Do you have the stock factory oil bath air cleaner on your car? Maybe you just bought a restored one from 1967beetle.com. Well, now that it’s sitting atop of your carburetor, where are those two pre heat hoses supposed to attach to? Do they just pass through the engine tin and dangle under the car?
1967 was the first year that the Beetle air cleaner had two pre heat hoses. Previous years had one, so some new parts had to be manufactured. First the rear engine tin had to have two holes to accommodate the hoses. Next, a new pre heat tube was made for the right side of the engine. It is shaped like a J. The left side uses a short straight tube, the same one as previous years.
These tubes attach to the engine via one of the nuts that bolts down the exhaust to the cylinder head. The tubes are routed though the cut outs in the lower engine tin.
Once the tubes are attached to the engine studs, the paper hoses from the air cleaner are simply slipped on. Warm air that is being passed by the cylinders will now be drawn through the tubes and hoses to the carburetor to help a cold engine run smoother.
Some of the parts you will need to have your pre heat system factory correct are available from our friends at Wolfsburg West:
Pre heat paper hose
Pre heat hose clip
Pre heat hose grommet
The metal tubes and correct tins will have to be purchased through an online enthusiast site, auction site or a VW swap meet.
Happy ’67 motoring!
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Good article!
Well cheers. Another article, another bit to find!
Anybody have or know of a 90deg bend side preheat tube for me to acquire?
Paul,
I’d give TheSamba a look. I know I’ve seen these before. In the future, we might have some in our own classifieds.
Great pictures and clear explanation — a perfect article focused on this key aspect of the ’67 Beetle. Thanks, Jody, you’re a terrific help!
We should defiantly have a 67 only classifieds. That would be amazing.
Done! https://1967beetle.com/classifieds/
Was there originally a thermostat with linkage that operated the two flaps on both sides of the air cleaner? If not what makes them open and close, a change in air temperature? Mine don’t seem to open/close with temperatures down to 35 degrees. I also notice the flaps have two settings where the levers and small white plastic guides are. What are the two adjustments for? Thanks
Hello, Chris. The thermostatically operating air breathers came later. For 1967, as the engine accelerated, the vacuum from the carburetor pulled the flaps open. In warm/hot months, the flaps are to be propped open. In cool/cold weather, the flaps are to be left
free to open-close upon the engine’s demands. At idle, for instance, the flaps won’t open much or too far due to low vacuum. As speed increases, the flaps open and remain open during peak carburetor air needs. Does your air breather look like the one pictured in this article? If not, perhaps you have the ’68-’69–which are quite similar. The ’67 breather should have two small paper hoses–not one large paper hose. I am unaware of any “adjustments” to the flaps. As I say above, the flaps should be propped open by pushing the lever over the lip of the breather snorkle so that it will keep the flaps open. Do you have the Glove Box Owner’s Manual? The Manual explains how to use the breather to the advantage of the engine. jay salser
Hi Jay. Yes, I have the stock original air cleaner and the original manual. On page 17 it says: “the weighted flaps in the air cleaner intake pipes must be free to move in the winter and the cool seasons. If the average temperature is above 50 degrees F the flaps must be fixed open by jamming the levers under the ridge on the intake pipes”. I did notice I’m able jam in the right side and not the left, so I’ll have to figure out why and fix it. Thanks for directing me to the owner’s manual!
I do notice that when I rev it under cold start up the flaps don’t move much. I’m wondering if air is getting in at the base of the carburetor (Stock 30 PIC). My air cleaner has always seemed a little loose no matter how much I tighten it at the base.
Thanks for your informative response.
Christopher