   Like, Follow, or Subscribe for VW Parts Deals & Sales Alerts  VW Parts & Tech Help for Aircooled Volkswagen Folks!We serve the VW parts and VW Tech needs of owners of aircooled VW Beetle, Volkswagen Bus, Karmann Ghia, Type 181 Thing, VW Type 3 Squareback / Fastback / Squareback, and Type 4 VW. Tech Tips, project advice, and quality parts for VW Restoration, VW Performance and Custom Aircooled VW projects. |  With fuel prices on the rise, we’ve been getting lots of inquiries about building a VW engine to improve and maximize. This article outlines Aircooled.Net’s recommendations for an MPG Long Block – we call it the “Mileage Master”. This article focuses on the components for a Mileage Master Engine. A lot of guys aren’t interested in improving mileage that much, but their ears perk up when they find out that if they build this engine as we have specified, they will have up to a 50% increase in power over the stock engine! Doing that and having a 40+ mpg power plant is nothing to sneeze at! [This article does not address MPG TUNING issues -- there is so much material to cover on that topic that we'll instead do another article on MPG TUNING in the near future. ] The primary goal of the Mileage Master MPG long block
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 What is a Chassis Number and why does it matter? Fundamentally, a VW chassis number is your Vehicle’s Identification Number. But, more important to a VW enthusiast is that knowing the number(s) of your vehicle will enable you to correctly identify the production year (and sometimes month) of your car which, in turn, enables you to deduce what parts, options, features, and modifications are appropriate for it. VW used to introduce improvements into their cars when they were ready, and didn’t wait until the next “model year” to implement them. For example, early 1973 Beetles and Supers had a generator and fuel pump (and pushrod) that was DIFFERENT from the mid 73′ and newer cars (alternator equipped). The chassis number is typically located in more than one place on VWs, and those locations may change depending on the production year. One of the ways that Type 1 VW’s are unique
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Follow this procedure before you bolt any VW carburetor onto your engine, whether they are new or used! It will put you in the position to be able to tune your carbs without other factors getting in the way and creating a fuel system troubleshooting nightmare. If you haven’t set up your carbs yourself, you NEED to. Most people don’t realize that carbs as they are supplied from the factory are assembled, but NOT set up.
 TMI VW Upholstery Fabric Options: Choose from Vinyl, Tweed and Velour: Due to differences in screen and monitor color presentation, the color swatches above are only APPROXIMATE. We recommend you consult a TMI swatch card for accurate color matching.
TMI VW Ragtop and Convertible Top & Boot Fabric options: Due to differences in screen and monitor color presentation, the color swatches above are only APPROXIMATE. We recommend you consult a TMI swatch card for accurate color matching.
TMI VW Headliner Fabric and Color options: Due to differences in screen and monitor color presentation, the color swatches above are only APPROXIMATE. We recommend you consult a TMI swatch card for accurate color matching.
TMI Carpet Colors and Styles Due to differences in screen and monitor color presentation, the color swatches above are only APPROXIMATE. We recommend you consult a TMI swatch card for accurate color matching.
The VW Part Numbering System Explained Do VW part numbers like this “133-201-075 AD” look like Greek to you? Well it might surprise you to learn that VW actually had a “plan” when they created their part numbering system. With a little background information, you too will be able to dissect a VW part number and have a good idea what vehicle the part is for and what the part’s application is.
What is a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)? The VIN number on your VW can help you to identify the origin of your VW and it may also give you clues regarding the stock parts that were used in your vehicle when it was built. Early VINs were not standardized between manufacturers, nor were they called “VIN”s yet! VW used a combination of two numbers: The Chassis Number, and the Engine Code to convey information about their vehicles.
A format for Vehicle Identification Numbers was “officially” outlined in February 1977, and shortly afterward, US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began requiring that all road vehicles contain a 17-character VIN. VIN numbers are comprised of only numbers (1-0) and capital letters (A – Z), however, the letters I, O and Q are never used in order to avoid confusion in reading. There are no signs or spaces are allowed in a VIN.
 The Weber 48 IDA has been used for decades by VW enthusiasts whose goal it is to squeeze every ounce of performance out of their engine. Problem is, production of these coveted Webers was halted many years ago. These excellent VW carburetors in decent condition have become rather scarce! Typically VW performance engine fanatics have to resort to scrounging the swap meets to find a pair of 48′s and even then, they may not be lucky enough to find a pair but have to acquire them one at a time. But if you are lucky enough to acquire a set in usable condition, and you are willing put the time, money and energy into rebuilding and tuning them, you WILL be rewarded. The Weber IDA’s sheer size will likely result in gasps of awe and astonishment from those that have never seen them before!
Some folks with aircooled VWs are looking to move up to an 1800cc VW engine from their stock 1600cc VW engine, but don’t want to break the bank in the process. The advice below is intended to help you build an economical 1800cc Aircooled VW Engine Combo. The first way we recommend to keep costs reasonable is to stay away from machine work – sometimes called a “no machine” VW engine. This is the first article written for our “VW Engine Combo” series. We are outlining a bare bones build that assumes you do NOT have an unlimited funds. You can add to or change components in this engine combo, of course, but if you do that too much you’ll wind up with a different “category” engine, with a different end cost. The second way we are going to keep the purse strings tight is by not delving into the
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 What’s Your Aircooled VW “TYPE”? Start hanging around the VW scene and you will shortly be confused by all the references to “Type this” and “Type that”. In written form, you will become even more boggled by a variety of VW Type System abbreviations including terms like “T4″, “Type 4″, or “TIV”. A general understanding the VW Type System will both assist you in communicating with your fellow Aircooled VW enthusiasts, and in deciphering many of the numbers (including part numbers) associated with classic Volkswagens. (After reading this, be sure to read our article on the VW Part Numbering System and also on Chassis Numbers).
 How fast can YOU remove and reinstall your Volkswagen engine? The engineers at VW designed it so that engine removal was easy, but I bet they never dreamed that it could be done THIS fast!
 A Documentary highlighting the quality control and process of assembling a VW Beetle at the factory – by Volkswagen Australasia Limited Watch this VW Beetle Factory Assembly documentary in three parts.
 Some interesting old footage of early VWs on the road and in the factory. Approx 3 min.
Choosing the Right Distributor for your VW Aircooled VW owners have an assortment of options when choosing a distributor for their engine. If you only look on the surface it seems simple: The “obvious” choice is the Bosch 009, right? Not necessarily. Once you do a little research, you’ll find a variety of stock units (including the SVDA unit), as well as the Bosch 009, 010, and 050 series, and finally the Mallory, MSD, and the age old Magneto. So which one is “best”? Each of these units is excellent – for the right application. In this article, I will clarify the right time and application for each option available. You can read the entire straight through, or skip directly to your area of interest using the quick links below: Before we rush ahead, we are going to use some terminology, we may as well define it for you so you
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VW Distributor Installation How To
 Stock VW Ignition Timing Vintage Training Videos
 VW Valves Adjustment Part 1 How to Adjust VW Valves Part 2
Aircooled Volkswagen enthusiasts have quite a few carburetor options. Performance increases that can be gained by going with aftermarket carburetion are a common consideration, but without a little guidance, you can end up with nightmares associated with poor carburetor selection or poor tuning. In the aircooled VW hobby world, it is easy to get confused by the volume of available, and often times conflicting information. There are a number of aspects to consider when upgrading your fuel system and selecting the best set of VW carburetors for your engine and driving needs.
Nitrous oxide can be used in your VW engine to create more horsepower. All engines operate under the same principles: better breathing, plus more fuel in a denser vapor equals more power. Using nitrous is not a whole lot different from using a bigger carburetor, a better manifold, a supercharger, or a turbocharger — all are methods to increase the amount of oxygen available for combustion. The air you and your engine breathe is made up, at sea level, of 78% gaseous nitrogen, 21% gaseous oxygen, and just 1% other gases. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a liquid created by chemically bonding 2 molecules of nitrogen and 1 molecule of oxygen. When the nitrous oxide goes into your engine, the heat of combustion breaks the chemical bond which releases the oxygen and makes it available in a relatively high gaseous concentration compared to the concentration found in normal
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Should you run Synthetic Oil in your VW? Synthetic Oil: Whether it’s evil stuff or good stuff depends on who you talk to. And a lot of what you hear from backyard mechanics is rumor and myth. Myth # 1 is the claim that you don’t have to change Synthetic oil as often as regular motor oil. Remember when Mobil 1 said you could go 25,000 miles between oil changes with synthetic oil? Notice they haven’t said that for a good number of years? Keep that thought on the back burner for now… Myth #2 is that synthetic oil causes oil leaks. In this article I’m going to try to dispel these myths for you with the cold hard facts about the differences and similarities between dino vs. synthetic oil. Let’s talk first about what “dino” oil is (Dino is short for Dinosaur, which is when it started forming). Dino oil
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Increase your VW Engine Power with Proper Piston, Cylinder, and Ring Operation The way that pistons, cylinders, and rings work together to support engine power is often misunderstood or mysterious to enthusiasts. But anyone who wants to get the most fun and drivability out of their VW engine should take the time to understand how pistons and cylinders operate in relation to the air flow through their engine system. Oxygen availability is a well known limiting factor in the combustive process. Maximize the volume of air and exhaust that can be moved through your VW engine, and you increase the potential for more power. Performance engine builders and do-it-yourself VW engine enthusiasts tend to focus on modifications designed increase airflow volume, or overall air capacity of their engine system. These modifications include cylinder head work, increasing camshaft size, improving carburetor intake/exhaust, running the engine at higher RPMs, etc. But there is more
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A Porsche 5 speed conversion is a nifty modification that makes your Type 1 VW really nice to drive! The Porsche transaxle is strong from the start because it is engineered for the power of a flat six engine. The close ratio gears of the Porsche tranny are able to keep your high performance engine in its power band, while the 5th gear ratio allows for easy highway cruising. However, this is not a “weekend mod” for newbies! The work involved in converting to a Porsche 5 speed tranny includes welding and custom fitment and should only be undertaken if you you have fabricating experience. You will also need to be prepared to do some fine tuning in order to achieve perfectly smooth shifting.
After springing for a set of carburetors, some people bolt them on, and are “pleased” with the results. Others are upset by a backfiring, or smoke belching monster. In either case, spending the time to properly jet a set of dual (or single) carburetors is a worthwhile task, since receiving “perfect out-of-the-box” carburetors is one of the biggest myths in the VW industry! Proper jetting varies depending on engine size, elevation, cam overlap, etc. Jetting is so specific to an individual engine that two identical engine combos with the SAME carbs can even require different jets! The moral of the story is: With your engine combo, carb information and driving elevation, we can advise and get you CLOSE, but to know that your carbs are jetted optimally, you will need to spend the time necessary to dial it in. It IS worth doing for drivability, engine life, and mpg
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This article contains the step by step, detailed procedure for synchronizing dual carburetors on an aircooled VW engine. But before you actually tackle the syncronization, remove the air cleaners, and make sure there are no vacuum leaks (spray starting fluid around the carburetor bases and intake manifolds while the engine is idling). Make sure the engine’s ignition timing, valve adjustments, and other items are all correct also. You do this to ensure that you are adjusting the carburetors to a TUNED engine, not one that has problems.
 How to Adjust your Stock VW Carburetor Part 1 Stock VW Carb Adjustment Part 2
Many people do not understand the importance of the following the appropriate steps to prepare an engine to run for the first time. Following proper VW Engine Break In Procedure can mean a long life or fast death for a high VW performance engine. The information in this article can also be a useful guide to starting a VW engine that has been sitting for a long period of time, since it ensures proper oiling before the engine fires up.
Building a ‘Big’ Aircooled VW Engine (Type 1) This article is a guide to the theory and choices involved in building performance engines for Aircooled VWs (Type 1). There are careful decisions to be made with regard to the engine size and components that are “right” for what you have in mind. The Beetle (and other Type 1 VWs) are fairly light cars. Relatively speaking, it doesn’t take a lot of power for you to really get moving! 140 HP will keep even the Mustang GT’s in your rear view mirror on the street, and 180 HP will eat Corvette’s and Vipers for lunch all day.
Drag Racing Suspension & Setup for Type 1 Aircooled VWs In this article we cover some basic car setup for VW Drag Racing. The information in this article, properly applied, may be able to keep you from breaking and/or crashing your car, or at the very least keep you from scaring the living daylights out of yourself (and/or your spouse, track personnel, or spectators at the track!) This article is NOT a safety article intended to keep you from getting hurt IF you crash — For that we recommend you consult the NHRA rulebook. Many of the principles discussed apply to other cars, but since our specialty is rear engined VWs, that is the focus of the article.
Suspension Tuning Tips for Type 1 Swingaxle Beetles, IRS Beetles and Buggies (Street and Auto-X) My name is Greg Ward, I am a guest writer for Aircooled.Net, and I have a 69’ Std Beetle with IRS rear that I run in the Hillclimb circuits in Australia. Some of you may know of me from my posts in several of the Volkswagen related forums on the Internet. I have been racing these terrific cars for the last 12 years and hope to relay some of my knowledge on how to make these cars handle, corner, and stop well. I have broken it down into the 2 combinations I’m familiar with; Ball Joint Front with either a Swing Axle or IRS Rear. Let’s get started!
“Bolt-On” VW Performance Improvements for your Stock VW This article is for the aircooled VW owner who ask “What relatively straightforward modifications can I do to make my aircooled VW faster and even more fun to drive – without breaking the bank?” The following modification recommendations will give you the biggest grin per dollar you invest in your car! Most of the modifications in this article are easily reversible, and do no damage to your stock VW. To help you stay in your budget, this guide attempts to present modifications in the order that will maximize the performance boost or drivability benefit per dollar you spend. Of course there are more involved VW performance and drivability modifications you could do, but this article focuses on mods that you can make to your stock VW in a course of a few hours or a few days.
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