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Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:06 pm

Hello,

I'd love to pop the dowels out and grease the heck out of the hinges, however, that isn't going to happen. Is there a better way to lubricate them than WD-40?

Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:34 pm

Tri-Flo

PB Blaster

Basically anything that penetrates.

Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:38 pm

Regular engine oil

Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:24 pm

Lift the little plugs off the top and squirt in a bit of engine oil. Replace the cap to keep water out that will rust them.

Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:29 pm

How often should one lubricate said hinges?

Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:13 am

Every time you lube the chassis. Front beam greasing, door lock lubing, front hood latch lube, and on, and on. Any mechanism needs a lube once in a while.

Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:36 am

You're supposed to shoot grease into the hinge using a needle adapter on your grease gun. I've tried it and it doesn't seem to work. Maybe at a real VW garage they can shoot grease in under more pressure...
In any event, I'm forced to use conventional motor oil but I'm sure it's way too light and the hinges should be greased...

Fri Jan 29, 2010 6:50 am

Funny story: when I bought my '70 in late 1972, I thought I checked out everything on it. But apparently I never opened the driver door, as the guy's wife didn't want to go on the test drive. Turns out that she had NEVER ridden in it, so that door was NEVER used. So after I bought it, I found it sounded like the Munster's front door, creaked badly. I took off the caps, added oil, worked it back and forth like every day, with new oil. It took about a year to get rid of all the creaking, and it's still non-creaking today !!!

Another thing I didn't notice then was that the radio (AM) could only change stations using the push buttons, I never tried the dial, and the little "wire" inside was broken. Luckily, in those days people actually ixed stuff like that, so I was able to order a new slide wire.

Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:03 pm

Oops nevermind

Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:06 am

jlex wrote: You're supposed to shoot grease into the hinge using a needle adapter on your grease gun. I've tried it and it doesn't seem to work. Maybe at a real VW garage they can shoot grease in under more pressure...
In any event, I'm forced to use conventional motor oil but I'm sure it's way too light and the hinges should be greased...
That's one thing I think VW got wrong. My Mexi Beetle had grease under the black cap packed in there. But grease is not going to flow down the spiral groove, it's just gonna sit on top. I dug out all the useless grease and added oil. You can tell it's getting where it needs to go by the oil that weeps out the sides.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:49 am

Bruce wrote: jlex wrote: You're supposed to shoot grease into the hinge using a needle adapter on your grease gun. I've tried it and it doesn't seem to work. Maybe at a real VW garage they can shoot grease in under more pressure...
In any event, I'm forced to use conventional motor oil but I'm sure it's way too light and the hinges should be greased...
That's one thing I think VW got wrong. My Mexi Beetle had grease under the black cap packed in there. But grease is not going to flow down the spiral groove, it's just gonna sit on top. I dug out all the useless grease and added oil. You can tell it's getting where it needs to go by the oil that weeps out the sides.

Has anyone tried getting a large Zerk fitting and screwing it on top of each hinge? That is something I would love to do. Maybe I will check my hardware store and see if they may have something.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:11 am

Cusser wrote: it sounded like the Munster's front door, creaked badly.

I didn't mean to diss the Munsters, Herman seemed like a rather nice fellow !!!

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:31 am

I'm not sure a zerke fitting would do any good. The grease would have to be forced into what appears to be a solid hinge pin... I don't see how that's going to happen.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:45 pm

jlex wrote: I'm not sure a zerke fitting would do any good. The grease would have to be forced into what appears to be a solid hinge pin... I don't see how that's going to happen.
There is a spiral groove down the outside of late hinge pins. It's usually plugged up with dirt and rust, but if you install a new clean hinge pin, a grease nipple might be a good way to force grease down to where it can do good.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 5:41 pm

Bruce wrote: jlex wrote: I'm not sure a zerke fitting would do any good. The grease would have to be forced into what appears to be a solid hinge pin... I don't see how that's going to happen.
There is a spiral groove down the outside of late hinge pins. It's usually plugged up with dirt and rust, but if you install a new clean hinge pin, a grease nipple might be a good way to force grease down to where it can do good.
I was wondering if those pins were fluted in some manner to allow grease.. spiral groove, huh?

Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:29 pm

Bruce wrote: jlex wrote: I'm not sure a zerke fitting would do any good. The grease would have to be forced into what appears to be a solid hinge pin... I don't see how that's going to happen.
There is a spiral groove down the outside of late hinge pins. It's usually plugged up with dirt and rust, but if you install a new clean hinge pin, a grease nipple might be a good way to force grease down to where it can do good.

What year did they begin with the spiral groove?

Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:35 pm

Liquid Wrench.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:02 pm

tundrawolf wrote: Bruce wrote: jlex wrote: I'm not sure a zerke fitting would do any good. The grease would have to be forced into what appears to be a solid hinge pin... I don't see how that's going to happen.
There is a spiral groove down the outside of late hinge pins. It's usually plugged up with dirt and rust, but if you install a new clean hinge pin, a grease nipple might be a good way to force grease down to where it can do good.

What year did they begin with the spiral groove?
I don't know. 68 didn't have it, 73 did.

Sun Jan 31, 2010 5:13 pm

Seriously. Just a drop or two of Liquid Wrench on a warm day, or in a warm gagrage. Did wonders for my '68 passeneger door.

Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:05 pm

Fitz. wrote: Seriously. Just a drop or two of Liquid Wrench on a warm day, or in a warm gagrage. Did wonders for my '68 passeneger door.

I did that first. I have opened the doors on two different beetles, where the doors had to be pulled up to shut properly. My 1972 doesn't do that-I know that grease is best, because it stays, but oil is second best, and liquid wrench is good in a pinch if you have no other options, IMHO.