VW bugs and just a screen filter

[Rat407]

Just wondering how long with today's oils, especially if you ran a full synthetic, a VW bug's engine would last.

It would be interesting to see. With all the talk on filtration and 99% @ 20 microns and such. I would guess that the bug would do just fine for an easy 100k if not more with an oil change interval of 5k miles.

If I had the extra cash to purchase one, I would rebuild the engine and start from scratch and run as a test bug.

Thoughts?

 

[MinamiKotaro]

I put a spin-on filter on mine. Works great.

 

[HerrStig]

Those air cooled engines ran wide tolerances.

 

[Chris142]

My dad put nearly 150k on 2 bugs he bought new. Almost 300k between then with zero internal engine work. Both were crashed in running condition. Both used the oil screen and no other filter.

He only ran pz 10w40. A 70 and a 74 super beetle.

 

[WobblyElvis]

My family had 6 air cooled VWs and few American V8s in the 60's. The engines in the VW's were shot around 90,000 mile and the V8s around 140,000 miles. I think the reason the VW's didn't last as long was mostly because they were under powered, with 42 hp for the 1200cc and 54hp from the 1600. They spent a large part of the time under full throttle and air cooling didn't help. It's true they didn't have an oil filter but I don't think that fact significantly reduced their engine life.

 

[BrocLuno]

This design was/is built for 3,000 mile oil changes (hot). It's also the best time to adjust the valves, unless you have a late model Mexican motor with hydraulic adjusters ...

These engines need the once over that often to make sure things are OK.

One of the biggest things overlooked is the "pan gasket" Not the oil pan, but the one that seals the air cooling shroud to the body. If it's leaking there will be less vacuum created by the cooling blower and you'll have less cooling air coming in. So every 3K or so, change the oil, check the exhaust valve clearance, and look over all the rubber bits

Oh, and add a magnetic drain plug to catch the odd Fe shard floating by

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Those air cooled engines ran wide tolerances.
Clearances.

 

[Nick1994]

I maintain my aunt's 1970 VW Beetle, I'm actually the only one who drives it.

I have run Mobil 1 TDT 5w40 and this past year is Mobil 1 HM 10w40. I'll probably do the Mobil 1 HM 10w40 again for this year.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
My family had 6 air cooled VWs and few American V8s in the 60's. The engines in the VW's were shot around 90,000 mile and the V8s around 140,000 miles. I think the reason the VW's didn't last as long was mostly because they were under powered, with 42 hp for the 1200cc and 54hp from the 1600. They spent a large part of the time under full throttle and air cooling didn't help. It's true they didn't have an oil filter but I don't think that fact significantly reduced their engine life.
It did.

 

[Ohle_Manezzini]

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
One of the Biggest things overlooked is the "pan gasket" Not the oil pan, but the one that seals the air cooling shroud to the body . If it's leaking there will be less vacuum created by the cooling blower and you'll have less cooling air coming in. So every 3K or so, change the oil, check the exhaust valve clearance, and look over all the rubber bits

Oh, and add a magnetic drain plug to catch the odd Fe shard floating by

You mean, the baffle?

 

[Ohle_Manezzini]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Those air cooled engines ran wide tolerances.
Clearances.

Yep, wide clearances plus thick oil = less filtration needs. Particles cushion.

 

[JimPghPA]

I once saw a picture of the remains from a front end to front end collision of an old style (Rear enging) VW Bug vs a Ford F150. The front of the Bug basically had nothing for any front crash protection. It was a death trap in any type of front end collision.

 

[JimPghPA]

Those old air cooled engines were notorious for cracking cylinders.

 

[DoubleWasp]

There are still air cooled small engines out there that have screens with no filter. I wouldn't even think about trying 5000 miles in any one of them.

 

[KCJeep]

Our 69 Bug required an engine rebuild right after we bought it in 73, basically my dad got scammed on it. No idea on the maintenance it had received. Miles were low but I don't remember the exact number. He forked out for the rebuild and we drove it without further issue for well over 10-12 years, but we changed the oil regularly too.

Fun car. I learned to drive on it and drove it all through high school and beyond. It had the unique "semi automatic" 3 speed stick arrangement. I wish I had a picture of it, I don't.

 

[jongies3]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I once saw a picture of the remains from a front end to front end collision of an old style (Rear enging) VW Bug vs a Ford F150. The front of the Bug basically had nothing for any front crash protection. It was a death trap in any type of front end collision.

Not just Bugs, pretty much everything from that era was a rolling death trap! Vehicle safety has come a long long ways and it's for the better. The Bug was designed as a cheap, affordable everyman's car for the people of Germany originally, nothing more, and nothing less. Therefore, they were made as basic and simple as possible so that servicing and repairs would be easy to DIY and parts stayed affordable.

Go watch crash test video footage from back in the 50's through the 70's of the big domestic cars everyone deemed "rock solid" folding up during collisions like a soda can under your foot.
I love my classic cars, but they were, and still are rolling death traps. My Mustang only has lap belts in it, thin little roof pillars, and nothing in the doors or front fenders reinforcing them to anything to keep the occupants safe in a crash. I love the car, but there's a very good reason why I typically only putz around town in it during the summer. It gets very few runs on the highway, and those are only to blow the carbon and buildup out of the fuel system and engine after it's sat awhile. If I take it to a car show out of town, it gets trailered there and back. Not to mention, with 4:55 gearing in the rear end, I'd go broke driving it very far just putting gas in the darned thing! Hehe

 

[andyd]

I drove bugs exclusively for 20 yrs. My dad bought his first in'57 and went to a nova in the late '90s.Most of the engines I had dropped #3 exhaust valve at just over 100K miles. I used 20w50 or 10w40 depending on temps

 

[simple_gifts]

The only thing less reliable than cars of that era is people's memory of how great they were.

 

[JetStar]

I had read somewhere years ago that the VW engine had a very low piston velocity compared to most engines, and that helped the longevity of the engine.

 

[edwardh1]

Originally Posted By: andyd
I drove bugs exclusively for 20 yrs. My dad bought his first in'57 and went to a nova in the late '90s.Most of the engines I had dropped #3 exhaust valve at just over 100K miles. I used 20w50 or 10w40 depending on temps


and VW never modified the engine to fix that. Possibly did not do that in the cooler Germany, just did it in hotter west Texas etc. Since it was "out of sight" of the German engineers, it did not get fixed.
The Japanese would have I think.