oil pan options

Did the dreaded oil pan puncture on a dirt road yesterday (with skid plate in garage not yet installed!). I have a great pic I should post.

So now time replace: $417 from good mechanic ($176 parts) and $510 from dealer ($256 parts).

But based on those prices I may do it myself.
Some On-line prices for oil pan:

Autoparts Warehouse: 1. Aluminum $49 (1 year warranty); 2. Aluminum $65 (5 yr warranty); 3. Dorman Brand Aluminum for $141
Impex. 1. $95 Aluminum without oil sensor hole; 2. $220 Aluminum wit oil lever port; 3. Alum with steel(?) bottom plate for $175.

Question. Any reason NOT to go with Autoparts unit? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks

Doesn't anyone make an all-steel one?

If I did not already have the skid plate I would definitely go with the steel - I have found references to these on other posts. But really just wondering if the $49 unit is of decent quality....

Also does anyone know if I need a "oil sensor hole" for the 2003?

look underneath to be sure. 2 2001's and a 2003 here and none had the sensor, but i bought a pan in error that had one

No sensor in your model... Don't know the AutoParts product, but for your info, Metal Man charges $69 shipped... http://www.metalmanparts.com/product.sc?productId=80

Yuri.

Ordered the metalman oil pan today. It has already shipped. Thanks for the info Yuri

-todd

As for the all steal one. I have read into that in the past. The oil pan is kind of like a engine girtel and provids some structural support to the engine block. The all steel doesn't provid that support. Oilhammer mensioned something about this. The steel bottom ones are fine but the oil drain hole kind of sucks. The irony of having the metal belly pan and not having it installed only to need a plate. Take note others that don't think you need a metal belly pan. One hit to the oil pan and it would have paid for the plate.

oil pan

I did the same thing on my jetta 2000 ran over a bottlejack on I-10 that had fallen out of the back of a pick-up. Took off the pan and had it welded up for 25.00 bucks. Works fine....

coalminer16 said:

As for the all steal one. I have read into that in the past. The oil pan is kind of like a engine girtel and provids some structural support to the engine block. The all steel doesn't provid that support. Oilhammer mensioned something about this. The steel bottom ones are fine but the oil drain hole kind of sucks. The irony of having the metal belly pan and not having it installed only to need a plate. Take note others that don't think you need a metal belly pan. One hit to the oil pan and it would have paid for the plate.

Click to expand...

Then there is this unlucky stiff:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=335702

Then there is this unlucky stiff:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=335702

Click to expand...

Yes, it is ironic that the very component meant to protect the OP, wore a hole in it!
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=335702