Valvoline straight 30 wt. VR1. all I use on a 40hp. Mild climate. Be carefull of higher viscosity or you will close the bypass to the cooler. Stick to the owners manual and you can't go wrong. On my engine, 2.6 qts puts the level in between the marks. That way the strainer acts as a pool skimmer. Overfilling to the high mark will not strain the floaties The only thing I have ever found in the strainer is bits of cork valve cover gaskets. My engine loves the zinc!! Good info Mike!

Hey man Kevin here from Australia. Very informative video. We do get complacent around our cars life just gets too busy. And I'll own up I've been slack with checking my oil the correct way. Anyhoo thankyou for sharing this video . ✌ Peace

I leaned some things…. Thank you great video!!!

Lol... I did, I did... great stuff Mike as always!

Another great video man! Thank you

really good vid. THanks for posting!

Excelent content Mike, as always. This 36hp engine os awesome. I've a VW Bus with the same engine, but with a 28PCI carb and a centrífugal distributor (no vaccum advance).

Good video I've had that fuel issue happen so bad on lawn equipment that I go hey I'm out of gas! Yeah it leaked pass the float and filled the crank case....and had it happen on my 74 charger! Always caught it quick..... I also always look at condition of oil and check if there is any foreign matter are metal flakes in the oil just in case....on air cooled engines I own I've always changed the oil sooner they are harder on oil than water cooled counterparts..... just taking the extra time to keep up on your oil can save you a lot of money down the line.

I use Penrite mineral oil which has plenty of zinc and is rated 10W-60.

Thanks Mike!

FYI, on a full flow oil system, use a 1/2” ntp one way check valve on one of your oil lines to prevent oil drain back into the case and overfilling the case.

Great video Mike! I have Kendall in Rusty's engine!

Took your advice on fuel type and changed to 98 proof ......subtle but worth the changeover !

Awesome info for us newbies

Thank you for this video..allot i didn't know and very important info..Am new to owning a 68 beetle and going through the ins and outs but happy i came across this or i would have been that guy..lol..For those who are used to working on American cars you need to be aware that with old VW's its a whole different animal..

WTF? Is that click bait? Great video and I use the same logic in oil. Great info on the bus oil system with longer lines.

Yes very important! Some has seen me smell my oil stick and look at me strange. I prefer Castrol. My father swore by Kendall, since the 70s

Thanks, for the information Some other fuel pump leaks show outside between fuel ,engine block

Great video as usual I run mobile 1 in all my vehicles new or old all the way back to my 1942 Indian chief through my 58 beetle and through my brand new van all my vehicles run mobile 1. I've never had a problem with leakage. I just make sure I run the right viscosity, the engines seems to run quieter on it when they get hot

Good information Mike !

Great informative videos/tutorials as always, many thanks for your time. Regarding oil weight for stock engines do you recommend 10w-40 for freshly built engines with tight tolerances and 20w-50 for engines with high mileage? Do stock engines have small oil galleries which can by pass the oil cooler? Thanks for your help

This happened to me about 40 years ago in a Ford Escort, very quickly filled the main drag into town with smoke while I was driving.

When checking oil...do u pull dipstick straight out,?...or do you first rotate the dipstick handle back n forth, then pull out?...thanks

I use 15w40 Rotella diesel oil. High zinc content. Works mint on air cooled dubs

Thanks Mike. Oil very big deal. Just brought home a 73 baja bug sat for 15 years, before i did first start pulled dip stick its very high on it so think prob water in it...smelled it and its mostly gas

I heard that synthetic oil doesn't convect heat as well so not ideal for aircooled motor. It stays cooler and not getting hot and letting heat out of motor. More insulative quality good for maintaining viscosity and being thinner for cold starts.

Can I ask about the carb you are running on the red vehicle. It looks like a Weber progressive mounted backwards. In guessing it’s not, but Is it? Asking because that would sure make access to the mixture screws easier, but would mess with the accelerator linkage.

Aqui no Brasil usamos oleo para motor diesel 15w40 ele é melhor para limpeza do carter tirando as borras , mas a VW recomenda o oleo 20 w50 , ai na america se usa oleo de motores diesel nos VW air ?

Which Castrol, Monograde HD 40 or 30? How does it compare to Shell Rotella T1 single grade? Im in FL, pretty hot here too. Thanks!

I'm confused...with the added oil sump and the extra capacity inside the oil lines going to the external cooler, the original dipstick marking MUST be inaccurate. (with all that additional stuff, you're probably adding an extra quart or two)

You got into the oil discussion more than I would. Most of the crap you hear about Synthetic oils is crap. They are fine to run in your VW. The only thing I tell people is to make sure they use high zinc oil or additive, I’ve seen what happens over the long haul when they don’t. Oils have changed a lot over the years and aren’t the same as they were in the 80’s or 90’s.

Do you use zinc additives in your oil? I have always used Amsoil Z-Rod (zinc is in it) with really good luck 8:53 i noticed on that car you have a lot of those small plaques over the engine air intake. I see that are slightly lifted off the vent but do you think it hinders the air flow?

Carb stand/ manifold icing will allow gas into the crankcase as well.

Do you use 10w 30

It took 9 minutes to say: If your oil level increases then there’s a chance fuel is inside and castrol is better because it has the same viscosity when old and new

I had some gas in my oil in my 1969 VW the other day. I was checking the dipstick and it smelled of gasoline and the di[pstick was about the top line. I drained to old oil with gas and I replaced the old fuel pump and push rod. I then filled my cc1600 motor with 2.5 quarts of oil. And a funny think very little oil showed up on the dipstick. What could that be about>>>

How do you feel about diesel oil? Higher zink I heard.

Great topic, Mike, the life blood of our air-cooled VW's is the oil, and probably the best definitive reference on this subject every VW owner should read is "Rob and Dave's Air-cooled Volkswagen Pages": www.vw-resource.com/engine_oil.html Well worth the read, explains the science behind the rationale for using a specific type of oil (zinc, viscosity, high detergent, blah blah blah) in air-cooled VW's...check it out👍

Specifically, what castrol do you use?

I've always used Castrol synthetic, never had any problems.

What has been your experience with multi-weight vs single weight?

👍

In all of my vehicles I've owned since the 1960's, I ONLY check the oil after it has been fully warmed (preferably driven) and then left to sit for at least 5 - 10 minutes. (If you've ever owned anything with a dry sump oil tank (like a Harley engine) you will know why this is critical.) Never, ever over-fill! Always check on level ground. This sounds obvious, but so many people don't understand why this is so important. Two designs on the original VW engine that I have never understood is why the total oil capacity is 2.5 quarts in an engine that depends on air and oil to cool it and why the "oil filter" is the worst design ever for keeping the oil clean. Don't get me wrong, I love the boxer engine and I want to love the original Beetle. But my Gen 2 Corvair engine was far superior to VW in so many ways! Subaru's boxer engine would be good if they hadn't let the head gasket problem go on for decades. I've always liked quirky engines. I drive an old VW Rabbit 2.5 I-5 right now and love it! Enough of my rambling....carry on.

I switched to Royal Purple HPS in my bug. Royal Purple HPS oils are fortified with a high level of zinc / phosphorus. I still change it regularly though. It gets way below zero (F) where I live, which is why I switched. I have noticed my engine is a little quieter on synthetic, and no, it didn't cause any leaks. www.royalpurple.com/product/hps-high-performance-street-motor-oil/

"you dipstick" ;)