I have posted here in the past trying to determine why my 74 1800 was leaking so much oil. Did everything I could and still leaked.
I go put a new 2000 long block in last week and damn it, still leaking. (Concentrated on the oil filter and cooler. THe pass side of engine stayed dry)
So I go on a highway road trip and oil every where. On the way home, pondering this leak over ice cream somewhere in the middle of beautiful PA countryside, i figured, let me look from above the engine. I know everything was torqued in that area. I look with a flashlight at the oil pressure switch. Hmm, lots of oil there. Start the engine, look and rev the engine. Well there is oil seeping out from what looks like underneath the oil pressure switch. I know it was not down all the way, plus the block under it is not smooth. I could not tighten it so I had to get 4-5 hrs home. And I did.
Days later I remove the switch, clean the area and put it back in with some gasket sealant and tighten better. Still leaking as I am watching it. Sooo, what I figured is that oil is not cominf from under the switch but from the top of it. This switch was new sometime ago when I did a rebiuld. But from what I could tell, the black plastic part was ever so slightly loose.
I proceeded to put the original switch back in (this one has white plastic and vw stamped all over it) and tightned it with no gasket sealer.
Well after riding around and getting all the residual oil blown out of the oil cooler fins...upon my return home tonight, there was NO OIL on teh bottom of the filter. WOW...I am so relieved. I think it is now dry. Or it is a heck of a lot dryer than before...(I see no oil come out at rev when looking at the oil pressure switch.)
Let this be a lesson. Bad or cheap aftermarket oil pressure switches may blow and you'll never know where the oil is coming from. Drove me crazy. For all I know, I could have damaged it yrs ago when I pulled the engine once and turned it upside down without draining the oil. (I forgot) I could have hit or some surge in oil pressure blew it out.. Who knows.. All I know (or hope) is that I finnaly have a dry bus. (and pretty quiet too).
(did the 1 - 1.125 turns on all the lifters, purrs like a kitten)
Steve '74 Westie, 2L, Weber. NJ