Shepherd's Hook For Aircooled VW's

A simple job on the Beetle today. The shepherd's hook is something that is missing from the vast majority of later model Beetles so I figured I'd try to make a little clip about how to make your own and replace what really should be there.
They are simple but pretty important. They'll save you hassle later if you put one on. They were there from factory for a reason so......
Once again I apologize from my poor explaining skills. I typically just do my work and never post but I do sometimes try and do videos where there is little information (at least that I found) on the subject.
Again, it's a super simple job and it costs pretty much nothing.
Feel free to comment - good or bad. I can take it ;-) If I'm way off the mark, please let me know.
Correction from the video: A great reference site for almost everything you need with regard to your VW, and where I found the example photos is at www.thesamba.com Spell check kinda messed that up in the video and I didn't notice. Sorry about that.

[@prestondanielgrant2152]

Just want to say, thank you. I have a 71 bus rebuilt with 74 super beetle parts. Just rebent my straight down metal piece to be a shepherds hook and then found out MY LAST MECHANIC SWAPPED TO DVDA. So I found an empty port (idle problems much?) And used your method. My VW idled properly for the first time in 7 years.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

That’s awesome👍 Glad to hear it. Glad my video helped. Cheers!

[@hjkgufytfyug]

Nice detailed explanation. I have been meaning to make one of these hooks for my "70 Bug. The P.O. must have tossed it. As a temporary measure I use a longer hose and route it up through the oil-filled air filter clamp.

[@tropicalrc5163]

Nice video, beautiful Bug. I knew about the fuel issue draining into the vacuum advance unit so I used a small cable tie to hold up the vacuum tube, this is a great idea you presented. BTW, its The Samba not Somba lol..no biggie. If I were you I would use two small cable ties at the two ends of the vacuum line. I have just bought a Buggy which I will be stripping down and rebuilding. I see you are from ON, I lived in the Capital until a few years ago, moved for a bit to the tropics now. Great job on your Bug, she looks and sounds sweet. Your explanation was great, fully understood what you were trying to get across.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Damn it!! Yes. Thesamba...... guuuuhhhhhh I blame that one on spell check. :-(

[@brianzimmer5532]

Car looks awesome man!

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Thanks! She’s still running strong. Had it out for a few good runs the last few days. Any excuse to take it out. 👍👍

[@todbnla]

copper would be cool, you could do a coil or two...good job

[@gustavopadilla9176]

Nice color

[@jschrauwen]

Just came across your video. Nice looking Beetle. I've been looking for a few years for a clean 69 to 72 Beetle. Still have yours? I'm in Ontario BTW. Cheers.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Yep. Still have it. 👍 It may pop up for sale some day. I’m kinda itchin’ for a new project but I really love the car. Who knows. This one is numbers matching too btw. ❤️ The more I dug into it the more I suspected. Got confirmation from VW with the birth certificate.

[@pacificovw9522]

Nice job brother, did you change your fuel lines to metal tubing also? What kind of metal tubing did you use for that? I like your bug's color, and its engine sounds tight, safe travels. Do not let the VW purists bring you down, a lot of them only have their old V dubs for show, but do not believe those guys who plug holes with bubble gum either, the daily V bub driver is somewhere in between. However, always carry gum for the passengers.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Thanks man. Yeah. Everyone has their own ideas of what's right and wrong and how cars should be but to each his/her own. I've been around bikes and cars my entire life so I know there are many who feel the "need" to express their opinions. It's fine. Thanks for the kind words. I've cleaned this car up but it's no show car. I use it a ton. As far as the fuel lines go, no, I didn't do steel tubing for that. I ran a new steel fuel line from under the car, through the firewall, around the shroud and up to the fuel pump but that was just replacing in kind the original stuff with new line when I redid the top end. I used new braided fuel hose from Wolfsburg West at the same time to tie into the pump and of course from the pump discharge to carb. You can see it in the clip as well. It's not steel fuel hose. Lots more work to do on the car yet. Was thinking of doing a full walk around to show what's been done so far as well as talk about what's up in the near future for it but.... I've gotten a couple of emails asking more about it. We'll see. Thanks again.

[@pacificovw9522]

Surly, man, I like that brown or burgundy or both on your Bug, but I cannot imagine it on my Ghia. That is the fuel line I am going to change from braided to metal: the one that starts from behind the firewall to the fuel pump and from the fuel pump to the carb, but I have not found the right size yet. People have used the steel 1/4 inch inside diameter tube, to me, though, that is a bit too big. That is how I got to your posting looking for metal tubing on V dubs. I might end up using the 1/4 inch outside diameter copper tube/pipe, that might bring it closer to the 5 mm diameter of the braided fuel line. Some say that the original braided was 5.5 mm diameter, well then I would be even closer. Yes, the interior is always nice to see in a Bug, see what kind of gauges you have and dash.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Pacifico VW you have braided hose going through your firewall? Jeez. That would make me quite nervous - that just me though. Here's a link to the Ghia fuel line that goes through the firewall that jbugs offers at least. I'm not sure I've ever seen steel line connected directly to the pump and then up to the carburetor for later model aircooled. Sounds interesting though. Would love to see it. Here's a link. www.jbugs.com/product/113127521A.html

[@pacificovw9522]

Surly, no, at the firewall the PO left me with 5 inches of metal tubing. What I am thinking of doing is connect the metal fuel line at the fuel pump with just a piece of braided hose and the same from fuel pump to the carb, just the ends of the metal fuel lines with 3 inches or so of braided hose to connect them. I think that there is an issue with the copper tubing and salt, salt corrodes copper really quick, I think, and that is why people avoid it but I am here in Southern California, so I may just do it, I am going to read more about it, though. Good to see that you do not put your fuel filter anywhere near the engine area. Thanks for the link.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Nice engine. You live in Canada; you don't use a heater? I like the clean look of your fan housing.

[@surlycrosscheck1]

No, no heat. I do use the car all the time but it gets parked in winter. Heater boxes have been removed and channels have been plugged. I could easily connect everything back up (nothing has been cut away or welded shut) but I'm protecting the channels this way. The only time this car gets driven in winter months is when the roads are dry, no salt residue and the sun is out. It might see one or two good drives per month in winter. There are blankets in the back if the wife and kids get cold. :-)

[@DanielinLaTuna]

surlycrosscheck1 😁

[@dogbounty6399]

why not just add an in line check valve?

[@surlycrosscheck1]

Good question but it wouldn't work in this application. A check will stop "flow" but in this case, in the vacuum line there is no actual "flow" through it, only a change in pressure. If the car was shut off and fuel gathered at a check as you ask, then as soon as you start the car and rev it even slightly, the check would then open up (due to a pressure change in the opposite direction) and the fuel would drain down into the vacuum can. The engineers at VW designed the hook in this way for a reason: it works.....and is simple.