Well my friends, I am slow at getting anything accomplished, but I do get
there piece by piece.

I asked some time ago about an oil temp sending unit for an air cooled
2.0l 1981 Vanagon (apparently a Kombi <g>)

As usual, the responses were plentiful, and very helpful. In the end, it
appeared that I would need to get a new sump plate and drill it out, which
seemed quite doable, but not preferrable.

Then a few kind souls told me that they had used a sender from VDO that
screwed into the oil pan, the only drawback being the clearance around the
hole requiring a dremel, or a very thin walled socket, to tighten it down.

Finally, after harrassing everyone, and several of you more than once :-)
I just ordered the gauge and the sender unit, VDO # 938 802, and figured
'what the heck, something had to work'

Got the stuff in three days, drained the oil, and put in the sender unit
in place of the drain plug. Fit like a champ, no clearance problems, not
even close, and no need for a special thin walled socket. I can tighten it
all the way down with my fingers and tons of space.

I haven't run the wire yet for the sender. I can't wait to try and figure
out how to route that one :)

Bottom line, I over asked, you folks over answered, and I got what I
needed and I am grateful. I have no idea why my oil pan is different from
others who replied about an air cooled solution, but it is, and I am gonna
get that trailer on the road by the end of next month, and am looking
forward to finding out once and for all what kind of stress I will be
putting put on my baby.

The reason this is so long is so it will be in the archives, in addition
to all the other info already there.

Thanks again to all for your help.

Regards From Utah,

John