OK - while searching on the net I see some pics of diesels with pan removed showing an oil pump that has a a solid cast arm pointing downwards with a screen mesh held on by a metal plate. (my original VW repair manual shows the same too) it was published in 1980
the oil pump in my 1.6 engine is firstly very thick as in nearly lives in the sump and the oil pickup is a flanged tube with a conical screen and a plastic baffle on it that has the MANN logo on it
are there different style oil pumps for our engines??
The Cast arm is Old School.
The new style is what you described with the plastic baffle on it.
Then the question is do you have a 30mm or 36mm pump?
oh
my pump gears measure 36mm in height