TheSamba.com :: View topic - VW Type 3 brand new oil cooler with oil pressure switch

Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:21 am

Just in case someone has stumbled on the same issue I had and is looking for a solution, or if someone has some remarks or anything.
I did this with a new beetle oil cooler but could also be done with a type 4 oil cooler.
During the rebuild of the engine of my '68 notch automatic I wanted to replace my oil cooler since it was leaking. Apparently I was able to find a new one since they don't make them (or at least I didn't find one) where you have the ability to install an oil pressure sensor. How ever they do sell one for a beetle (1600cc I believe) that is basically exactly the same but without the hole for this sensor (apparently measured somewhere on the crankcase).

I could have installed it without the sensor (ofcourse using the 8 > 10mm conversion seals) but I prefer to be able to see my pressure.

On an actual type 3 oil cooler the sensor is located directly on the other side of the intake collector hole (could also be outtake collector), So I drilled a hole of 9 mm and put thread in it (10mm x 1.0mm). The outside plate is about 3 mm thick aluminum, what looked sufficient to me for my application.

secondly I made a small metal piece that looks more or less like this:

few pictures of the process:

-milling the diameters:

-drilling the holes:

result piece:

As you can see I added a flat side to make a 17mm socket wrench fit.

comparison with the original (yes there is an extra hole in the original this was for educational purposes):

adding some new seals:

and final result installed on the engine:

Have done a test run and it seems to leak free.
If it starts to leak i could maybe weld it together (making a new in aluminium of course) but that has more risk of leaking I believe (due to all the brazing inside the cooler).