Hey there,
Does anyone know how to take out the breather pipe on a 1975 Beetle?

My Gregory's book tells me to undo the nut with a spanner, but the nut inside the oil filler is a strange looking thing that is incredibly hard to move.

Any help would be great

If you are talking the black bit on top of the cast generator stand it is bloody hard to get out without the right tools.
You need like an onersized socket that has a protrusion/slot that fits in the "nut" that holds it on

Reckon it would be easier to find one that has it off.

A butcher would try and tap it off with a screwdriver

You can make a tool from flat bar, but as said, be warned....can be f'n tight, sometimes the right tool combined with heat doesn't move them, others can be loose.

This is the nut I am talking about

http://www.aircooled.net/new-bin/viewproductdetail.php?keyword2=ECO0042&c...

Is that what you mean??

OK - here is the tool

http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=1584 

How come you need to remove it?

As Matt said they are usually bloody tight, I've never had any luck cracking one with flat bar

I Ended up grinding down a socket to be the same thing as the original tool

You can buy the correct tool for the job, they fit a 1/2" socket

I've removed probably around 40 with flat bar and FBH.
Zero with correct tool (unless already loose lol)

Yeah I brought that tool but it still won't budge. Might try to apply a bit of heat.
I had oil up in my air filter so I thought my breather pipe may have been blocked??

Sure it isnt an oil bath filter??

Sorry what is that?

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=vw+oil+bath+air+cleaner&rlz=1...

the early air filters had oil in them

I dont think mine has that?

A 75 should have a paper flat air filter

Like this one

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/3133842.jpg 

It should not have oil in it - well certainly not lots, maybe some fome stains, but that is about it

Is your air filter plastic or metal?

It's normal to see a tiny bit of oil in the corner of the plastic ones where the breather goes in but if theres heaps laying in the bottom probably a sign the engines getting abit tired.

either way - you shouldnt have to take it off to check for a block breather hose

The hose just pulls off

The car has never had any troubles and I recently drove it from Tasmania to Queensland. Now all of a sudden it wont start but before this it kept back firing and spluttering. The oil in the air filter was the first thing I noticed.

The air filter (box) is plastic.