Oil everywhere

I've seen enough filter O-rings sticking to the filter mount that I ALWAYS feel around the mount surface to make sure nothing's stuck on there before spinning on a new filter.  

But even with nothing stuck to the mount surface before you spin a new filter on, it's getting easier to over-tighten a filter these days, and if the gasket sticks to the mount before you stop tightening the canister, it can make the gasket/O-ring 'pooch' out as it ruptures and leak.  And it might not happen immediately, either.

Always put some new oil on all of the mounting surface of the new filter's O-ring gasket, and once it gets seated to the mount I never go more than 1/2 turn beyond that.

Get rid of that 50 wt oil, too.....Especially in cooler weather, but you don't need it in the summer, either.

Yes, absolutely.

Also: consider a pressure bypass filter base or oil pump cover from JayCee.

Fram HP3 Oil filter, filters 20 microns, 50 psi bursting strength,

Wix 51515r oil filter, filters 61 microns, over 500 psi bursting strength.

A micron is 1,000,000th of a meter.  A human hair is 60-70 microns thick.  

Or about three thousandths of an inch using a micrometer.

I think some of my hair is getting down to about .00156" !

I know I've said this before, but here it is again- the 51515R is a race filter using a less restrictive filter media, rated at 28 gallons per minute through larger bearing clearances for engines that live their lives above 5,000 rpm. A 60 micron particle is large enough to damage a bearing at the clearances our street engines are built.

The Wix 51515 is rated at 290lbs burst strength, has an anti-drainback valve, is rated at 7-9gpm (more than enough for even a 30mm oil pump in an aircooled VW street engine) and will trap particles almost 1/3 the size of the race filter. The equivelant Napa, being made by Wix, is the same. I see no reason for there to be particles that large floating around our engines when there are filters so much more suited for our use.

And David, I can relate!

So I get some 10/30 in the mail. Push the car into the driveway, wrap the air cleaners and distributor in plastic, and spray the firewall and the front of the engine with a degreaser. I scrub the firewall, engine, and tranny with a soft brush and some soapy warm water. I then spray it all off with hot water. I blow it with a blower and push it back in the garage.

After a couple of hours with a fan blowing on the engine compartment, I disable the ignition by removing the rotor and disengaging the main lead at the coil. I add oil and turn engine over until I'm happy with the level of oil.

I put the ignition back together and start it. Only two cylinders are firing. I pop the distributer cap back off and notice some moisture. I leave it open overnight with the fan running.

I retry it today and only one cylinder fires. I checked the ohms on the coil and it checks out and there is gas squirting into the carbs. I have the compufire points in it.

Should I yank them and put in some regular points?

Is there some way to check the electronic points?

At least the engine compartment looks pretty again.

Rare but I have seen it,  after you spray a VW motor the plug wells fill and ground out the plug wires..

Just checked them. Dry.

Aye...nice call, Alan. When it rained on various trips, my engine lid grill would admit water while driving and when opening up the lid while filling up with gas ( or a beer stop ) to check the oil, that collected water would piss right into a spark plug hole on the Soob and exhibit the same symptoms Carlos is talking about.

Carlos, try to blow compressed air into the spark plug holes...with the plugs still installed.  

Not going to be coil or points, they work "all 4"  or it doesn't run.  

Start at the dizzy check connections and water in the cap plug wells, hairline cracked cap, check for spark at the plug end of each wire, if good then pull each plug with the wire attached ground the thread portion of the plug and check for good spark.

Found it! The plugs were fouled with fuel. Cleaned them up, rechecked the gap, and it started right up.

Next time I turn the engine over with the ignition disabled, I've save myself the trouble, and pull the plugs too.

Thanks all for the quick replies.

Carlos, as you've probably read, I had the same thing happen twice in the first two days I owned my new VS. I fixed it the second time (first time the dealer "fixed" it) by tightening the nipple the filter screws onto and fixing it in place with Locktite.

When I replaced the Fram filter, I opened all five different filters that the auto store had in the size I needed. Of them, only the Mobile 1 had a retaining "wall" on both the inside and outside of the rubber gasket to keep it in place. The rest of the brands had simply peened either the inside or outside or both to "hold" the gasket in index, all of these allowed me to easily pull the gasket off the filter with my fingers. I couldn't get the Mobile 1 to budge and when, a week later, on a cold morning when my engine just didn't want to warm up (another case for the thermostat and flaps!), I spilled all of the 30 weight for a half-mile or so out of my ruptured doghouse cooler...the Mobile 1 filter was intact and leak-free.

I'm relieved to hear your fix was much less traumatic than mine! No more blipping the throttle when cold!

We are learning. I also found out that my firewall isn't watertight, so water got into the cockpit and got the carpet wet.

I also need to get a temperature controlled bypass for my external cooler to aid in warm up. I might also change out my filter adapter to take the bigger Napa 1515 filter.

When I pulled my car outside tonight to let it run for awhile, I noticed my brake lights weren't working. Freak an A, it's always something. The Spyders use a trailer module to make the one-bulb tail lights work as tail, turn, and brake. I've already replaced it once. Damn, someone should make a 3 filament bulb. I guess I need to do some investigating. Working under the dash is a severe pain in the back.

Did someone say Madness...........

Carlos... & everyone else too

Fiddling under the dash is physical torture!

Especially for old bones that no longer bend and twist with ease, and that are wrapped in muscles that very quickly ache from strain.

But it has to be done!...The 'madness' requires it.

I envision a 'clamped' driver's seat that can easily be removed.

A splined steering wheel (per Wolfgang's suggestion) that simply pulls off the column. The open floor is now padded with a one piece deck lounge cushion that is double folded over the clutch and brake pedals as a head rest. Illumination from two small battery LED's...with perhaps a small cylindrical LED flashlight that can be held in the mouth. A pouch with every miniature tool possibly required resting on your chest.

Oh... and some soft soothing music in the background that sort of drowns out the groaning and cursing.

Yank the seat, old bed pillow and you're good for dash sex....Carl you nailed it buddy !

Carlos---one place water gets into the car that seems like the firewall are where the windshield rivets come through the cowl ---right under the bottom edge of the windshield up under the dash.  There are 10 or so rivets there and a dab of silicone o each rivet will stop water from entering where those rivets are.  

That's the only place I ever had water penetrating the cabin at the front.

Carl, you forgot the IV stand holding a bladder, full of beer, and a long hose with a bite valve at the end.

Jack, When I wash the car, I get water coming in from the plugged windshield wiper holes. I need to reseal them. I didn't have the wipers installed because I'll never drive it in the rain, on purpose, that is.

Carlos,

You might want to consider not washing with soap and water any more, either. I used to until Terry Nuckels turned me on to "Captain Richard's Best". I don't wash or wax any more since I found this stuff (OK, so most guys will still want to wax once a year). It's not perfect, but it's pretty darned good.

Captain Richard's Best (It's "The Bomb")