Volkswagen: 1975 beetle oil leak, engine threads, heli coil

Question
Hi Please assist (from South Africa)

My 1975 Beetle is leaking oil, it seems to be coming from inside  and happens when i drive and not when the car is standing - seems to be coming from the oil switch and thereabouts, i took it to a mechanic who told me that my previous mechanic had but in a non original oil switch (which he did)- this damaged the engine threads and now it is leaking oil, i would have to remove the engine to repair - please advise as it is hard to come by a trustworthy mechanic, will i need to take out the engine, can i not just replace the oil switch, also, how much would it cost and will it be a big job.

Also can i still drive the beetle (obviously i would have to constantly check the oil level) but would it still be ok to drive for now until it is repaired.

your kind assistance would be appreciated.

many thanks

Nia

Answer
Hi Nia,

The proper way to fix the oil switch would be to try a heli-coil with a corresponding pressure sending unit that accepts the coil.

However, this does not always work.  You can only go so large before the hole area cracks.

Here is an online link with others who had the same problem and how they corrected it:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=264319&highlight=oil+sender+str...

Good Luck!

Ron