls where condensation forms and the oil runs off. Surprisingly, synthetic oil exacerbates this problem immensely, and general rule is never store a car long term with synthetic oil unless it is turned over every month or so. Synthetic oil will run completely off a steel part over time, leaving no oil film to protect the parts from rust.

Of course, turning the motor over once a month causes gasoline contamination, etc. Best rule of thumb is to use a heavy dino oil for storage, drain the carbs, etc.

If you do have this sort of contamination, you can usually clean it up inside the motor fairly easy. With a VW, I would use full synthetic oil for no more than 100 miles, (I use 50 miles). Drain the oil and clean the screen. Repeat the process after the next 100 (or 50) miles, and fill it up with the regular oil. Synthetics have incredible detergent properties, but since a VW has no filter, I would keep the initial change intervals very, very, very short. It is much more effective than adding ATF to the oil, and is easier on your motor than trying a commercial flush.

If the motor is REALLY nasty inside, motorcycle guys have been known to fill their crankcases to the rim with kerosine for a few days at a time, drain, repeat often 10 or 12 times to try and get the gunk out. I have never tried that, but know others who have. You don't ever turn the motor over when you do this.

One thing I noticed on looking at your photos a little close is that you have a red looking fan belt. Hopefully it's just surface rust. What happens is that it forms on the pulleys that are not covered by the belt, This in turn rusts, and when the generator or alternator goes under high load, the belt is sanded away, looses it's tension, and you have no power. I have worked on cars with big alternators and heavy rust (TR-7) that would eat the belt in a couple of minutes, and have worked on cars (TR-3a) whose generators make so little power that it really doesn't wear badly at all, but it also never sands the rust off of the pulley. My rule of thumb is that if I can feel the rust with a thumbnail I sand it off by hand, and if I can't feel it but can see it, I'll let the belt polish it up, than replace the belt.

Hope this helps, unfortunately it had a fairly expensive and time consuming learning curve for me.


Dave

[Southpaw]

Thanks Dave for the info , I will be putting a lot of oil in this .
I have it down started & backed out of the barn out into the yard , put it 1st then 2nd & back in the barn .
Check the oil and it's white already .

[81pumagtc]

Glen:

Wow...does it smell of gasoline? Maybe you have a fuel pump issue and are leaking gasoline through the fuel pump directly into the case?

I just don't know where you could be getting that much moisture or fluid from.

The last time I saw significant foaming in oil was when a dry-sump system failed on a Triumph motorcycle and dumped all of the oil into the sump. In a very short time, the crank and con rods agitated the oil, and made it look like detergent. I also found out first hand that foamed oil has about the same lubricating properties as warm spit...

It was ugly, ugly, ugly. And expensive...thank God it wasn't my engine.


Dave

[Southpaw]

Update ,
My 74 Bug is running and keeps running . Now I have a tie rod (upper right ) to replace and I have a shifter bushing thing going on , And my muffler ( After Market} is a 1/2 inch away from the J-tube . I have heater boxes from Vws1 but I will need a stock muffler for it to work I think .
I just power washed it clean up nice .






i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/prototype57/74%20Bug/DSCF0893.jpg[/IMG]

[drwingtipshoes]

I've got a NEW stock muffler for sale:

thegoodvolks.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=classifieds&action=display&thread=2644

The link in the posting is to the EXACT muffler I am selling (German - Ernst).

If your going to Gilmore Saturday, I will bring it along. For another $17-bucks, I can pick up a complete clamp kit from George.

Lemme know....

Art [phone]; [phone] cell

[drwingtipshoes]

Glen; I've got a pair of tailpipes too. Will have to get clamps from George for these as well (not sure of price). Lemme know...

[teamafx]

Are you gong to start driving it after you fix the exhaust?

[Southpaw]

Almost a year & half but I pull the Bug back up to the barn put in a battery put a little gas down the carb and started right up . today we took it over to a heated shop and started work .

[poomwah]

looks like you have a bit of work ahead of you, but its going to be worth it :]

[Southpaw]

Then started sanding .to see just what I had .

[Southpaw]

then I replaced the tie-rod end and removed the j-tubs .




I am real happy with how the heater boxes cleaned up .

[poomwah]

those heater boxes came out great

[Southpaw]

A little time in a hot tank ,a little time in the sand blaster , a little muffler mud and a little high temp paint may give me a little more heat .

[Southpaw]

Picked up a new oil filter (screen) gasket & copper washer kit from Auto Zone off the shelf but they don't even list points for any VW .
Installed heater boxes , plugs & wires , gas line & filter (out of engine area) oil & filter .

Turned the key and pushed the button and started right up . Not smooth yet but not smoke not a puff , Today I go into the carb .

Late last night I got a call saying I have a small gas leak and they pushed the Bug outside , hope its only a loose clamp .

I did put in gear backed up & pulled away in 3rd hit 4th , Shifter t-handle something not right so I will out back and grab another .

With the heater boxes in place I still can not mount flex air tube because muffler is not stock so still no heat .

This shop is sweet heated floor with hot water system so working under the Bug has been alot nicer .

They have a wire welder so I can repair the heater duct on the right rear .