Oil Change / Valve Adjustments

Hey guys - My first VS is due to be ready for pick-up Easter Sunday weekend. I have been reading through the forum topics and am finding myself a little gun shy from a service perspective. What would you say the percentage of owners that do their on service work versus having it done at a shop? I just ordered on-line John Muir's book. Is that a good resource for regular servicing? If the timing is right I will be at the Knotts Show, would be nice to put a face with all the folks that have posted their forum comments.


Thanks,

Ron
57filly

Ron, I used the John Muir book exclusively as a reference for performing routine maintenance of my 2000 VS. For the "feckless tuners" (ie. mechanically challenged) it's hard to beat as a reference. Besides this, the book is downright entertaining. Percentages.....hmmmm, I can't say for certain, but I am sure that a large number of the board members do their own routine maintenance, some much more than the routine stuff. Good luck with your new Speedster.
John H.

Ron, I did much the same as John, except I paid for my first Valve adjustment with the stipulation that the mechanic would walk me through it. Money well spent... for the Mechanic, the long feeler gauge, and the John Muir book.

Jim

Jim & John - Thanks for the feedback... I like the idea of paying a mechanic the first time and observing how it's done. I talked with Kurt about it, since his shop is about 15 minutes from my office he said bring it in and he would perform the service and drop me back at my office!Now that's what I call SERVICE! Kurt sure appears to be a class act with my dealings so far. Even if he performs the service I would feel more at ease if I knew the basics and could repair my own...if needed.


Thanks again,

Ron
57filly

Ron,

Oil Changes and Valve Adjusments are not difficult. If a person is Physically Impared, and do not have access to a "Lift", the procedures maybe a problem.

I do all Maintenacne as well as Engine Building.

I prefer Driving over Maintenacne however, if you do it yourself, you know its right - "Not Close".

It just takes self confidence and patience.

Everyone had to learn.

Good Luck,

Jack Blake

Ron: Another wise investment would be a Robert Bentley VW Manual as well.

BD

Ron,
One thing though, his name is Kirk.
-=theron

I'm getting lazy in my old age. Changed the oil in my 84 IM last week, and what a pain. Car is so low that my oil pan just fit, then I could get my fingers underneath to undo the bolt's final few turns....then the bolt fell into the hot oil. Then, I have to get rid of the filter and oil (in an environmentally friendly way). My mechanic charges me about $10/15 to change the filter and oil (I bring in the oil and filter). $10/15 to have someone do it for me looks tempting.
Ron

You got it Ron, it stopped the wife's nagging about spilled oil on the garage floor and the cuss words when I dropped the plug in the oil as you did. I often wondered why manufacturers always placed the filter in such an angle that oil would still find the floor via my right arm, ouch. Guess I'm finally letting someone else do it after close to 50 years of doing it myself. I still think about the pleasure it gave me to do it. Car never complained and it gave me the opportunity to roam the auto parts store while in there for oil and filters.

Bruce

Just like that, Bruce. Thanks for helping me live one of life's happier moments in the garage over again;) My lawn tractor and my Beeser are especially good at finding ways to spill oil no matter how carefully I place the drain pan. And yes, I love browsing auto parts stores too.
John H.

We used to do bi-weekly oil changes on my dad's fleet of school buses when I was a kid......he used Frantz oil filters which used a toilet paper filter element - unscented ;). Had a small tray in the can which helped you lift the old goopy filter out to discard it......judicious use of a rag as a splatter shield kept oil drops off the engine, and since the filter can was upright there wasn't any other spillage.

BTW: These things really worked - oil seldom got very dark with filter changes every two weeks (about 3000 miles between filter changes for the average bus) and we would have the oil analyzed every 4 filter changes for viscosity and acid content and change the oil when it lost it's slipperyness or the acid built up (usually around 20K miles). We typically ran buses for 4 - 5 years (200-300K miles) and then traded them in, and they never burned much more than a quart every 2K miles (not bad for a bus in stop and go service).

The BIG thing wasn't oil changes, but brake changes - every other month for the average school bus - got pretty good at it after a while!

gn

We used to do bi-weekly oil changes on my dad's fleet of school buses when I was a kid......he used Frantz oil filters which used a toilet paper filter element - unscented ;). Had a small tray in the can which helped you lift the old goopy filter out to discard it......judicious use of a rag as a splatter shield kept oil drops off the engine, and since the filter can was upright there wasn't any other spillage.

BTW: These things really worked - oil seldom got very dark with filter changes every two weeks (about 3000 miles between filter changes for the average bus) and we would have the oil analyzed every 4 filter changes for viscosity and acid content and change the oil when it lost it's slipperyness or the acid built up (usually around 20K miles). We typically ran buses for 4 - 5 years (200-300K miles) and then traded them in, and they never burned much more than a quart every 2K miles (not bad for a bus in stop and go service).

The BIG thing wasn't oil changes, but brake changes - every other month for the average school bus - got pretty good at it after a while!

gn

Hey Ron can you cut my grass? A speedster lawnmower. A SpeedBOY!

I don't miss the oil changes...I still have lots of motors that need oil changes: 2 lawn mowers, one ride on mower (my 13 year old Yamaha), one Kuboda diesel 4 wheel drive mower and one Kuboda 4 wheel drive tractor. That's what happens when you have 10 acres (3 acres are grass). When I retire I'm going to open up a landscaping/lawn care business....hey, maybe I can put a sign on my IM and write it off on my income tax.
Ron

You are better off to service the car yourself. The VW engines worst enemy is someone who doesn't care twisting wrenchs on it..

Atleast you care about the car.