traditionally on oppossed four vw engines........there is a super thin paper
gasket to seal the cover to the oil pump.

if you are lacking a pump body-to-engine block gasket, I would use black,
totyota silicone there.  That will seal perfectly forever.

for any externally mounted oil pump, their simple has to be a paper sealing
gasket, or 0-ring ( subaru ) to seal the oil pump cover to the oil pump.
On inline 4 VW engines...........they don't use a gasket on the oil pump
cover or end plate ........but then it's all inside the oil pan anyway.

on those super thin paper oil pump cover gaskets..........I use spray
Permatex Hi-Tach gasket sealer. That way you can get a really fine 'just
barely there' sealant on the gasket.   I wouldn't use just the bare paper
gasket.
scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 12:41 PM
Subject: 2.1 oil pump gasket question

> Bentley, in the diagram on 17.7, show the oil pump as having a paper
> gasket
> between the pump housing and the block, but not between the housing cover
> and the housing. Seems I wirebrushed off a paper cover when disassembling
> the pump, and it makes sense that one would go there, but also that it
> would
> add unwanted distance between the pump gears and the housing cover.
> Anyone?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim