Serious oil leak now, help!

The square area is the oil pump plate there is a gasket under the cover and also when you pull the pump from the engine case, sometimes you can get lucky and be able to pull the oil pump w/o the specific tool. Super clean surfaces and new gaskets, same goes to the other leak location.

Pretty sure the oil pump gets 18 ft. lbs. of torque on the 4 bolts. You SHOULD NOT stick a larger bolt in there, if the holes are stripped you'll have to split the case and basically rebuild the motor, and maybe save the case with time-certs.

Usually, oil pumps have studs in there and sealing nuts on the cover. And you MUST use a thin paper gasket, if the gasket is too thick you'll lose oil pressure.

Buy a 66-69 VW Beetle service manual by Bentley, it will serve you well.

You have a universal/type3 case. The two-bolt flange is not a big deal to seal, use whatever method makes it seal.

@Alan Merklin & @DannyP thanks for your guidance, I was able to know where to direct my research efforts.  

Danny, we went from 8m-something to 10m-1.25 threading, are the tolerances in there so tight that this has caused an issue?  If I'm understanding your point correctly, then we could expect oil leak from the bolt hole?  I'll check if there is any.  If so, instead of a time-sert, what about teflon around the bolt threads?  And/or a gasket for the bolt head?  

Also, I'm curious to know how pressure is lost without a thin gasket, that's interesting.  Something to do with requiring very rigid space?  Or the gears need to turn right up against the cover plate?

I'm going to attempt performing this in a limited garage (think basically apartment garage, it's private but with limited tools/capability).  So I'm going to try to think ahead as much as possible to avoid any surprises.  Any help with these questions would be very appreciated:

Is this the tool you refer to?  Seems like these are generally all the same.  Ps in one of the videos I watched the T head that grabs the oil pump bent and broke!  Hopefully that doesn't happen here:

• http://vwparts.aircooled.net/O...pe-1-p/ac000500b.htm (says Type 1, but I'm assuming it would work for my pump too)
• https://www.jbugs.com/product/5002.html (same re "Type 1")
• https://www2.cip1.com/ProductD...ode=ACC%2DC10%2D7005

Then, I think this is the outer gasket? (oil pump to cover plate interface).  I think it's clear these are all the same product #:

• http://vwparts.aircooled.net/O...B-p/111-115-131b.htm
• https://www.jbugs.com/product/111115131B.html
• https://www2.cip1.com/ProductD...11%2D115%2D131%2DB25 (although this one's bulk pack)

Inner gasket? (oil pump to engine case interface):

• https://vwparts.aircooled.net/...B-p/111-115-111b.htm
• https://www.jbugs.com/product/111115111B.html
• https://www2.cip1.com/ProductD...11%2D115%2D111%2DB25 (although this one's bulk pack)

Lastly, do you recommend any particular gasket sealant and locktite for the screws?  I saw people using different types in youtube videos.

Sean, the thin paper gasket under the oil pump and under the oil pump cover will usually seal any leaks where the bolts(studs) are. Stock cases have studs there FYI, not bolts. The washer and nut on the outside cover can be sealed by a smear of oil-proof Permatex silicone.

I didn't think there was enough room in the oil pump for a 10mm stud or bolt, that's why I suggested a Time-cert.

And yes, you need a thin paper gasket because a thicker gasket will allow pressure to bleed past the ends of the gears.

In order to pull an oil pump, it is usually necessary to loosen the two case studs, one above and one below the oil pump. That should allow the puller to get the pump out without destroying the pump or the puller. Sometimes, when using a puller, you put tension on it, then smack it with a hammer. Sometimes, this jars the pulled object loose. But not every time, some really won't come out without splitting the case.

Get that Bentley manual, there is a ton of information and pictures to help you. Plus thread sizes, torque and wear specs........

"Also, I'm curious to know how pressure is lost without a thin gasket, that's interesting."

An oil pump works by squishing oil between the cogs of the two gears. If you create a gap on the top and bottom, the oil can squish into there instead of your oil passages.

Think trying to drink through a straw with your mouth open.

"Lastly, do you recommend any particular gasket sealant and locktite for the screws?"  

I'll defer to Danny and others with more engine building experience than I, but personally I never do anything other than soaking paper gaskets in oil or a thin coat of grease prior to installing them. Honestly, more to keep them in place than anything else.

@DannyP @dlearl476 Ahhh, makes sense now.  So the oil pump gears are sandwiched tightly, and I've now spread the panini bread apart.  So now the salami oil isn't compressed.  I think I'm getting hungry.

I'm now considering having a shop do the work (I finally got around to asking for SoCal shop recommendations here which I meant to do anyway), which is odd because I think I now have a pretty solid understanding of exactly what to do.  And by all indications I can perform it, I'm just concerned about the 1-3 unforeseen things that always unexpectedly go wrong!  And in this garage, I'd be dead in the water.  It would be hard to even get it towed because of the small clearances/bends of this garage area!  

It's a little frustrating because I can do it (and put the saved $$$ toward some other part of the car), but this is probably the wise decision.  It'll depend on what shops I can find nearby and if the cost isn't unconscionable.  If so, at least I have a way better understanding of this region of my car and the rest would just be going through the motions.  That, and I know exactly what the mechanic is dealing with...

@DannyP @Alan Merklin @dlearl476, thank you for all your help