Changing the Oil in a 1968 Volkswagon Beetle

Intro: Changing the Oil in a 1968 Volkswagon Beetle

I did it at TechShop Menlo Park (www.TechShop.com)!

Very excited to have another chance to use the auto bay at TechShop Menlo Park.  I am just starting to learn a little about cars, but I don't know anything about changing oil.  My friend  needed to change the oil in her 1968 Volkswagon Beetle, and she let me do it (with her instruction obviously)!

STEP 1: Prep

I grabbed a socket set, an oil catch (just an old plastic bin), and some nitrile gloves. 

STEP 2: Loosen Then Remove Oil Pan Plug

Next I located the oil pan plug, and loosened it to let some oil drain.  After letting it drain for a little, I removed the plug and gasket completely and then cleaned it off.  Then I let the oil drain completely before replacing the gasket and plug.

STEP 3: Replace Oil Pan Plug and Gasket

After cleaning the plug and gasket, I replaced them!

STEP 4: Adding Oil

I added oil a half a quart at a time, and kept checking the levels until it was full.

STEP 5: Disposing the Oil

I remember people telling me that changing your oil is so easy, but there were always many complaints about disposing oil.  The wonderful thing about working on this at TechShop Menlo Park is that we don't have to worry about disposing of it ourselves!  They have drums out back where I was able to dispose of the oil for free!

Comments

[aaahotdog]

Love the old bugs. I used to have 3 of them, miss them terribly, thanks for the memories.

[blkhawk]

These "Volkies" never die! I heard a story that, in World War 2, the allies had a hard time pushing the Germans out of North Africa because while the Germans' vehicles used air to cool their well designed engines, the allies' vehicles required water for the cooling system.