How to Service Your Type 2 Bay Window Bus!

Servicing your VW Bay Window bus can see like a bitlevel of corrosion.
of chore in the excitement of the new spring seasonStep 7
all ready upon us. Often there seems too much to doRoter arm
in terms of Volkswagen Camper meets, events andThe roter arm (inside the distributer), should be
the inevitable road tips that are planned for thechecked, cleaned or replaced every 5000 miles or
summer, to think about getting ones hands dirty,when you check the condition of your spark plugs.
serving your cherished Volkswagon bus. Some orThey are not expensive so I prefer to replace new for
even most of us will take our cherished bus to a nonold on every service.
Volkswagen garage to have it serviced, get chargedStep 8
through the nose for what's essentially no more than aIgnition points
regular car service. Even Volkswagen appointedThe Ignition points should be checked every time you
garages will only undertake a standard vehicle serviceundertake the general electrical servicing outline above.
and not consider the unique requirements of a 30+The points gap should be 0.4mm or 0.016in and should
year old air-cooled Volkswagen Bus.be clean. If they are pitted or corroded in any way
It is also too easy to forget that VW Bay Windowthey will need replacing.
Campers need frequent servicing; in fact someStep 9
servicing tasks will require your attention at aFan Belt
frequency of as little as 2000 miles! It is incredible toCheck every time you look in the engine bay! Its easy.
think that most modern cars have service intervals of10 - 15mm play is fine, anymore and you should adjust.
10000 miles or more. The high operating temperaturesThere are some small shims that can removed if the
of Air-cooled Volkswagens' for instance require oilfan belt is to loose.
changes every 3000 miles to protect vital engineStep 10
components from heat and wear related damage.Air filter
Take my word for it! I am no mechanic, so I haveThe air filter will need to be cleaned and the oil
written this article not as a definitive DIY servicingreplaced every 5000 miles. Drain the old oil, clean and
article but more as a simple 20 step guide that youfill up with new engine oil. Make sure you dispose of
can either use yourself or help your local mechanic toyour engine oil properly. Your local council will have an
ensure your bus remains on the road for years tooil disposal unit.
come! I have scavenged I lot of the material from theStep 11
web and rehashed it to suit Class Campers. And IFuel lines and hoses
have subsequently referenced at the end of this articleCheck the condition of your fuel lines every time you
all the sites and printed material that I used.follow this service check list. If they are chapped in
Step 1anyway replace them. Remember - no smoking! You
Changing engine oilcan get very high quality steel lines if you prefer. Whilst
Engine oils should be changed at 3000 mile intervals, toyou are doing this you can check the heater pipes for
ensure that your engine doesn't suffer from undueholes or badly fitting joints and repair if necessary.
wear and tear. Some folks even suggest that it shouldHaving wholes or bad joints will reduce your buses
be changed every 2000 miles. If this seems a littlechance of keeping you warm.
extreme just think about how much it will cost toStep 12
replace your engine should you have a catastrophicBrake fluid
failure due to excessive engine wear! The actual oilBrake fluid should be checked and topped up
change interval is up to you, but I wouldn't recommendperiodically. The brake fluid reservoir can be found
that you go more than 3000 miles.behind the front kick panel.
Step 2Step 13
Tire pressuresBrake Pads
It is important to your tires are inflated to the rightThe brake pads can be checked very easily on a bus,
pressure. Your buses ride will be better and its roadalthough you will need to remove the wheels. To do
handling will be much improved, which also means thatthis jack up the vehicle and remember to always use
it will be safer. Check your tire pressures at leastaxle stands. You will be able to see if your pads need
every two weeks and always before a long journey.replacing, they should be at least 7mm thick.
Make sure you know the correct tire pressures forStep 14
your model of VW Bus. I will be adding standard tireAxle
pressures to Class Campers technical section soonThe axle will need to be greased every 5-7000 miles.
but probably after the publish date of this article.There are multiple points that need greasing. These
Step 3are the steering idler that is located in the middle of the
Windscreen Washer bottleaxle and the four trailing arm bushes at the ends. So a
The most peculiar set up I have ever seen! Thegrease gun will be a great buy!
washer bottle on a VW Bus is located behind the frontStep 15
kick panel to the left of the steering column. TheFront & Rear Drums
peculiar part of the set up is the fact that it needsThe front and rear drums of your VW bus will require
compressed air to force the water from the bottle toadjusting at lease every 6000 miles. To do this, you
the windscreen. You can attach a normal air line atshould insert a screwdriver in to the drum adjustment
your local garage and pressurize to 40psi. Warning, dowhole under the hub cap of your bus. More to follow
not pressurize it and more than 40psi because you runStep 16
the risk of blowing the pipes of the washer nozzles. It'sHandbrake
a lot of work to put them back on!The handbrakes on VW buses are notoriously bad
Step 4and often hardly work at all. This is usually because
Gearbox Oilthey haven't been adjusted for years. This isn't a
Although the gear box should only be changed everydifficult task - more
30000 miles it may need topping up from time to time.Step 17
The fill plug is located on the side of the gear box nearWheel Bearings
to the clutch cable. The official documentationYour wheel bearings will to be checked every 10000
suggests you will need a 17mm Hex spanner, butmiles or once a year which ever comes first. You
mines seems to be 18mm! Use Hypiod EP80/90 gearshould re-grease them every 20-30000 miles or two -
oil and fill so the oil is level with the bottom of the hole.three years. To check them jack up your bus (don't
It is essential that locate your bus on a flat surfaceforget to use axle stands), and grasp the top and
when you perform this task.bottom of your wheel and push the top and pull the
Step 5bottom of the wheel. If there is any play they will need
Spark plugsto be replaced. If there is any grinding when you spin
Cleaning your spark plugs should be undertaken everythe wheel then it is likely that the bearing will need
5000 miles or so. The electrode gap should be 0.7mmreplacing.
or 0.028in. You can clean the electrode with a littleStep 18
piece of emery cloth or a fine wet and dry. PersonallyClutch
I prefer to completely change my spark plugs everyYour clutch should be checked for play periodically and
10000 miles and check them every 5000 miles or so.should have around 20mm play at the foot peddle.
Step 6You should also grease the clutch cable periodically to
Distributer Caphelp its ability to work efficiently and to stop it breaking
When you replace or check your spark plugs it isbecause it gets stuck.
necessary to inspect the condition of the distributerStep 19
electrodes because they can become corroded. If soI cant think of any more but if anyone has any other
they can be cleaned or replaced depending on thetips please let me know.