Seeking advice - Starting up my hibernating Bug.

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------------------- Chris Perdue

I'd just try to start it up. You'll need a healthy battery, or you MAY be able to revive this one if you charge it VERY SLOWLY for a week.

Old gas will be fine unless most of it has evaporated. There's little point in changing the oil when it's cold, as all the nasty stuff that you really want to get out will be left behind. I'd get it good and warm and then change the oil, unless you had the foresight to change the oil just before you put it away.

----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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I'd suggest *NOT* storing it up on blocks - all the suspension components are in unnatural positions - best left on the wheels (tyres are easier to replace than suspension), you can always get a set of old rims and tyres, or sit it on just old rims - you don't need tyres :-)

Allan :-)

Install it on blocks, but just position them under the suspension so that you replicate the normal load that it would "see"

Leaving it sitting on the tires not only will flat spot them but will also lead to flat spotted wheel bearings too.

-ANT

Stop that. To reply change my ISP to @hotmail.com

Jack it up, and set it down on blocks, but place the blocks under the lower shock absorber mounts. Suspension will stay in normal position but tires will be off the ground. Go rotate tires couple of times every year by hand.

BETTER alternative would be to keep the car driveable and drive around the block a few times every 2-3 months, letting the engine warm up to normal operating temperature, using the brakes and every other control mechanism in the car.

Jan

Allan Williams wrote:

Great advice and links everybody. Thank you! I'm copying all this to a text file. Yes, I just want to keep it running every month or 2 to keep things moving, because I really love this car. It has low mileage and is mostly original, though in need of restoring. Someday it WILL look like new, even if my son has to inherit the job.

By the way, if you're using Mac OSX or Win XP, download a few nice Bus & Bug icons I made from some book scans:

I'd tend to disagree, but only because this has bitten me in the butt before. ;)

After I went to start up a hibernating acvw, maybe a little under 2 years, it started semi-decently (had to jump it because the battery was gone), but as soon as I tried to actually move the car the engine would either stall, or run quite horridly.

If I did get it up to speed, it would die as soon as I let off the gas. It was damn near impossible to restart the engine at this point as well. This behavior didn't stop until I drained the carb bowl, and had diluted the old gas sufficiently with new gas that it was a non factor.

I'd be willing to accept it wasn't the gas but as that was the only change I made when troubleshooting before the problem went away, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Next time you have to park your ride for an extended period, consider adding the product Sta-bil to your gas. Which will prevent the fuel misture in your gas tank seperating. But in your case, it is best to drain the gas, or mix the old as with some new. The old gas will work fine in your lawn mower.

Pull the spark plugs and squirt a few cc's of motor oil into each cylinder. Leave the plugs removed and hand crank the engine. Do this a bunch of times. Drain the oil and put in some new stuff. And nothing too heavy. If you are just going to start it up, go with something like

Check the expiration date of your fire extinguisher. Then check your fuel lines the one under the tank and the one going to the engine compartment. Do they look OK? Better replace that fuel filter.

The carb may or may not cooperate with the long term storage. You can drain the old gas from the carb by removing the 13mm bolt conviently located at the bottom - and on the outside - of the bowl.

Go with the general tune-up requirements, check/adjust the points and the distributor rotor. You can check the static timing of the engine to see if this is OK.

Does the engine feel OK during hand cranking? No binding? Did the diaphram in the fule pump corrode and gas is now leaking from it?

Since the old spark plugs are out, use this time to install new ones. Do you have time to check the valve adjustments? What do you mean, 'no', the engine is dead-cold, the perfect time to check the gaps. And check the valve cover gaskets while you're under the Bug. Good thing you remembered to bring along a set with you. Cork right? Not those crappy neoprene ones.

Ready? Pull the coil wire and crank over the engine without starting. Just to build up some oil pressure. Then connect the coil wire.

And... gentlemen start your engines ...

It's running - as Monty Burns would say, 'excellent'. Now take a good look under the back and make sure that the trusty four banger is not puking oil.