NEW! Cat Filter Install Instructions PDF and Video

Dierre's TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2001
Location
Canfield, Ohio
TDI
2k1 Jetta (RIP), 2k3 Jetta, 2010 JSW
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Greg,

o-rings rcvd and installed 9/9/03. All is good. no more leak /images/graemlins/cool.gif

Thanks
 

Clay

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 19, 1999
Location
Georgetown, Ky
TDI
03 wagon
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Put the ring on Monday.....Not one single bubble or dry line to be found. Thanks Greg! /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Old Navy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Location
Ozark Hill's in Missouri, USA
TDI
None now, .
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Received O rings even though I've had no fluel/air problems. Thanks dude. I will keep them handy and see if I need them in about another 15,000 miles. /images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

dqa

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2002
Location
Alabama
TDI
RIP: 1999½ New Golf GL TDI satin silver
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Well, I'm frustrated. I placed a big O-ring (from Harbor Freight) the other day at the Atlanta GTG, but saw no difference. Last night I
1. Replaced it with Greg's big O-ring. No difference.
2. Suspected the O-ring was too far up - the picture in this thread shows placement a few threads down from the shoulder - so I added another ring just slightly down. No difference.
3. Changed the O-rings on the stock Tee. No difference, although I suspect this may be where the problem is, as there was a bit of diesel under the retainer bracket. Then again, it may just have seeped out when I lifted the Tee.
4. Replaced the Tee with a new one. No difference.
5. Replaced the O-rings on the new Tee. No difference.
6. Loosened and tightened the banjo bolts as much as possible. No difference.
7. Gave up, went to bed, and dreamed I was in a mythical land where VW built their cars with high quality filters to begin with.

Throughout, I've had the filter cranked quite tight on the adapter plate - I'm sure that's not it. I don't get a lot of air, just a noticeable bubble, maybe 1/2 or 1 mL. At the GTG, I looked at the tiny bubbles another TDI was getting with the stock setup. They too got a few bubbles, but these were tiny. I'm getting maybe 5 times as much when the car is turned off.

You can see tiny bubbles traveling thru the line as the car is running, and you can hear it make the engine louder at high acceleration if the engine is still cool. Also, there is no seepage while the car is sitting around - the amount present when I turn off the car is the same as I'll find a half day or a day later. And while I suspect the Tee, others have suggested that bubbles while running are a banjo bolt problem.

Any suggestions?
 

michTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2000
Location
Charlotte, MI, USA
TDI
2003 Jetta and 2015 GSW MT
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

"I don't get a lot of air, just a noticeable bubble, maybe 1/2 or 1 mL." Then you NEVER HAD A PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! A bubble that small is NOT an issue. Some of us were getting the whole fuel line as a "bubble"-and that WAS a problem (occasionally LONG cranking time resulted-to start the car). A bubble as small as you are talking about isn't an issue
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

The whole air issue was when the line went dry. I get a small bubble about a half inch from time to time. Most of the time it stays full. The O-ring goes down on the shoulder, the picture showed it up a little so you could see the o-ring. The o-rings at the Tee are not leaking. Just one o-ring around the nipple and tighten it back up is all thats needed. As far as air while running sometimes I do and sometimes I don't But I have never seen a OEM filter that didn't have air while running. Your filter is fine so you can rest easy and dream about something else /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Greg
 

Denis

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Location
San Diego CA
TDI
Golf GL 5sp, 2002, White
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

DQA, if you turn the key and the car starts right up you ain't got a problem. Relax and have a cold one.

Denis
 

dqa

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2002
Location
Alabama
TDI
RIP: 1999½ New Golf GL TDI satin silver
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

I'm not convinced yet. Maybe it's an entirely different problem, but at cooler temperatures I get a loud noise at higher RPMs. Almost a clacking sound, but at that speed it's not really clacks. Usually this is within the first few minutes after starting, but on the drive back from Ohio over Labor Day I ran into some cold weather, and got the sound. I assumed it's due to increased air flowing through with the fuel.

Regardless, I will have that cold one.

Follow-up: it was the AC compressor.
 

jettajim

Veteran Member
Joined
May 31, 2000
Location
near Houston
TDI
'14 Golf 6-spd, '12 Passat gasser:(
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

[ QUOTE ]
DQA, if you turn the key and the car starts right up you ain't got a problem

[/ QUOTE ]--that's not correct. The problem w/ having the ENTIRE line dry is that the pump wasn't getting fuel for lubrication. In this case, the car can and in most cases, will fire right away. This was why everyone was so concerned w/ having a completely dry line and needed to fix this problem. With Greg's persistents, the problem was solved w/ the use of the o-ring.

dqa, the small air bubble you see in the fuel line is completely normal. Trust me--I have 2 TDIs & they both have this w/ the oem set-up. The noise you're hearing at higher rpms isn't related to this. Not to be distrusting of your hearing, but how do you hear a noise like you described while in the car & at high rpms? If you do indeed hear something with that much engine noise, you should look into the cause ASAP /images/graemlins/eek.gif.
 

jettajim

Veteran Member
Joined
May 31, 2000
Location
near Houston
TDI
'14 Golf 6-spd, '12 Passat gasser:(
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

And BTW Greg, I received ALL of the o-rings--thanks /images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

Grady

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2000
Location
NW Oregon
TDI
'01 Jetta
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

dqa,
Sounds like your filter assembly is air tight. How did you fill the filter when you installed it?

If you have an air pocket in the top, the injection pump will continuously draw a small amount of air along with the fuel.

I initially filled the filter by drawing a vacuum on it with a Mity-Vac tool. This left a small amount of air in the filter when I removed the tool and attached the clear fuel line. Sometimes I would have a small stream of air bubbles in the clear line when the engine was running. Sometimes there would be a 1/2" bubble in the clear line after shutdown. Since the filter assembly was air tight, the amount of fuel in the clear line was unchanged even after 24 hours.

Try removing the TEE and filling the filter with fuel or an additive. Then reinstall the TEE and fire it up. You should see a marked reduction in entrained air in the clear line. Then after shutdown, there probably won't be any air in the clear line.

As long as there is some air in the top of the filter, the injection pump will draw some along with the fuel. The amount depends on the variables in the Filter Manufacturer's Council TSB Greg referenced earlier (on page 11, I think).
 

golfdiesel

Active member
Joined
Dec 28, 2000
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
Golf, 2000, Green
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Greg:

I got the o-rings Wednesday and installed it right away. Problem solved. Now I just have about 1/4" bubble in the morning. Maybe its just me but the colour of the fuel through the line is so clear that if the bubble was not there I would wonder if the line is still dry. Is the filter maybe doing this??. Anyway the other two smaller o-rings I guess are for the tee but I installed a new one and have had no leaks there.

Thanks again, now maybe on to the pump mod. Have you posted pictures and an install yet??
 

Denis

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Location
San Diego CA
TDI
Golf GL 5sp, 2002, White
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

If the car doesn't start immediately upon turning the key, i.e., long cranking periods with no ignition, that's a problem! That happens when the fuel line is dry/empty. If the engine starts right up and idles with no hestitation, there's not going to be a problem with pump lubrication. The problem people were having, myself included, was the car didn't start immediately, due to air leakage either at the tee fitting or at the filter element nipple. My problem was the tee fitting and I corrected that by removing it.

A small bubble of air in the clear fuel line is normal. In my case I could tap on the tee fitting with the engine running and it would generate a stream of bubbles, not normal.

Denis
 

jchan

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Location
St. Charles, MO, USA
TDI
2002, Jetta, Galatic Blue
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Greg,

Thanks for the O-rings, I reinstalled the filter this saturday. It was workin great, I left it on overnite and in the morning it was still full, with a bubble or two.

I decided to test the CAT filter, I drove to the Blockbuster in my area to return a few DVDs. I was okay, leaving the subdivision, I live on a hill side, so driving on the road, it dips downward and I was okay til I hit a stop sign, at that point the engine died, no fuel. I tried
cranking it a few time, to no-avail. I pushed the car out of traffic and tried again, no luck. I checked the line, it was dry. I took your last words to tighten everthing, I did, I used thread sealant on the banjo nuts, tightened them on a vise. Replaced the Tee, and then added the O-ring for the Filter. The car was dead.

I got a lift from my next door neighbor, she saw me pushing the car outta traffic. I got back to the car with the OEM filter and my tools. I thought to try and add more fuel back into the CAT, I did this, and she restarted. The engine was humming and ready to go, a few bubble but she was working. I parked the other car and took the Jetta home. I had to climb the hill to get back to the house, I drove her up the hill, trying to build the speed up, but traffic was in front so I was limited by the speed I could go, 30mph. I took it easy, but as the hill started to ascend, the fuel cut off and I coasted to a stop. I was stuck, traffic was coming up the hill. I popped her to neutral and drove backwards down the hill to a side street.
I walk back 1/2 mile to the other car, it seems longer when you have to walk. I replaced the CAT with the OEM, it wouldn't start, the car was parked facing uphill. I made sure the filter was full, it was leaking when I placed the TEE back on, line was full. I dropped to neutral, and swung the car into the middle to the street, the car was level and I was able to start it.

From my experience, the OEM and the CAT filter worked fine on a level spot, but when I drove it down and up a hill the CAT doesn't supply enough fuel to keep the engine going. Same for the OEM, when its empty, fuel was'nt flowing to the injectors, until I got the car level.

Before you say the CAT was getting air inside, I pulled the TEE off to add fuel, it was hard to do, there was suction, so a vacuum was inside the filter, but no fuel.

Is there anything else I can do to make this work?
It's rather frustrating...

Thanks for listening to this rant!

Any help is appreciated...

Jason /images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Not sure whats going on here if it does with the OEM as well. If it had that much vacuum in the filter then It can't be and air leak. Do you have the line from the tank going to the outside fitting and the cent goes to the pump? You have had nothing but trouble from the start so it has got to be something else but not really sure what. Take compressed air and blow back throught the fuel line toward the tank. If you have that much vacuum on the filter and still no fuel maybe the fuel line is clogged. The more I think about the vacuum that was in the filter and still dry the more I lean toward clogged line.

Greg
 

jchan

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Location
St. Charles, MO, USA
TDI
2002, Jetta, Galatic Blue
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Greg, the fuel from the tank goes to the outside inlet, and the center to the fuel pump.

I did ventnectomy, would that cause issues with not enough fuel getting to the fuel filter?

The OEM filter works fine, it only didn't work when I had the car facing up a hill and no fuel in the injector line.
Afterwards the OEM filter is fine, I had a trip 2 weekends ago for 1000 miles <Round Trip>, up and down hills from Kentucky to Georgia. I had no problems.

I'll try to clean the line, will it cause startup problem if the line is empty, should I keep the fuel filter topped up?

Greg, another question for you...the banjo nuts were on the top of the filter when I got it. I was checking them out, so maybe I have then in the wrong order. The nuts have arrows on them, one nut has holes drilled through them<uo arrow>, the other no holes<down arrow>. I figured the down arrow for the fuel coming into the filter,up arrow for the fuel to the pump. Presently the nut will the holes<up arrows> are in the center feed to the pump, the other<down arrows> in the outside from the fuel tank. Is this right the right way?

Maybe I messed up from the beginning... /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Jason
 

Old Navy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Location
Ozark Hill's in Missouri, USA
TDI
None now, .
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

JCHAN [ QUOTE ]
From my experience, the OEM and the CAT filter worked fine on a level spot, but when I drove it down and up a hill the CAT doesn't supply enough fuel to keep the engine going. Same for the OEM, when its empty, fuel was'nt flowing to the injectors, until I got the car level.

Before you say the CAT was getting air inside, I pulled the TEE off to add fuel, it was hard to do, there was suction, so a vacuum was inside the filter, but no fuel.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is very strange, could you have a problem with your pick-up in the fuel tank, or possiable fungi build up in the tank floating around and stopping things up? I would say you have a problem and it ain't your filter.

I have a vented '02 Jetta with 5000 miles on the Cat filter, I never had air bubbles in stock filter and I have NO air bubbles with Cat Filter. I do add the Power Service Bio-Klean on a regular basis. I filled the car up the other day with B100 and was able to squeeze in 17.2 gallons. I bet the only fuel in the car was what was in filter and the lines, because the wife drove it for three days and kept forgeting to tell me to fill it or fill it herself. /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif The car had gone 61 miles into reserve. How do I know you ask, she zeroed the odometer when the alarm first went off. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Well its been a couple of weeks now and still have a full fuel line on 3 different TDI's. I have not heard of anyone having a dry line for some time now. I guess this issue is now dead. i just hope it stays that way.

Greg
 

jchan

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Location
St. Charles, MO, USA
TDI
2002, Jetta, Galatic Blue
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

"the banjo nuts were on the top of the filter when I got it. I was checking them out, so maybe I have then in the wrong order. The nuts have arrows on them, one nut has holes drilled through them<uo arrow>, the other no holes<down arrow>. I figured the down arrow for the fuel coming into the filter,up arrow for the fuel to the pump. Presently the nut will the holes<up arrows> are in the center feed to the pump, the other<down arrows> in the outside from the fuel tank. "

Hey, those who have installed the CAT filter, can you tell me if the bolts positions are correct or not? Were both bolts drilled thru? I just want to know.

I don't know why Greg won't answer the question...I've sent him an email earlier on this.

/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Jason
I have emailed you back. The arrows youare talking about don't mean a thing. The fitting on the outside of the head comes from the tank and the center goes to the pump. As for the holes their should be 4 total on the side of each bolt. You are having trouble with the OEM as well so you need to trouble shoot whats going on there. Now I have answered you publically.

Greg
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Its funny, I stumbled across this thread, never noticing if my line was going dry. Well, Greg sent out the o-rings, and when I went to install them, sure enough, my line was dry. After installing, narry a bit-o-air in the line.
 

gearhead

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2001
Location
Weirton, WV (close to Pittsburgh)
TDI
2001 Golf
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

[ QUOTE ]
LanduytG said:
...As for the holes their should be 4 total on the side of each bolt.
Greg

[/ QUOTE ]

Greg, the bolts with my kit have 2 holes on each. Was there a design change?
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

I just check and some have 4 and some 2. They are plenty big to let the fuel through.

Greg
 

jchan

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Location
St. Charles, MO, USA
TDI
2002, Jetta, Galatic Blue
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

Greg, I didn't get the email you had sent, that was why I posted it.

I took your suggestion, I blew out the fuel line...no affect. When I throttle the engine up, there doesn't seem to be enough fuel going to the pump.

I didn't have problems with the the OEM unit until I had to use it to get the car started, up on the hill. I filled it with fuel but it wouldn't get to the pump until I leveled the car.

As for the banjo nut, remember when I told you I broke the center bolt because I over torqued it. You had sent me a replacement, I placed it in the center position. The outer banjo bolt I have has no holes in it. Can you send me a four hole banjo nut. I think this is causing my problem, there is a restriction on the fuel coming from the tank, it is the bolt without any holes that is restricting it.

I'll scan the banjo bolt if you need proof.

Jason
 

LanduytG

Vendor
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Greenfield, IN
TDI
99 NB 82 Westfalia Diesel
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

If the bolt does not have holes in it then how did it ever run? Even filling the filter the motor would only run for a few seconds then die. I will send you another bolt but I want to see the one with no holes.

Greg
 

GeWilli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 6, 1999
Location
lost to new england
TDI
none in the fleet (99.5 Golf RIP, 96 B4V sold)
Cat Filter Installation Instructions

FINALLY - got that new big middle o-ring installed...
no bubbles... yet- will check it in the morning

there were absolutely ZERO bubbles in the fuel line when running! good news

thanks for the effort on this filter Greg! On behalf of all the TDI club drivers with your filter installed, Thank you very much!
 
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