Oil advice for Super Beetle
- Thread starter John Baio
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DELO 400 15W-40.
We used to have one...but I can't recall what the oil requirements were. I remember valve and ring problems with that engine. I would use a good synthetic.
I used to run Castrol GTX 40wt in my 1600. I would probably run a 15w40 HDEO or a 5w40 HDEO in it today. but limit it to 2k mile intervals unless you are going to put an inloine oil filter with an oil cooler on it.
Fun easy engine to work on and modify. You can pull the engine in less than half an hour. 4 bolts to the tranny the fuel, ground and electrical lines the throttle cable and pull it out on a jack.
If you run alot of city traffic install an auxillary oil cooler because idling is the worst for these engines.. they need RPM to cool.
Learn how to adjust the valves.. chances are it hasn't been done in a while.
Fun easy engine to work on and modify. You can pull the engine in less than half an hour. 4 bolts to the tranny the fuel, ground and electrical lines the throttle cable and pull it out on a jack.
If you run alot of city traffic install an auxillary oil cooler because idling is the worst for these engines.. they need RPM to cool.
Learn how to adjust the valves.. chances are it hasn't been done in a while.
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Anything more than DELO 400 or simlar is pearls before swine in the old boxer. It'll outlive you no matter what. I've seen old VW boxers that have been rebuilt 8 times and even more often and nobody can even tell how many miles are on them.
The Austin Aircoolers use diesel rated straight 30wt.
YMMV.
YMMV.
If the unit does not burn any oil, especially in your area, 10w-30 will work great in these engines.If it is a dual port, use the stock cooler, it will work just fine. the shroud assy is designed to work with a cooler, take it out, and #3 airflow gets directed more on the cylinder than the head, and leads to premature head cracks, and dropped valves. A full-flow or even pump-mounted filter will work great. I have always used 10w-30 here even in the hot arkaloid summers with no problems at all. if you feel you must use a higher weight oil, 15w-40 would be the heaviest I would use.
I had a 1972 Beetle with the same engine. VW recommended straight 30 weight except in the winter(NJ), then 20 wt was recommended. I used Valvoline. It was the brand that the local autoparts store carried. There were no Walmarts, Kmarts or discount auto parts stores back in 1972. So your choice of oil was limited to what the local "no name" autoparts store carried. I bought my Beetle NEW in 1972 for $1995. Boy that was a long time ago and I was A LOT YOUNGER
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Whimsey
Whimsey
Sorry double post!
supertech 20w50
Accel ND SAE30
15W40 in the summer, Rotella T 5W40 in the winter.
15W40 in the summer, Rotella T 5W40 in the winter.
Used to build aircooled VW engines. Multi-viscosity oils caused some sort of build up in ring grooves and under the top of the piston. The trick oil at the time was Valvoline 40 wt Racing. I used this for years in engine that I subsequently tore down.
In hot tempertures I would run a staight 40 wt.
In hot tempertures I would run a staight 40 wt.
Dino 20w50.
Valvoline AC 20w50 served my VW very well for over 250,000 miles. Exxon Superflo, Havoline, Pennzoil, and Castrol would also be just fine, but i would certainly stick with dino and 20w50 seems to work well in older VW's.
'73 super beetle is a fine car. If you do get it, keep it and love it forever!
Valvoline AC 20w50 served my VW very well for over 250,000 miles. Exxon Superflo, Havoline, Pennzoil, and Castrol would also be just fine, but i would certainly stick with dino and 20w50 seems to work well in older VW's.
'73 super beetle is a fine car. If you do get it, keep it and love it forever!
Our family ran a '61 Beetle for over 30 years and we always used 30W as the factory recomended, Valvoline or Havoline. Once a garage put in some 10W30 Chevron and the engine got real noisy and started to burn it. The third rebuild, I put larger barrels on and upped the displacement from 1200 to 1400 cc's. Used the same block, crank, rods, heads, carb and stock type muffler. Fifty horsepower and up 40 mpg. The only place for thinner oil was in the tranny to keep the synchro rings free. Wore out two speedometers. Just adjust the valves and change the oil every couple of months if you don't add a filter. Wish we had kept it.
I don't think that you should put a whole lot of faith in manufacturers recommendations from over 30 years ago. Those recommendations were based on the quality of lubricants available then, not now.
If it were my car, I would go for either a 15w-50 synthetic, or a 15w-40 HD diesel rated oil, such as Rotella, Delo or Delvac 1300. I am facing a similar decision for an aircooled BMW 900 cc motorcycle, vintage 1974. The manual recommends 10w-40, 20w-50, or if multiviscosity is not available, 30 wt. One thing for sure, they want good anti-wear additives such as ZDDP.
I think I am going to go with the 15w-40 conventional HDEO. I have some Castrol Tection around here bought on sale and in the hoarded stockpile. I think I will use that.
If it were my car, I would go for either a 15w-50 synthetic, or a 15w-40 HD diesel rated oil, such as Rotella, Delo or Delvac 1300. I am facing a similar decision for an aircooled BMW 900 cc motorcycle, vintage 1974. The manual recommends 10w-40, 20w-50, or if multiviscosity is not available, 30 wt. One thing for sure, they want good anti-wear additives such as ZDDP.
I think I am going to go with the 15w-40 conventional HDEO. I have some Castrol Tection around here bought on sale and in the hoarded stockpile. I think I will use that.
Quote:
"I don't think that you should put a whole lot of faith in manufacturers recommendations from over 30 years ago. Those recommendations were based on the quality of lubricants available then, not now."
Maybe so or maybe not, but when the engine is over thirty years old I would go with what has worked. As to the newer 1600cc engine 30w would likely work just fine too. However I would probably try the 15w40 or 20w50 and listen carefully and closely monitor the consumption. It's hard to beat Havoline 30w in an air cooled VW. And if the weather stays in the 90's use some 40w.
"I don't think that you should put a whole lot of faith in manufacturers recommendations from over 30 years ago. Those recommendations were based on the quality of lubricants available then, not now."
Maybe so or maybe not, but when the engine is over thirty years old I would go with what has worked. As to the newer 1600cc engine 30w would likely work just fine too. However I would probably try the 15w40 or 20w50 and listen carefully and closely monitor the consumption. It's hard to beat Havoline 30w in an air cooled VW. And if the weather stays in the 90's use some 40w.
HD 30 in the spring, summer, and fall. Use 10w-30 in the winter
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