oil cooler O-ring

[Wolfsbrg8v at aol.com (Wolfsbrg8v@aol.com)]

The rocco sprang a tremendous oil leak yesterday -- luckily 
I had extra oil and was able to limp home by adding a quart 
every few blocks.  Left a 3" wide oil slick down the highway.

Figuring it was the oil cooler seal, I removed the cooler and 
sure enough, a nice, fatal split in the O-ring.

(Thanks to Patrick for his tech note on this!)

In the archives, there is a suggestion to use the O-ring off
the top of an oil filter for a replacement seal.  Have any of
you done this, and is it reliable?  I'd just get the part from
VW or a shop, but it's saturday night and I need the car
running by tomorrow .. but if this isn't a reliable substitute
I'll wait til monday to get the OEM seal.

TIA,
leo
84 wolfsburg