Club 80-90 Forums

We will be storing this thread for the longer term in the Tech Archive eventually, so everyone's help & advice is greatly appreciated

Good to read some experienced Aircooled owner' recommendations... maybe a wee bit conservative but that's better than the ' go on, go for it & trust to luck' brigade, as we're coming up to 30 years old now.

Good to get the two usable plug grades squared away... colder 77 plug for hot, high and heavy
If an engine ever 'spits' when pushing on, like it has just 'sneezed', lift off and think Oops! something's white hot in there.. let it rest a good while at a slower speed. Change oil at next opportunity, check plug electrodes for erosion (or even missingness )
Learn which cylinder runs hottest, most engines have a favourite
Learn what your plugs should look like, exactly, when running right (not always what others or books say, that'll just be a guide initially for learning). Pull the hottest one first, or only that one for quick peace of mind.

As a few say, there's nothing as good as running it about day to day and opening that engine cover every time you get back... and using the Mk. 1 eyeball, the Mk. 2 olfactory device & the Mk. 3 lughole! These can save you ££££££££... so TURN OFF those panel shaking boom boxes, open the window a crack and listen to the tyres sizzling along the tarmc, the engine settling to its note and the bus cutting through the wind... IMO a lost art... why add anything extra or artificial to a flat four singing its way along

Oh! Maybe check the fuel tank can be properly brimmed without spilling or smelling of fuel for miles & miles & miles .... you need to know that all the breathers are working.

And keep reading and looking for Aircooled threads to keep one step ahead... don't forget the Tech Forum Archives as well as the Wiki - the links up there!

.. and have a good holiday

Thanks for the info on the plugs, looks like I'll be getting the W8CC in this case

Thanks Harry. Really looking forward to the drive

Just had this useful info and plugs seem reasonable price too:

Hi Stuart,

The W8CC is the correct plug for your van

The W7CC is a colder plug you would probably use if you were towing a caravan or something etc

Many thanks


Kind Regards


Tom Green
The Green Spark Plug Co

Fair cop, Gunslinger thanks... make sense.
Long trips are very often heavily laden.. so somewhat equiv. to towing
So on a long hot trip south from here in summer, take a set of 77's ? JIC

Tip: Plan your stops to suit the bus as well as yourself - we all need a bit of rest when hot and bothered

Has anyone got a part number for the HT leads? I think it might be 998 031 021 but I'm not sure if they are for Beetle only.

Thanks

This sparkplug debate gets curiouser and curiouser

Just been into Euro Car Parts and they have pulled up W7CC for the T25, Just Kampers only sell the W7CC for the 2.0 CU engine. They sell the W8CC for T25's with the 1600CC engine. Looked on Brickwerks but they dont specify type in their shop.

My thinking is most of my travels will be long distance with a laden van, plus my poptop & the drag efficiency of a brick maybe the W7CC ones are the plug of choice. Probably most excursions will be in the summer albeit a British Summer!

I do feel like we are hijacking this thread though, maybe a new thread with a poll?

81AirCooled wrote:Has anyone got a part number for the HT leads? I think it might be 998 031 021 but I'm not sure if they are for Beetle only.

Thanks

Original Part No: 905QHT016 lInk to Just Kampers http://www.justkampers.com/shop/type_2_ ... ht016.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

paul66beetle wrote:This sparkplug debate gets curiouser and curiouser

Just been into Euro Car Parts and they have pulled up W7CC for the T25, Just Kampers only sell the W7CC. Looked on Brickwerks but they dont specify type in their shop.

My thinking is most of my travels will be long distance with a laden van, plus my poptop & the drag efficiency of a brick maybe the W7CC ones are the plug of choice. Probably most excursions will be in the summer albeit a British Summer!

I do feel like we are hijacking this thread though, maybe a new thread with a poll?

Put it this way Paul, my engine has only ever had W8CC's in and it seems ok so I'll stick with them. Its a bit like the which oil and petrol or diesel, water or air cooled debates its a bit "each to their own"

Just for the record this is a list of spares I carry. Slight overkill maybe but experience has taught me to be safe rather than sorry. Hope it helps.

4 x Plugs - Bosch W8CC
1 x Rotor - Intermotor 471105
1 x Coil - Intermotor 11420
1 x Ignition amplifier - VW 191905351B
1 x Ignition switch - VW111905865L
1 x Alternator brush pack - Mobiletron VR-B193M
1 x Fanbelt - from GSF
1 x Throttle cable
Set of HT leads
Bulbs
Oil
Brake fluid
Electrical wire various colours at least long enough to go front to rear of van
Battery terminals
Fuses
Electrical terminals
Cable ties
Gaffer tape
WD40
Spray grease
Assortment of fixings

The general rule for plugs is to use the hardest (coldest running) plug, that doesn't oil up or cause poor idling/misfiring - for the conditions of use.

That's the safest.

Idling doesn't matter for a race engine, once started warmed and under way its as cold as allows good pickup from slow sections - this would in the past involve starting on warmer plugs and then changing to a race plug - an extreme example.

For road use, typical load as well as ambient temperatures and engine condition determine what can be tolerated.

Poor cooling, hot intake air or retarded ingition all point to a softer plug overheating, and use of the harder choice

An engine in poor condition, with bad rings, valve seats and low compression can give more oiling, misfiring and idling problems with a harder (colder) plug.

In this case we have two choices which I imagine are quite close together...

In other words a good condition, high compression, clean running engine should easily tolerate the harder choice, and give more confidence in pushing on when everything gets a bit hot. If it's burning a bit of oil and is not spot on, the warmer plug might be the one.

Only you can know, if in fact it matters much, which in general obviously doesn't due to the two recommendations being fairly randomly made...

Great info Harry, cheers.

This is a very stupid question but there is the filler for the transmission fluid for the auto gearbox. Oil os no problem and I know where the dipstick for the transmission fluid is but I can't find where to top it up

you top it up through the dip stick tube.worth a read..https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ge ... earbox_Oil

Speaking of the auto gear oil. Has it ever been changed? Sometimes importance is placed on the engine and other things get forgotten. If it never has been changed I don't think 30 year old gear oil will still be doing the job it's supposed too. When I served my time as a mechanic the old guy(well he was old to me at the time) I worked with told me that oil is the best mechanic in the world, so keep it fresh.