Hello,

I just want to check whether what I want to do is stupid.

I have pulled the big alloy shroud thing off in the past after I have stripped the tinware and had the motor out, but I want to know if it can be remved without pulling everything off. I know I'd have to pull the fan/flywheel pulley off (and of course remove the retaining bolts behind the pulley) and undo the tinware bolts attached to it, but anything else?

Incidentally it doesn't have the air thermostat so I don't have to pull that off.

I want to pull it off to find the source of the ever worsening oil leak. I know the idiot light sender is one source, but I suspect the oil cooler is the main culprit.

Yes it can be done in the van, you remove all you said, and you will also need to loosen the heater boxes, so they can an drop down a bit, or cut the heater boxes where they attach to the fan housing, so you can pull the fan housing back to clear the 4 studs that locate it before it can be removed. hope this makes sence.
Dave

Thanks for that.

So far I have stripped off some of the tinware, pulled off the oil filler and fan, and took off the oil filter for a better view. Unfortunately the result was still ambiguous as to where the leak is.

I've been hunting for a compatible idiot light sender to replace my leaking one. The trouble is I'm lacking some key information.

Is this right or wrong: The sender uses is 10mm with a 1mm thread pitch. The socket needed to remove it is 24mm. The thread is straight and not tapered.

Once I swap the sender out I'll put enough back on to prevent an instant cooking and see if it still leaks. I'll see results in a few seconds as the drip is getting dangerously close to a stream.

If it still leaks I'll pull off the fan housing (if necessary) to gain access to the oil cooler for the purpose of changing the O rings.

Yes. Oil press sender is 10 x 1 mm thread with 24mm longreach socket required.

and is a straight thread not tapered

Great. So I'm on the right track then.
None of the local businesses could help me, including Repco, the local instrumentation place and Bursons.

Now I know exactly what I need. I didn't want to risk it with the socket without getting confirmation. I need to buy one. Which is a little weird because I thought I'd changed the sender on the van before. maybe it was on the beetle after all.

This may be a silly question, but if I wanted to fit a pressure gauge instead, what's stopping me from putting it there?

Don't forget where the oil filter alloy adaptor bolts to the case-a gasket there that can leak.

That's a good point.
There was oil pooled in the top of the oil filter around its lip, so it could have conceivably run down there.

I know as absolute fact that the oil pressure sender is leaking from the blade connector, which can also run down there, but it seems like an awful lot of oil to come from there alone.
So is there any reason why I can't just fit a pressure sensor there?

Also I can't see any reason why I can't use some electronics to utilise a pressure sender as both a pressure sender and an idiot light sender.

I finally got the 24mm socket and idiot light sender. It can be so hard getting hold of anything in these parts.
Anyway, changed the senders over and put enough back on to run the van without cooking. The leak is 99% stopped. The remaining could either be extra runoff oil that the degreaser didn't get or a leaky pushrod tube. Anyway, I'm happy.

If you have a leak above the oil filter check the bungs on the case. They are bungs for the oil gallories and they are more often than not the sources of the leak. clean them right up and then centre punch the case around them and devcon them up with the 2 part epoxy resin. did this with all the bungs on my Type 4 case and along with good quality german pushrod tube seals my engine hardly leaked a drop of oil. another place you can have an oil leak is the oil filler tube on the other side of the engine. the bolt up surface is never flat and the gasket can't take up the excess. Plus some people tighten them up to the point of wapring the sealing surface. I used a piece of glass with a random orbital sticky disc stuck to it to surface the filler tube and it was far from being flat.

Oddly enough it looks as though the galleries you mentioned are already epoxied I know I didn't do that. I've never touched them.

The oil filler tube is a curse at best. Through some type of magic, the second last time I dropped the motor and had to remove the filler, I managed to put it back on successfully without leaking. Beforehand it leaked lots.

Speaking of which, the rubber concertina thingy on the dipstick tube... where on earth can I get a replacement? Mine is stuffed.

Somehow I think even O rings handcrafted by Ferdinand Porsche would stop the leaking completely. The heads aren't exactly minty. Still, it has been a few years and another set of O rings couldn't hurt.

edit:
Err... I found another leak source post replacement of the sender. It seems I forgot to retighten the oil filter when I took everything off. Whoops!