How do you change the carburetor on a 1974 Beetle?

Answer 1

You need a 13mm wrench, a 10mm wrench, whatever size wrench you need to loosen the accelerator-cable barrel bolt (these vary), a screwdriver, a timing light, some rags, and a sharpened pencil. You also need a gas can and whatever you use to tune the car. Parts: new carb, new carb gasket. Be sure you get a 34mm carb - there are two sizes used on VWs, and the 31mm throat won't fit on your car. While you're at it, go ahead and change the oil, check the belt for tension and wear, etc.

Step 1: unhook the battery. Put the car in gear, set the brakes, chock the wheels and do whatever else it takes to keep the car from moving. Remove the air cleaner.

Step 2: There is a wire coming from the negative side of the coil to two points on the carb. Unhook both.

Step 3: Loosen the hose clamp on the fuel hose and slide it out of the way. Hold the hose in one hand while it's still hooked up and the pencil in the other, point facing the carb. Pull the hose off the carb and IMMEDIATELY, as fast as you possibly can, jam the pointy end of the pencil in the hose to stop the gas from coming out. Loosen the barrel bolt and remove the accelerator cable.

Step 4: Remove both the 13mm nuts holding the carb on, lift it off, drain it into the gas can, and put the new carb and its gasket where the old one was. Bolt the new one in place.

Step 5: hook everything back up. Adjust the valves, then start the car and tune it up.