I will obviously post pics when it gets here. I am thinking I should change the oil and adjust the valves tonight. I do not yet have any manuals for this guy, so I figured I could just ask you guys.

1) What are the adjustments for the valves? This is a stock 74 2 liter.
2) How much oil does this thing take and what type should I get? Any recommendations on filters available through the standard part stores?

Thanks!

Welcome to the insanity.......

Look in the archives via search for the "Kaptain Krusty" valve adjustment thread. The type IV is an "interesting" car to adjust.....beyond the spec, there's a procedure.

As to oil filters....DO NOT USE FRAM. They are junk. I use Mahle....they are available via Pelican, Auto Atlanta or the dealer.....I usually wait for a sale or pickup 5 or more when I see them on eBay.

from the workshop manual

Does this thing really have a 16 gallon tank? My bug only holds 10! So I guess 20W-50 will do for oil?

You can go quite far on a full tank of gas

20W50 is good, though many are starting to use Rotella 15W40 (do a search for Rotella)

And to reinforce -- don't EVER use Fram oil filters. Never never never.

I use Mobil 1 20w50 & K&N oil filters. Makes it a bit pricey but everything has stayed cool & clean for a long time now so I can't complain. Cold valve clearances are: intake (0.006"/0.15mm) & exhaust (0.008"/0.20mm). Enjoy the new toy !

Yea imagine 16 gallon tank with and early 1.7L making 32+ MPG. I had a ratio of having to stop and pee twice before needing gas.

ok I gotta ask why is fram sooo bad for the car ? .. never used one I got a lot of oil filter with the car

No oil bypass valve.....also if you look at the cross references, they use the filter on A LOT of other vehicles so they cut corners to make it generic.

They are too long/tall for use with a sandwhich plate and a 2.0 engine cross bar....

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html

google "fram oil filter" and make you own assessment.

Congrats!

I run 20W50 here in the desert.

I would invest in a HAYNES 914 Manual.. they can be had on E-bay for around $20. Its not perfect but it is nice to have some exploded diagrams, fluid levels, specs, etc.

Haynes also sells the manual directly and ships new to your house for about $20.
It's always a close call where to find the best 914 info, in the manual or here! Manual wins for torques specs, World wins for photos

I would recommend also getting Auto Atlanta's Tech Tips 700, I think it is very helpful
Oh yeah
Gary

Ok, here is one from the previous owner. It came last night and I drove it to work today! I am a little freaked out as it has only been driven 300 miles in the last ten years! I can tell because of the tire receipt which was only 300 miles previous dated 1997. I am not sure just yet if they have any flat spots from sitting. I think the car still has the same gas...eek. It seems to drive well enough though. I figured I would burn it and fill it up later today with some good stuff. The shifting is a little sloppy, so I think it will need new bushings. It also has some vibration around 60mph, so I am guessing it needs to have the wheels balanced. Overall the car is in great shape. It only has 60k original miles and apears to have one repaint years ago. It has minimal rust which is a nice thing. Of course, there are a few spots to fix. I am planning on pulling the engine in a few weeks to do a rebuild. It doesn't leak too much and doesn't smoke, but I am thinking it should be done. I do plan on driving it every day. Hopefully you guys won't get too annoyed with all of my questions!


Click to view attachment

I'd consider replacing those tires, 10 years old? The could be dry rotted! Otherwise definitely a nice looking ride.

I can tell you first hand that dry rotted tires only gets you so far until they rip apart and shred on you while you're going 75 trying to get home to get new tires..

Yeah, but they actually look really good. You would never guess they were that old. We will see as I start knocking things out.

Bogaat,

Welcome to new ownership. You have a beautiful 914.

Now for my advise....Don't pull that motor, fix a few things like tires, etc and drive the 914 this summer. New owners make the mistake of wanting it perfect & it ends up on jack stands for many years. Enjoy the 914 a few years before starting major repairs. Once the motor comes out you will find hundreds of other things needing repairs.

Why do I say this!! I started with a simple clutch repair & minor paint touchup. Five years later, 2,500 of my manhours plus other services I finished. I also should mention money, lots of it $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Tom

100%. Get her going. Change your brake fluid & check your brakes for abnormal wear. Change engine & gear oil. Get a K&N air filter. Replace your plugs, wires, cap, rotor & points or ignition module. Adjust those valves. Clean & lube every hinge, latch & tumbler. Wash & treat all your rubber body seals. Get new tires & use the tire calculator here on the website to find the right size. Cheap tires can be obtained at both the Tirerack.com & Discounttiredirect.com. Keep your eyes & ears open & look for problems. Any immediate rust issues shuld just be stopped for now & made pretty later. Drive her this summer, get used to her & work all the bugs out... it is a 30+ yr old car! When it's all said & done you'll love it even more .

Ok, so maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to drive it today...can you blame me though! The car is progressively getting a nice little buck, backfire, pop. I am thinking FUEL FILTER? I did just fill it up with some frsh 93 octane and it still happens. All thought are appreciated.

Oh and where might I find the fuel filter? I am guessing under the passenger side of the engine? I assume it is not under the tank, right?

Good guess on the location, that's also "our" factory defect. Having the pump & filter right by the heat exchanger causes vapor lock in the summer. You'll stall out & it won't start again till all the fuel stops boiling in the pump. There is a factory relocation kit sold by many vendors & occasionaly you'll see one on eBay. No, I can't blame you for driving her... these things are fun however be careful w/ your investment- it's 33yrs old. To me the "pops" mean it's time to adjust the valves & change the plugs. You probably need new points & condeser as well & that will mean doing the timing. Theres' a thread on the Pertronix ignition module that replaces the points... you might want to read it. I have one in mine. You really need a manual or two for the D-jetronic 2.0.

What year? If it is a 75-76 it is in the front trunk behind an access panel.

On a 74 2.0 they're under the hell hole.

If it sat for 10 years here is the important stuff:

1. change the tires...you don't want them coming apart at highway speeds
2. change the rubber fuel line hoses..you don't want a crack to torch your new car
3. get good gas in it
4. replace the brake fluid
5. basic tune up

DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE

Jim

Gas that has sat for that long varnishes up the fuel line. Obviously it is not completely blocked because you were able to start it but if there is varnish in there the new gas will be cleaning it out. Hopefully you have an earlier car with the filter under the engine compartment and that is where the crap is being caught. The rear bumper on your car suggests it is a late model with the fuel filter is in the front. That means the crap is being being caught in your injectors. Before you go fiddling with any thing I would take out the fuel delivery system from stem to stern and swab it out. Take Jim's advice and replace all the rubber parts. This is absolutely essential if you see cloth covered fuel delivery hoses in the engine bay. These were replaced under recall with rubber ones that had hose clamps on the last piece going to the injectors. There has been some debate as to whether you need to replace the plastic part of the fuel line. Mine was still soft and flexible - some others are brittle. ymmv. If my theory is correct you are going to need your injectors cleaned. There is a well respected service that does them for something like $15 each. Forget the name but somebody will chime in.

You're also wasting money on 93 octane fuel.

So what do you guys recommend for fuel? The 76 I go to has 87, 89 and 93. I figured it needed at least 91?

Witchhunter Performance here in Washington State. $17 for each injector. My "new" 914 has sat for the past 12 years. I'm going to send my injectors to them.

Start with the lowest octane, if it pings, go up one grade. No ping, leave it alone. Your motor will run worse with higher octane.

Oh, and DON'T put a K & N filter on it. It lets larger particles into your intake than the stock, clean filter. Not a good thing (in spite of all the guys that like the "bling" factor of a K & N).

If it were my new car that had sat for 10 years I wouldn't fire that motor up again until I checked the gas tank for rust. Take off the filler cap and use a flashlight to peer around the bottom of the tank. If you see particles of rust then than stuff IS DEFINITELY getting into your fuel system (injectors, regulator, pump, etc). Fuel filters are useless again that sort of thing.

It still baffles my mind how rust gets past 2 or even 3 filters. My only thought is that maybe the rust cuts its way through the paper? The only thing I know for sure is that you can't rely on a fuel filter to keep loads of crap out of your motor.

Replace the rubber brake hoses and everything else rubber that has to do with going(fuelhose) and more importantly stopping. Ten year old tires are beyond their service life, get new ones, you are worth it.

I would pull and clean the fuel tank out, or at the very least drain all the gas from under the tank and that will get a lot of the crap out.

Pull all the fuses, disconnect the battery and clean up the fuse block, put in new fuses.

Unscrew or unbolt the three connectors at the bottom of the side rockers and clean out all the accumulated junk, clear the drains at the bottom of the doors, and the one at the bottom of the hell hole and its partner on the driver's side. Good chance the shifter bushings are bad too. If you see any bubbles in the paint, grind them now and get shiney metal, put paint on it right away. Neil Yound was right about that sleep and rust thing.

If it sat that long, it wants driven. Change all the fluids, motor, and transmission(no, I don't agree with the Krusty one about never needing to change that stuff) Pull fill plug on trans before drain plug.

DO NOT over tighten the cover on the bottom when you change the oil and clean the screen. Don't think it even takes 10 ft-lb

Bosch oil filters work awesome!
Konrad 72/4

Funny, I am about to pull the motor and noticed it has one of those old gray Deutsche (sp?) filters. I hadn't seen one of those in years! I have started to pull things apart and it looks pretty solid. The longs don't have a bit of rust under the side panels. So far so good. I was wondering where the gas smell was coming from and then I looked under the car. Gas was pouring out from under the tank...that would explain it. I have all new hoses and stainless lines from Chris, so I should be in good shape. Once I get things together, I will take some progress pics. Thanks for all the advice guys. I am getting new tires and actually new wheels as well. Two of them have cracks, so I am buying a new set from Alex @MagroWheels in FL. I should have this thing back on the road in no time

I didn't see it mentioned anywhere on the thread yet, but it might also be a good idea to inspect all wiring and the relay plate in the engine compartment for corrosion and wire degradation - you may need to yarf some of the wire out & replace with new, and clean and/or replace various terminal connections, fuses, etc.

On my '75 I had a wire coming off the ignition coil that was a brittle piece of crap, but most of it was hidden in the harness, and I had to peel a lot of it back & replace with new. It was causing a frustrating intermittent electrical failure that nearly drove me out of my mind.

And take a wire brush to the various ground connections, making sure the grounds are clean & tight.

All the above was advice given to me from various fellow-owners (from this forum) who came to help me with my car back in January, and it was exactly what I needed.

I am relatively new to the world of 914 dysfunctional love, obsession and maintenance, but I am finding that the girl requires frequent TLC.