The simplicity of the VW Type 1 engine, and the actual car itself, more or less harkens back to an era when simplicity reigned. Especially since simplicity didn’t add any cost.
Another major missing “feature” of the engine is the lack of both a true oil pressure sender and gauge as well as an oil temperature sender and gauge, the latter something you would think would be crucial to knowing for a car that actually uses the movement and cooling of oil to stay within operable limits.
So I bought a very simple VDO oil temperature sender kit and I had originally planned to tap the large plug at the oil intake and place it there. The sensor itself would be in the flow of moving oil that had just been “used” and returned to the sump so I figured this would be a good place to take a reading.
Well, my 3/4 tap arrived but the problem is the actual plug is smaller than that tap.
The kit cam with the perfect insert plug (above) but I just cannot figure out what NPT tap I need for it. 3/4 is just a tad too big and I have not found any A/N fittings yet (at least locally) that can fit that whole and also allow for the 1/4 sized sensor.
I really wanted to at least tap and replug it so I could add a sensor in the future, given that there’s no gauge in any of my cars to even read the thing. (Żuczek will get a full complement of gauges at restoration.)
So. Do I just leave this as-is now since the case is ready to be rebuilt or do I try and find the exact NPT tap and a matching aluminum full plug?
I may look around town since I would only need to clean and prep that side of the engine again. But I can’t risk using the 3/4 tap since I may have to drill it a bit. And this is one DAMN big hole!