[Vwdiesel] Oil pressure

[Libbybapa at wmconnect.com]

Still haven't had a chance to doublecheck the gauge in my 1.6TD vanagon.  
What would be considered redline for oil pressure.  This is a retrofit engine in 
an '83 diesel vanagon, so I don't have the dynamic oil pressure warning 
system.  Is it safe to run it until the 1.4 (1.8 on gas) bar sensor goes off at 2000 
rpm?  Or is that playing German roulette?  I believe I am correct that I 
could change all of the bearing shells with the engine in the car except the Int. 
shaft bearings (which seem, from what I'm hearing, to be the most likely 
culprits).  The only reason I can see that I would not be able to change them 
insitzu is that in removing the shaft it collides with the body of the van.  I am a 
little peeved at the design.  I have felt for a while that the whole Int. 
shaft thing was a crock, why not run a gear off the crank like the dist. gear on 
the old air cooleds?  Instead another shaft? Another pulley?  An 
ungeared/uncogged oil pump?  Someone give me reasons for the insanity?
Anyone know of a source for the pre-honed int. shaft bearings?
What keeps the int.shft bearings from spinning and blocking their own oil 
passage? Just interference fit?  Why isn't there a groove in the bearing or 
bearing surface on the shaft to distribute the oil pressure around the whole shaft? 
 
I can hear the VW engineers now.  "Hey, let's give the oil/vacuum pump 
designing to Franz.  He only flunked out of engineering twice before passing with 
D's.  He thinks if you make it more complicated you look smarter!"
Andrew