Oil Pump Failure - TWICE

Hi I have a Mk1 1.8 GTi (recently purchased)

About 1000 miles after buying the car the oil pump failed - sadly it took the mains, big ends and thrust bearings with it.  The top end was fine.

Engine inspected, cleaned out and rebuilt by a garage I trust.

About another 1000 miles - exactly the same again.

Both events were sudden failure, the engine was making good steady oil pressure, warmed up and not under any particular load (modest revs).  Both times the oil levels were good (just above midway).

The second time the bearings all survived and have no damage at all.

No evidence of metal shavings in the sump although the pump gears are munched (both times the same) - the gauze on the pump neck is intact and clean.  I don't think the pump has eaten anything apart from itself.

I don't know where the first pump came from - it came with the car, the second time I asked the garage to get a VW part.

Is this a known problem?

To be honest I am baffled, there is no obvious problem anywhere else, the engine runs sweetly.  As I say oil pressure was good and also oil temps stayed well in check (I always watch both when driving).  I am reluctant to put it down to bad luck/bad pump - I suspect there is a cause locked away in the engine somewhere.

The only common feature (clutching at straws) was on both occasions I had just been around a right hand corner………..probably a red-herring

Thanks in advance

I'm surprised you had such damage to the engine when the pump failed, did you not get the buzzer going off above 2000 rpm to show there was low oil pressure?
Mine went off 3 or 4 times over about a week, just stopped switched the engine off waited and then started it again and drove home then fitted a new pump and all fine, this was about 10 years ago and now done about 125,000 miles since then and still going, I got my oil pump from GSF and it seems fine.

What year is your car?

1983

In the first instance the car was on a busy dual carriageway and I had do about 1.5 miles before it was safe to stop (one of those choices to make - damage an engine or stop on a fast dual carriageway in the dark and heaving rain )

The second time I was able to turn the engine off and coast to a safe place.

Both times the buzzer went off and warning light on.   I have oil pressure and temp gauges.  The pressure fell to zero instantly - there was no transition period of dropping pressure.

Both pumps are munched.

It's very odd………..

These are purely guesses…..

Is the pick up pipe fractured making it draw in air somewhere and Is the o ring between the pump and pick up OK?
Is there something wrong with the distributor whereby when you bolt the distributor down on the block its causing an axial load to be inserted onto the pump drive therefore making the pump gear run hard on the housing?
Going round a right hand bend shouldn't starve it of oil unless the dipstick tube is significantly shorter than it should be making you believe there is more oil in it than there actually is?
It is strange!

Thanks - that's a great answer.  I will check those things, it makes some sense.

Well done