I ordered my Nicktane kit on Monday, received in on Wednesday, and installed it Thursday morning on my 2002 Golf A4/VE. Installation went OK given my very limited mechanic skills and tools. This was actually a changeover from the older Cat2 kit which I had been running for 80,000 miles. I had a few minor issues with that one but no actual problems. I liked some things about the Nicktane including getting rid of the Tee, the raised banjos, and it looked cooler. So I figured... why not? I stuck with the Cat filter cartridges cuz I already have a box of 4 of them and I like their slimmer profile, which I guessing helps during installation and changes. At first I thought the filter head might be too small to match up prpoperly against the Cat's built-in rubber gasket. But as it turns out, that gasket is raised towards the inside, and that's where it mates with the filter head and has plenty of room.
My observations:
I'm trying to like the filter holder/bracket, but I'm not too keen on it. I wish it had the same built-in threads that the OEM bracket had, and used the same OEM bolts. And I had some very nervous moments precariously holding those little nuts underneath while trying to catch the threads. I consider myself very luck to have not dropped either one of them. And that thin little strip of metal suspending the filter in mid-air during years of vibration makes me a bit nervous. If anyone thinks I'm wrong about this bracket, I'm listening.
More about the bracket. The Cat filter, if allowed, will bottom-out on the the interior body metal within the engine compartment. This is different from the older Cat2 filter kit using the OEM bracket which would cause the filter to bottom-out on a metal air-conditioning line. The Nicktane bracket keeps the filter closer in, so it misses that air-conditioning line. It's then a simple matter to raise it up an inch to keep it suspended in air, which I'm assuming is the proper way to go. Tightening the ring clamps that secure the filter was somewhat difficult. I finally figured out that I had to use a socket extender bar and run that past the washer-fluid tank in order to have room to operate my ratchet handle, or to just hand-tighten it with a firm grip on the extender bar.
My least favorite part of the entire installation was installing the bracket retaining nuts underneath the side panel.
My most favorite part of the installation was sliding the hose-clamps back into position over the banjo fittings. This was a total breeze. The older Cat2 kit made it a real hassle to get the feul lines and hose clamps back into postion. The raised banjos are a winner.
Oh yeah... no bubble! I never had problems with bubbles running thru the line while the engine was running, but there was always a bubble sitting there when the engine was off. And as you can see now, it's gone.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2143073/DSCN1091.JPG
