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sarah dell
15 years ago
My beetle seems to be drinking fuel. I put 35 pounds worth of fuel in an lasted about 4 days which is 4 trips to work of about 10 miles (there and back) before I ran out of fuel, seems heck of a lot. I just got my beetle back on the road as needed new steering box, the guy at the specialist aircooled garage said the tubes (are the called valves?) in the carb which allows the fuel through were too big is this why it's drinking fuel. Just don't wanna waste my money getting them replaced (as don't know how to do myself) if this is not the problem?

Thanks in advance
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Rich Oakley
15 years ago
The specialist is almost certainly correct. Get somebody to set your carburettor up properly.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
sarah dell
15 years ago
Thanks very much for your help, hopefully will take my fuel bill down once they are changed. :d
mrsherbie
15 years ago
It should not be very expensive and will run better afterwards too :d
"it'll wreck the patina you haven't worked so hard to create" - 50Karmann
sarah dell
15 years ago
How much should he charge me do you recon, he is also moving the oil cooler as someone has moved it out of the fan housing (before I bought the car, and new even less than I do know) and put it to the right of the engine bay which is a bit odd.

Hope you don't mind me asking lots of questions, trying to make sure my bug lasts for years to come and that I do things right, used to be in a club which dispanded and so now have no one with knowledge to ask.
Thanks
Sarah
pre67vw
15 years ago

How much should he charge me do you recon, he is also moving the oil cooler as someone has moved it out of the fan housing (before I bought the car, and new even less than I do know) and put it to the right of the engine bay which is a bit odd.

Hope you don't mind me asking lots of questions, trying to make sure my bug lasts for years to come and that I do things right, used to be in a club which dispanded and so now have no one with knowledge to ask.
Thanks
Sarah

sarah dell wrote:



Don't worry about asking lots of questions, thats what the forum is here for!!

Are you sure it's not an additional oil cooler mounted on the right of the engine bay? It would be running extremely hot without the standard oil cooler in the fan as it wouldn't have air blowing over it.
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago
it has a grey box to the right with two pipes coming out one to the underneath the oil filler cap and one going left and disapearing to the side of the engine. I have pic on my desktop but can't seem to upload.:(  P260708_11.58.JPG You have insufficient rights to see the content.
sarah dell
15 years ago
Ah ha managed to upload pick, the guy at the garage said that the oil cooler had been moved out of the way and said it needed sorting asap so I asume that the one at the side is the only one.
pre67vw
15 years ago
Nice colours :d

Still looks like an additional cooler to me, they're not uncommon among modified beetles.
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago
I know this is going to sound really stupid but how can I tell if it's additional or if it's the only one? what do I need to do/look for?
lifeintheslowlane
15 years ago
Think it's a breather box not an oil cooler. They are added to larger displacement engines to vent excess pressure from the crankcase. Once you lift that fanshroud you'll see you still have the oil cooler where it shoud be.
John.
sarah dell
15 years ago
do you think the vw garage is trying to diddle me then and charge me for oil cooler I already have?
pre67vw
15 years ago

Think it's a breather box not an oil cooler. They are added to larger displacement engines to vent excess pressure from the crankcase. Once you lift that fanshroud you'll see you still have the oil cooler where it shoud be.

lifeintheslowlane wrote:



Yep you're right, it's a breather box.

do you think the vw garage is trying to diddle me then and charge me for oil cooler I already have?

sarah dell wrote:



Probably not trying to diddle you, they probably just don't know...
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago
the pipe on the right hand side is not connected to anything, does that make a difference?
six-o-one
15 years ago

the pipe on the right hand side is not connected to anything, does that make a difference?

sarah dell wrote:



It's usual to have one pipe going to the breather box from the oil filler, as you described.
Additional pipes are often run from the rocker covers on either side of the engine, making 3 pipes going into the box in total.

have a look under the wing at each side of the engine. Look at the cover on each cylinder head (one on each side)

If there is a vent pipe on the cover, that's where the pipe should be connected.
If there is an outlet but no pipe attached you'll be blowing oil out - not a good idea!

No outlets on the rocker covers and you're fine. :d

They are usually attached at the top at the rear of the engine (if they are fitted).


UserPostedImage
Lavenham Vintage VW Show - 2012 
Bandwagen | Vintage Volkswagens & Photography 
sarah dell
15 years ago
sorry but whats a rocker cover, cylinder head?
Sorry I know I'm a complete novice. :oops:
six-o-one
15 years ago

sorry but whats a rocker cover, cylinder head?
Sorry I know I'm a complete novice. :oops:

sarah dell wrote:



The cylinder heads are where the exhaust bolts onto, one on each side of the engine.
On the end of each cylinder head is a valve cover, also known as a'rocker' cover ( the silver part on the right of the above picture).
Inside the cover are the rocker arms which open and close the valves to let fuel/air in and the exhaust gasses out of the cylinder.

Have you bought yourself a Haynes manual yet?

Worth buying even if you don't intend working on your bug much.
It'll show you where everything is.

Malc
:d

Lavenham Vintage VW Show - 2012 
Bandwagen | Vintage Volkswagens & Photography 
pre67vw
15 years ago

sorry but whats a rocker cover, cylinder head?
Sorry I know I'm a complete novice. :oops:

sarah dell wrote:



The rocker cover is the big silver thing in the pic above, there's one on each side of the engine.

:d
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
pre67vw
15 years ago



The rocker cover is the big silver thing in the pic above, there's one on each side of the engine.

:d

pre67vw wrote:



Malc, you beat me to it...

I'd buy an idiot guide, not that I'm calling anyone an idiot... but the book assumes no previous knowledge at all.

https://www.amazon.co.uk 
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago
thanks for the help guys I have bought the idiot guide but only just started reading. I have no previous knowlege of cars and was not looked at favourably by my dad being female and all. But have decided to take the bull by the horns and try and teach myself with the help of others like yourselves. Prob is that my engine has been modified so not exactly as books discribe.
And thanks for being kind but I am an idiot when it comes to mechanics, but I'll learn...all had to start somewhere. :d
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