1968 autostick maintainance

Gale · 13 August 2010, 06:20

I just purchased a 1968 autostick. Great condition and drives great. Took it out on the road yesterday and ran it up to about 55. Pretty smooth and the auto stick seems to work great. Besides checking the trans fluid, what other maintainance should be done now or periodicly to keep this auto stick in good working order. Also this bug had not been started or driven in 25+ years. I am a newbee to the VW Bug. In truth I bought it for my daughter, but I have grown pretty fond of it and I think I might fully restore it.

Bookwus · 13 August 2010, 08:38

Hiya Gale,

Welcome to AutoStick lunacy!

Regular maintenance is a must in vehicles from this era. And I'm not just singling out the AutoStick systems either - although that's obviously why you're here. These guys were built before all those extended mileage oil changes and guarantees. Even so, the original components were quality manufacture and engineering and should last a long time if well cared for.

After not having been driven for 25 years I'd give one really big piece of advice............ don't drive the darn thing until you've done a few preliminary, but VERY important checks. To do other wise is simply taunting fate. And fate doesn't like to be taunted!

Numero uno....... make sure that your brakes are in EXCELLENT shape. I capitalized excellent for good reason. It's one thing to get the car going and another thing entirely to get it stopped. Your life depends on those brakes. I would not, under any circumstances, drive that car without going through the entire braking system. There are so many places where this system can fail. If you have looked it over and everything looks OK..............that's not good enough. You need to disassemble and inspect every part of that system. I'd do that on any used car I bought let alone one that has sat for 25 years.

Numero dos........ Replace all rubber fuel lines. Even if they look OK, replace all rubber fuel lines. These Bugs burn in a New York minute. And almost every month there's a posting on a VW website from some poor schnook whose car just incinerated.

Numero tres........ Drain and replace both fluids in the transaxle. That means replacing the hypoid gear oil (Ick! Smelly stuff!) and the ATF. And Gale, this assumes that you have already drained and replaced the engine oil.

Numero quatro........ All three steps done and complete? Then you can drive it around with some feeling of security. And you should also post up a picture of your engine compartment (being sure to clearly show the carburetor and control valve - it's important - trust me) so we can take a look at it. Lots of grief has been averted by this simple little maneuver in the past.

And finally...........I took the liberty of moving your post into this forum. You should draw more responses here.

jaywiz · 13 August 2010, 15:40

I agree one hundred percent with mikes advise!

On the breaks i would at least replace the rubber lines at the four corners(they like to swell shut and lock breaks up).there is no way of telling their condition from the outside,and if they are swelled the pedal will feel real good from in the car.

I will also add that look that motor over with a fine tooth comb(mice like to build nests in the darnedest places)and if it sat that long chances are good that one made a home in there some where.I had one that filled the entire cylinder tin and the car over heated badly due to it.Sitting on the side of the road with a sick bug in the heat is no fun!

One last thought...Welcome to the madness,one gift to the wife,and now i'm hooked and collecting a garage full of vw stuff to build myself one!

Gale · 14 August 2010, 00:56

Thanks for taking time to answer a few questions for me. I will be taking a closer look at the breaking system this weekend. Also replacing the fluids you mentioned. I will post some pics soon and put myself on the members map. Maybe Ill find another bug guy near me. I can throw rocks in the ocean from my house so one of the first things to do is protect this bug from RUST. Every thing rusts here fast. No rust on this one. Like to keep it that way.

Bookwus · 14 August 2010, 04:18

Hiya Gale,

Where are you?

Gale · 14 August 2010, 05:39

Mendocino California. Great place to live, however it has been 61(F) degrees for about 4 weeks now. A little warmer would be better, but I'll take 61 over 100 anyday. Took some good pics of the engine bay today. My laptop does not accept my camera card. I'll use my other tomorrow.

Gale · 15 August 2010, 07:21

Here is a pic of the bug on it's trip home.

Gale · 15 August 2010, 07:37

engine compartment, carburetor, control valve, etc.

Gale · 15 August 2010, 07:41

Can anyone tell me what this was for? Is it needed? It is not hooked up anymore.

Bookwus · 16 August 2010, 01:55

Hiya Gale,

I'd be happy to help you out but your pictures aren't coming up for me.

Seems that I've had this problem with some other posters also. My browser or ISP doesn't seem to like some pictures.

Anybody else out (who can see the cotton-pickin' pictures) there have some help for Gale?

jaywiz · 16 August 2010, 17:12

The piece in the pic is an emissions piece,had to be a cali only thing as well.Neither on of my AS bugs has it(68 and a 70).Where does the other end go,hard to see from your pics?

Gale · 17 August 2010, 05:53

I thought it might ba an emmissions thing too. The two pink dots were connected with a hose. There was a plastic spacer with a hose connection in place of the one that is there now (under fuel pump). The blue dots are connected via steel tube (unseen in photo) tube is connected in back of the part in question and the top hose is going nowhere now, its plugged at the end. I think the reason it was not completely removed is because of the steel tube connection. I'm thinking I can just cut it off and weld the tube shut. Any thoughts??

Bookwus · 17 August 2010, 09:03

Arrrrrrgh!

I wish I could see those pictures!

hercdriver · 17 August 2010, 15:36

Gale,

The blue dots are your heat riser tubes. If you look on the left side of the engine, you'll see another one just like it. It cycles hot exhaust air through these tubes in order to heat the intake air that passes beside it. If these aren't hooked up or they are plugged with soot, you'll probably have problems with ice forming in the intake manifold. (car will run fine on start up and the start to loose power over time until it eventually stalls, after a few minutes the ice melts and the car starts up like nothing was wrong, until the cycle repeats)

As far as the hose goes, that's new to me. Could be emissions, or a fuel line to an after market heater, who knows. I would leave it alone for now if it's not interfering with the operation of the car. (years from now you'll find out how rare it was if you chuck it)

Dave

jaywiz · 17 August 2010, 17:21

Gale

The blue dots are definatly your intake preheater tubes.The pink dot only thing i can think of is it was some type of crank case vent.Could you post a pic of behind the fan so we can see where it was going?
He is right it's always the wish i would have kept that stuff that turns out to be a rare find(wish i still had my childhood steel pedal car).lol
Tuck it behind the fan shroud if it bothers ya being there.