Tech Bench — Install Guides & Technical Reference

Washburn's MetalThe Tech Bench · Orange, CA
ShiftingBrakesSteeringFrontRearEngineBodyContact
Install & Reference Guides · Air-Cooled VW

The Tech Bench Real, shop-tested install and reference guides for your air-cooled Volkswagen — written builder-to-builder, linked to the exact parts that do the job. From our bench in Orange, CA to yours.

The Tech Bench is where we write down how the work actually gets done: procedures, torque specs, install sequences, and the order of operations that keeps you from taking something apart twice. Every guide comes off our own bench in Orange, California, written by the people who do this work daily — on customer cars, on our own cars, with the same parts we sell you.

Below is the full library as we're building it out. Guides that are live are linked. The rest are written and in the queue — they'll turn into links here as they publish.

55Guides in the library
8Systems covered
2Live right now
1Beetle at a time

Shifting & Driveline

9From a vague shifter to a bolt-action throw
Guide 01 Best seller

Snap-Lock Delrin Shift Bushing

The 20-minute fix that turns a sloppy shifter crisp — and the whole shift-linkage explained.

#CH01Read the guide
Guide 12

Billet Shift Coupler

Ditch the cracked plastic coupler for billet and tighten up the back of the linkage.

#CH15Coming soon
Guide 35 Best seller

Bus Shift Bushing

Sharpen the famously vague Bus shifter with a Delrin rod bushing.

#BS02Coming soon
Guide 33

Clutch & Throttle Cables

Refresh both cables and set clutch free-play for a smooth, sure action.

Cable RefreshComing soon
Guide 40

Throw-Out Bearing Upgrade

Upgrade an early transaxle's clutch release while the engine's out.

Dave FoltsComing soon
Guide 06

Solid Transmission Mid-Mount

Weld in a solid mount to kill driveline flex and firm up every shift.

Weld-InComing soon
Guide 20 Best seller

Forward Flush Tunnel Cover

Clean, flush clutch-cable tunnel access for custom driveline setups.

#CH27Coming soon
Guide 30

Center Tunnel Access Plate

Weld-in flush plate for serviceable clutch-cable access.

#CH28Coming soon
Guide 47

Candy Cane Clutch Tube Support

Heavy-duty tunnel support that keeps the clutch cable smooth.

#CH61Coming soon

Brakes

8Stopping power, done safely
Guide 39

Tandem Master Cylinder

Upgrade to a dual-circuit master for a 4-wheel disc setup — bench-bled and safe.

Wilwood 1"Coming soon
Guide 08

Wilwood Front Disc Kit

Complete front drum-to-disc conversion for modern stopping power.

Ball JointComing soon
Guide 09

Rear Drum Brake Service

Rebuild leaking or frozen rear drums and bleed them right.

Wheel Cyl.Coming soon
Guide 10

Brake Backing Plate

Swap a rusted backing plate and transfer the hardware clean.

OEM GermanComing soon
Guide 11

Parking Brake Rebuild

Restore a parking brake that won't hold — levers and spreader bar.

R70/R71Coming soon
Guide 42

Billet Parking Brake Bracket

Mount the handbrake solid with a billet bracket — Manx & Baja favorite.

#CH04Coming soon
Guide 49

Framehead Brake Line Brackets

Route and support the front brake lines the factory way.

#CH09Coming soon
Guide 53

Slimline Parking Brake Mount

Clean handbrake mount for a heater-delete tunnel.

#CH23Coming soon

Steering

4Tight, play-free, safe
Guide 28

Rebuilt German Steering Box

Swap in a rebuilt box and dial out the wander for good.

Billet CoverComing soon
Guide 41 Best seller

Billet Steering Box Cover

Cleaner, stronger top cover — and the moment to set steering lash.

#CH71Coming soon
Guide 16

Steering Box Clamp

Lock the box to the beam so it can't shift under load.

#R33Coming soon
Guide 18

Titanium Steering Box Bolts

Grade-5 titanium mounting hardware, torqued to spec.

#A14-TKITComing soon

Front Suspension

7Geometry, stance, and long life
Guide 29 Top revenue

Ball Joint Front Beam

The full front-suspension foundation — restored German, spindle-to-spindle.

RestoredComing soon
Guide 04

Ball Joint Spindles

Bring worn or bent front spindles back to factory-true geometry.

#R53Coming soon
Guide 07

EMPI Drop Spindles

Lower the front 2.5" the right way — the California Look, done clean.

ForgedComing soon
Guide 03

Eccentric Camber Adjusters

Dial in camber on a lowered ball-joint beam and save your tires.

#62Coming soon
Guide 17

Titanium Front Beam Kit

Lightweight, corrosion-proof front-beam mounting hardware.

#A10-TComing soon
Guide 44

Front Beam Greasing

The cheapest front-end insurance there is — zerks and a grease gun.

#A20Coming soon
Guide 50

Trailing Arm Torsion Caps

Seal the ball-joint beam's arm ends — grease in, grit out.

Laser-CutComing soon

Rear Suspension & Axle

8Seals, stance, and drivetrain
Guide 32

IRS Trailing Arms

Replace worn or bent trailing arms and reset rear geometry.

#R29Coming soon
Guide 43

Rear Ride-Height Adjuster

Dial rear stance with a screw instead of re-indexing torsion bars.

#CH07Coming soon
Guide 02

Rear Axle Seal Kit

Chase out the gear-oil weep before it soaks your brakes.

#CH50Coming soon
Guide 13

IRS Axle Spacer Kit

Set correct rear axle endplay and save a bearing.

#CH43Coming soon
Guide 05

Titanium Axle Nuts

The highest-torque fastener on the car, done right.

#A13-TComing soon
Guide 15

Spring Plate Caps

Restore an early swing-axle rear end — respect the preload.

#R30Coming soon
Guide 14

Swingaxle Narrowing Sleeves

Reinforce the joint when narrowing a swing-axle rear end.

#CH22Coming soon
Guide 51

IRS Stub Axle Retainer Cap

Retain the IRS wheel bearing during a rear-end service.

#R40Coming soon

Engine, Fuel & Cooling

10Access, airflow, and power
Reference Live

PMO Carburetors: Triple-Throat Induction

The complete reference on PMO triple-throat carburetors for air-cooled Porsche — sizing, jetting, and setup.

PMORead the guide
Guide 27 #1 revenue

Big Washburn Windows

Large engine-bay access panels for dual-carb and big-engine builds.

#BY01Coming soon
Guide 23

Washburn Windows (Standard)

Single-carb engine-bay access — reach the carbs without pulling the motor.

#BY02Coming soon
Guide 34

Valve Cover Oil-Leak Fix

Stop the classic drip with fresh cork gaskets — a satisfying quick win.

#E22Coming soon
Guide 37

Super Kooler Oil Cooler

Drop oil temps with a high-flow aluminum doghouse cooler.

98-1189-BComing soon
Guide 38

Weber Dual Carb Conversion

Step up to a matched pair of Weber IDF carbs for real throttle response.

40 IDFComing soon
Guide 26

FIS2 Fuel Injection

Convert a carb'd Type 1 to modern EFI for easy starts and drivability.

Carb-to-EFIComing soon
Guide 31

Dune Buggy Exhaust

Exhaust routing and fitment for an open-bodied buggy build.

BuggyComing soon
Guide 25

Bus Heater Log Legs

Weld in fresh legs where the Bus heater log rots out.

#BS06Coming soon
Guide 54

External Oil Cooler Kit

Remote Setrab cooler + fan for a hard-run vintage Bug.

#E07Coming soon

Body & Interior

7Safety, detail, and finish
Guide 36

Beetle Seat Belt Anchors

Weld in factory-style anchor plates for belts you can trust.

#CH30Coming soon
Guide 21

Bus Seat Belt Bracket

A correctly threaded, welded-in lap-belt anchor for the Bus.

#BS10Coming soon
Guide 24

2-Fold Sunroof Conversion

Add a factory-style folding sunroof to a solid-roof Beetle.

#BY11Coming soon
Guide 22

Floor Mat Retention Buttons

Weld-on buttons so period rubber mats snap down and stay.

#CH60Coming soon
Guide 19

Titanium Body-to-Pan Washers

Corrosion-proof body-mount washers for a body-off restoration.

#A05-TComing soon
Guide 46

Sagging Door & Hinges

Cure a dropped door — hinge screws, pins, and reaming.

#A09Coming soon
Guide 52

Stainless Fender Bolt Kit

Remove and refit Beetle fenders with fresh stainless hardware.

#A01-SSComing soon

Shop Tools

2Make the work easier
Guide 45

Frame Horn Dolly

Roll a transmission-out chassis around the shop, safely, solo.

#T01Coming soon
Guide 48

Rolling Body Cart

Weld up a cart to move a body off the pan for paint & bodywork.

#T04Coming soon

Can't find your job here?

Call the shop. If the guide isn't written yet, we'll walk you through it on the phone — fitment, torque, sequence, what to buy and what to skip.

(657) 438-7002

Shop line — parts, fitment and technical questions. Orange, California.

© Washburn's Metal · Orange, CA · Aircooled parts, made and serviced in-house. The Tech Bench · 55 guides across 8 systems · Parts · Install Guides · Contact