maintenance of 356 speedster

I got my speedster 3 yrs ago and it's been sitting in my garage until now (was out of town on business.) Now I finally get a chance to have fun.

My replica is based on a 66 vw bug frame with 1700cc vw dual cab engine.

Question:
What engine oil/filter/etc do I use for this vehicle?

Any suggestions other than oil change are more than welcomed.

Thanks, guys.

""""IF"""" you have an oil filter and the adapter is the large variety, use a WIX 51515R Obtainable from any NAPA parts house. WIX makes all the filters for NAPA and if by chance they have a NAPA brand, it's a 1515R. Most VW engines do not have a filter unless the previous owner or engine builder machined it for a full flow system or,,, someone installed an oil pump with an oil filter adapter. If that's the case, remove the filter and take it to your auto parts store so they can match it up. If it's been sitting for 3 years then along with an oil change, do a valve adjustment, replace the fuel filters and drain any fuel in the tank and carb's. Re-fill with fresh gasoline. (Today's oil, thanks to the EPA is crap, so make a decision based on this: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=367300&highlight=oil
Usually 20-50 for summer and a lighte oil if it gets real cold in your area.

While you're in the engine compartment, you may as well do a complete tune up, point/condenser if you have them, new distributor cap, new rotor, new spark plugs and also check your spark plug wires.

Depending on your area, you may want to check for rodent damage such as chewed wires etc. It's quite common in some area's of the country.


Check your air cleaners and if you have K&N's then clean them and re-oil. If you have paper filters then replace them. Drain the transaxle fluid and re-fill with 1 gallon of fresh oil (probably 80-90 weight) Obviously you'll probably need to install a new battery as I wouldn't trust a battery that's been sitting that long. Check your tires. If they have started to rot then replace them (regardless of tread depth, tires are only good for 5 years and after that, they can blow out) and, don't forget to check your brake system. Probably you should flush the brake fluid and re-fill with fresh fluid. (THis can be done rather easily and you won't need to bleed the system if you install a 1/8" hose over the bleeder valve and insert the hose into a quart size container containing about 1 inch of fresh fluid. Crack open the bleeder valve and pump the brakes making sure the reservoir stays full. This should be done backwards from bleeding in that you'll start at the closest wheel to the reservoir then progressively go to the furthest. By having the tube in fluid, you won't suck up any air. Pump at least 4 to 5 times then close off that bleeder and move to the next)

Thanks
You are a life-saver.

I run a bottle of carb cleaner (NOT dry gas) in next tank or two of gas too. Ya may have to rebuild carbs and clean them good if varnish built up in them. I don't like oil additives but firm believer in occasional bottle of Mystery Oil added to oil for top end lubrication for old VW.

If you want oils that will provide the zinc your engine needs, the best bet is Brad Penn. It's not always easy to find, but you can order it and it is reasonably priced.

I've found zinc additives from Hy-per Lube.

Sounds like it might take me the whole weekend to do all these as I am not mechanically adept. And, also moving again...this time from Dallas to Tuscaloosa, Al. I may have to tackle this job in a month or so....plus, I don't have all the tools as of now.

My Speedster is made by VS in Ca. Is there any book on their engine..a VW engine that I can familiar myself with during the mean time?

Rotella brand diesel oil has zinc and that's all I use...there is another related thread on this .

Alan, I don't want to cause too much thread drift as this has been covered in the past but,,if you're using Rotella with SL on the code then fine, if it has SM then its Zinc and Phospate has been dramatically reduced and is no better than any other oil that has been castrated by the EPA

Guys, this is an extremely good article on oil:

http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html


I have no ties to Brad Penn, but will be purchasing some soon, as it seems to be the only real choice, at least for me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140310084368&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:MOTORS:1123

No book on the VS engine but many on the VW. If you don't have a spec/build sheet from them - they may have records of what it was delivered with. There should be a serial # (OEM block) near distributor but it just gives year of case and how it started life. The Muir - "How to keep your Volkswagen Alive" is a must have. Sure there is a VW for Dummies (or Idiots) too.

The link I posted above also links to the site that Danny posted. It just contains a lot more information from Porsche owners regarding their choices of oil

I only use Swepco 20-50 oil in my 911

How to chg oil

http://vw-diy.com/VWMagazine_1.php

Check brakes, brake hoses, tie rod ends (tight), steering componenets, air pressure, grease the beam....

Rotella CI-4 oil is now refinded at 1200 ppm down from the previous 1300ppm of zinc and considered to be high in zinc content and all I use in the Type 1 as well as in my big truck that I rack up 90,000 annually.
BTW, you can get oil sampling done though any larger truck stop or truck repair place. They can tell you the amount of acids etc. within the oil ~Alan

I use Rotella too; you can also add STP 4 cylinder Oil Supplement (red bottle) and it adds the zinc you need to the oil. Same with GM EOS.

Ricardo, considering coming out to Carlisle this year ? ~Alan

Unfortunately, GM EOS is no longer available via GM. Some is still available via E-bay but you pay the price

Alan, Where are you finding CI-4 oil? I thought it was discontinued by our loving EPA???

Hi Alan; I'm afraid not; I've been running around for the past couple of years and my life has gotten a little more complicated. I found the CI-4 at my local Western Auto/Advance Auto Parts; maybe it was old stock. Anyway, my suggestion is to get the Rotella (or any other oil of your choice) and add the STP 4 cylinder supplement.

Rotella CI-4 diesel oil available at any truck stop.
The zinc content is now at 1200 ppm, it was at 1300ppm.
It's still considered to be high in zinc content. but was reformulated to meet the '07 mandated diesel emissions.

Ricardo you'll be missed ! ~Alan

Alan, very interesting, I've searched high and low for CI4 and all I can find is CJ4

Eddie, Kirk at Vintage will tell you to treat your engine as a 1972
Type I ---I believe you can download an owners manual from The Samba. Good luck with your car!---Jack

Larry-combine your posts no.2 & no.8 and copy into the "knowledge" section in upper right (along with any after-thoughts). I think this will come again. Good common-sense info!

The zinc compound abbreviated ZDDP, is an extreme pressure additive that helps keep flat tappet camshafts from wearing out.

New oils have a lower concentration of zinc and phosphorus compounds. Bad news on the Valvoline Racing Oil... It held onto the older SL rating for a while, but the latest stuff I recently saw at the store had the emissions SM rating. This was both the 20w50 and the straight 50.

Diesel oil has traditionally had more anti-wear compounds than gas oil. However, with the current low emission diesel engines that also use a form of a catalytic converter, their oil has also changed. The old pre-emissions oil has a CI-4 rating. The new stuff has a CJ-4 rating and some CI-4 oil is still on the shelves.

Eddie-this is all great advice, esp. re: lubricants. One other thing is to replace all your rubber fuel lines. Start at the tank and go all the way to the carb(s). Don't take for granted any "superficial" cracks. And check the hose clamps.

Larry:

Napa can get Rotella CI-4. At least they can here in Beaufort, since they just got me a couple of cases back in December. Took them three days, though, so maybe it's a dwindling stock item.

Alan's right...Quite a few truck stops on the East Coast (Loves, T/A, Pilot, Flying J, etc.) still stock CI-4 (although you may have to buy 5 gallons at a whack).

The scary part is that it looks like CI-4 wil be gone by the end of the year...

gn

Scott, I'm not a donating member, just a guy that offers some advice when needed, in addition, I also Administer www.spyderclub.com

So, if you want, you can post it for me

thanks

Just got two gallons today from a Pilot truck stop off Rt 78 in NJ. ~Alan

MOMENTARY HIJACK!!!

ALAN!

Is I78 still under construction almost from end-to-end?? I'm thinking of directing the NE Caravan across I84 to Wilkes-Barre and pick up I81 there, to avoid I78 BS.

Thanks, and sorry for the hijack.

gn

Most of the Rt. 78 construction is complete, route is fine.
There is a lot of State Police enforcement all along Rt. 78 now days and on Rt.81 as you approach the Carlisle exits from either the north or south, it's a strict 55 mph as the cops are working that area constantly. Best to slip in behind a big truck and tail along. ~Alan

Alan,

Worth reading:

The newest CJ-4 formulations are now limited in the amounts of Zn and P allowed, compared to the CI-4 formations most users are familiar with. If the oil says CJ-4 or LE or "Low Emissions", even if it also lists CI-4 or CI-4+, more than likely it conforms to the new, lower levels, and should be avoided unless you have a 2007 and later diesel which requires these oils. The verdict is still out in my opinion on the performance of a CJ-4 oil in our application. If you choose to use a diesel or mixed fleet oil, stick to an a CI-4 rated oil. Nowhere should the oil say for emission system protection or for use in engines equipped with particulate emissions filters. Swepco 306 15w40 is one such example of an extraordinary diesel oil we use in our performance engines. Swepco 306 has a healthy dose of boron and moly also for additional ant-wear response. Although difficult to find, earlier CF-4 or CH-4 rated diesel oils have similarly high levels of Zn and P but are less detergent.

Worth noting, CI-4 diesel motor oils tend to have more detergents, and it has been determined in the SAE paper "Oil Development for Nascar" that overly detergent motor oils can block or "clean" the anti-wear films off of engine parts, that is one reason that these oils usually have high levels of anti-wear additives. SAE Technical Paper Series 2007-01-3999, Modern Heavy Duty Engine Oils with Lower TBN Showing Excellent Performance, also show that low detergent packages increase the effectiveness of film formation, just as in racing oils tend to have less aggressive detergent packages, which is another reason many be to consider a racing oil versus a diesel oil for your engine. The new ACEA E9 specification will be for a low Zn and P (ash) oil with low TBN, building upon this relationship to ensure that wear protection is not sacrificed for improved detergency or longer drain intervals

Today I listened to an hour of talk from an oil expert on Sirius Truck channel 147...after all of that, the jury is still out as no one really knows what the long term effect(s) may be in an older diesel and or gas motor. This has become similar to talking politics as no one is really right ...and this in mind just dump in a good quality straight 30 weight (as VW recommended) and drive the thing..... ~Alan

That oil information show sounds like it was interesting.

I don't have satellite radio, although I did have it for 3 months free right after we bought a GMC Envoy Denali but once that free offer expired, I never renewed.

Did the oil guy have anything else, good or bad to say about oil??

Try this: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
( http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php )