Wow..   100% baffled.... How can anyone like Haynes state the engine is complex. It could not be more basic.

👍👍👍old school motors are simple machines unlike the modern variable vale timing engines and stuff around these days.
Best go with Rob and watch a strip down of the motor the only awkward reassembly bits are the cam followers dropping out as you lower the top case on but a bit of grease will hold them in if you do not have the spring clips.

Wow..   100% baffled.... How can anyone like Haynes state the engine is complex. It could not be more basic.

They meant more complex to dismantle i think. Old Ford engines stayed on the engine stand.
Head off,  turn engine over, sump off, remove internals.
Can't do that on a beetle

Well Rob has checked it out and oil flowing nicely now. Only thing he found was a missing O ring on the oil pump.
Only bit I didn't send him was the external oil cooler so will run it for a while without and refit when I change out the flushing oil and see what happens

I just had similar on another motor - split o-ring on the intake side letting a tiny amount of air into the pump, stopped it building any pressure.

Had the engine in the car for a few miles with the flushing oil in.
Fixed a few minor oil seeps where the pipework had been disturbed refitting, nice and smokey where it got on the exhaust wrap.
Got an mot and going to Rustival tomorrow so at the start of the week decided to put proper oil in.
Goes like stink now Robs breathed his magic on the cstbs

Refitted the external oil cooler and the only filter I had that came off a while ago after a few miles
Oil pressure all over the place.

Removed cooler, still the same.

Picked up a Golf filter and that cured it, so looks like ive got a filter with failed internals, probably acting like a bellows.

Anyway good to go for Saturday and will fit the cooler again next week

Old filter is draining then I'll cut it open and have a peep inside.

Good news you are sorted oil filters can be a bit more involved than just a filter element.
https://www.fram.com/vehicle-maintenance-center/post/how-oil-filters-work

Good news you are sorted oil filters can be a bit more involved than just a filter element.
https://www.fram.com/vehicle-maintenance-center/post/how-oil-filters-work

I'm always uncomfortable when a fault just goes away without finding the root cause.
Bit of a pain it was out of use all summer over something so simple, but every cloud, it's so much more responsive and quicker with the carbs done.