Installation for Dieselgeek Bypass Filter Kit for BRM Engines Only

This page includes detailed instructions on how to install the Bypass Filter Kit on the late-2005 and 2006 MK5 Jetta TDI with the BRM engine. To install the Bypass Filter Kit you will need all of the items listed below, including the tools.

Dieselgeek Bypass Filter Kit parts list:

Tools needed:

Supplies needed:

 

Installing Oil Return Line

Always work on a cold engine. Remove both engine covers by pulling the covers straight up off of their quick release mounts.

1. First, with a 10mm socket remove the upper bolt and the lower bolt for the dipstick tube.

2. Next, cut the zip tie for the wire harness where it attaches to the dipstick tube.

3. Put on some heavy gloves. Pull straight up on the dipstick tube. It will pop up, usually abruptly, hence the gloves.

4. Thoroughly clean off the dipstick and dipstick tube by using Brake cleaner spray or similar cleaner. Cleaning the bore of the dipstick tube is important for keeping the engine oil free of metal shavings from the installation of the brass T fitting for oil return.

5. Clearly mark a spot exactly one inch from the top of the dipstick tube plastic engine block plug. This is the molded black plastic piece where the dipstick tube goes into the engine block.

6. Make a note of the relative position of the tip of the dipstick to the end of the dipstick tube. You want the tip of the dipstick to end up in this same relative position after you install the brass T fitting. This will ensure that your two dipstick tube mounts will fit the engine correctly after the bypass filter is installed. Write this measurement down. Now, remove the dipstick!

7. Next, after the dipstick is removed, cut the steel dipstick tube with your hack saw at the one inch mark you made in Step 5. De burr the inside of the tube ends with a drill bit or rat tail file if necessary. Use a metal file to finish cleaning up the cut ends of the tube.

8. Slip a compression nut onto the one inch tubing stub adjacent to the plastic dipstick block plug. Next, slide a compression sleeve over the tubing stub next to the compression nut. Repeat the process for the other cut end of the dipstick tube.

9. Slide the brass T fitting onto the shorter end of the cut dipstick tube. While looking through the female branch port of the T fitting, slide the tube until it is just shy of being in the middle of the T fitting. (This compensates for the kerf of your hack saw blade and the gap between tube ends allows clean oil to flow into the dipstick tube and back down to the oil sump.) Next, slide the compression sleeve and nut up against the T fitting and thread the compression nut onto the T fitting nipple. Tighten the nut pretty tight while making sure the tube maintains its position inside the T fitting.

10. Insert the other end of the dipstick tube into the brass T fitting. The brass compression sleeve (also known as an olive) should be between the T fitting and compression nut. Slide the compression sleeve and nut up against the T fitting and thread the compression nut onto the T fitting nipple. While looking through the female branch port of the T fitting, make sure that the two cut ends of the dipstick tube do not touch. They should be separated by the approximate thickness of your hack saw blade. The gap between the cut ends of the dipstick tube is the pathway for your clean oil to return to the oil pan! Also, if you make the gap too large the dipstick tube mounts will not line up upon reassembly to the engine. You want the dipstick tube to be the same length before and after the T fitting install.

11. Before you finish tightening the upper compression nut on the T fitting you need to clock the female middle branch port to be at the engine block side which we will call 12 O'clock. This will place the return tube 90 degree fitting between the dipstick tube and the engine block. You may need to lower the nearly finished assembly down into the dipstick hole to get the clocking correct. Being perfectly exact at 12 noon is not completely necessary but it makes a cleaner install. Here is a picture of the proper position. If the clocking of the T fitting is correct then tighten the compression nut pretty tight. (Ed: On my first install I did not tighten these two compression nuts tight enough and a small leak occurred on the return T fitting.) Just be careful not to go crazy tightening this fitting since it is brass. Check the dipstick protrusion after both compression nuts are tight to make sure your dipstick will read accurately. The dipstick should stick out of the dipstick tube by the same distance as before the procedure.

12. The next step is to install the 90 degree brass fitting for the Kynar plastic return tubing. You will need to wrap the tapered pipe threads with Teflon tape a few times and thread the fitting into the small T fitting port. Tighten the fitting until it is very snug and is clocked in the upward position. If during the tightening you feel the fitting is not quite tight enough when approaching this upward facing position, tighten it one turn more.

13. Next step is attaching the Kynar plastic return tubing to the 90 degree fitting. To do this, slide the small compression nut onto the Kynar tube and then slip the compression sleeve over the tube. Next, insert the little tubing support into the tube. Slip the end of the tube with this tubing support into the 90 degree fitting and butt up the compression sleeve and compression nut to the 90 degree fitting. Tighten the union. Here is a picture of the dipstick return assembly.

14. Before you install your dipstick tube you may elect to replace the Viton rubber o-rings for the dipstick and dipstick tube since they are provided with the kit.

15. Reinstall the dipstick tube/dipstick assembly with the two 6mm nuts. After you perform the next part of installing the oil feed line you will be left with a zip tie to replace the one you cut in Step 2.

Installing Oil Feed Line

Take a quick look at Step 9 before proceeding.

1. Locate the oil pressure switch on the driver side of the oil filter housing.

2. Unplug oil pressure sender harness plug. There is a catch that must be depressed away from the sender in order to remove this plug. Sometimes this step is easier after you loosen the sender with your 15/16 or 24mm wrench as it rotates the plug into a position where you can see the release catch. Also, practicing on an easier to reach electrical plug is quite helpful in getting the logic of the plug catches.


Unclip plug from the Sender (different engine shown)

3. Place rags below the oil pressure sender to catch the motor oil that will run out after the sender is removed. If you removed and changed the stock oil filter just before you remove the oil sender then there will be very little oil to come out of the oil pressure port when you remove the oil sender. Loosen the sender with a 24mm or 15/16 wrench. Finally, finish removing sender with your fingers and once it is removed, clean it with brake cleaner spray and an old tooth brush and/or a shop rag if it is dirty.

4. Thread the clean oil pressure sender into female side of the Piggyback banjo bolt provided with the kit. Tighten the sender to 18 ft-lbs. or pretty snug. You can tighten the sender using either a vise or counter-tighten the sender with a 9/16 box end wrench and 15/16 (or 24mm) box end wrench as shown below.


Piggyback Banjo bolt


Thread Pressure Sender In


Either tighten sender in a Vice


Or Counter Tighten by hand

5. Place one of the aluminum sealing washers onto the male end of the Piggyback banjo bolt.


Aluminum Sealing Washers


Male end of the
Piggyback Banjo bolt

 

6. The oil cooler hoses need to be tied back to give room to install the oil feed line. We provided two 12 inch zip ties to tie the oil cooler hoses to the intercooler duct. Once the hoses are out of the way you can lower the banjo end of the oil feed line down near the oil pressure port. With the other hand you slide the Piggyback banjo male end through the eyelet of the oil feed line and place the second aluminum sealing washer onto the exposed threaded end of the Piggyback banjo bolt. You will not have a lot of room to do this. Once the sealing washer is in place you slowly move the assembly toward the oil pressure port and start threading it into the oil pressure port. You may have luck starting the threads with a 9/16 open end wrench like this. I found that the best way to get the banjo threaded is to first remove the paper towels and get your right hand curled under the banjo bolt like this. Once the line is hand tight, finish tightening the line with a 9/16 wrench to as shown with this picture of the assembled line and housing out of the car. Here is a picture of the assembled line in the engine bay. Do not go crazy tightening the banjo since it is threaded into aluminum. Good and snug is the torque spec. The sealing washers will compress slightly to seal the union.

7. Remove the zip tie after you have finished this step. Cut the zip tie to make it long enough to reattach the wire harness to the dipstick tube.

8. To plug the oil pressure sender wire back into the oil pressure sender you will need to loosen the bottom brace for the intercooler duct where it attaches to the front of the oil pan as shown here. You will need to remove the belly pan of the car to do this and use a T30 Torx bit. Once the lower intercooler brace has been detached from the front of the oil pan you can then move the intercooler duct just enough to get the wire connector to mate with the oil pressure sender. This is not an easy task. Once the wire plug and sender are reconnected, pull gently on the plug (not the wire) to make sure the catch of the plug is fully engaged. This plug and wire supplies a signal for the low oil pressure warning light and alarm in the instrument cluster. Make sure to reattach the intercooler duct brace to the oil pan after the wiring harness plug has been successfully reconnected to the oil pressure sender.

9. If you have not already done so, remove the Amsoil bypass filter from its box. Fill the bypass filter through the center hole with new motor oil. The filter will hold nearly a quart of oil if you start filling 30 minutes before you need to lower the filter and cap assembly into the engine bay. (Do not worry if you cannot fill the filter completely as the engine will finish the job for you when you start the engine.) Next, thread the billet aluminum filter cap onto the oil filled bypass filter. Make sure it is very snug and make sure to keep the filter upright after filling!


Amsoil bypass filter

Installing the Bypass Filter Double Clamp

The Amsoil filter base provided with this kit is called a double clamp. The base clamps onto the stock filter housing and then the base also clamps onto the Amsoil bypass filter. The area on the stock filter housing where the double clamp attaches is a smaller diameter than the area just above it which means we are going to need to stretch the clamp temporarily to go around this larger diameter section of stock filter housing. Here is a picture of the stock filter housing and double clamp as seen outside of the car. You can see that the area where the double clamp attaches is nice and wide for good contact but it is a smaller diameter than the area just above it.

1. The part of the double clamp to be stretched is where the thin jam nut is located. To stretch the mount you will first need to unthread the Allen screw completely but leave the jam nut and screw in place. You then use the jam nut to spread out the clamp by slipping in a 1/2 inch or 13mm open end wrench and tighten the jam nut toward the head of the Allen screw. You will stop when the gap in the aluminum clamp is just shy of 16mm or 5/8 of an inch. (.600 of an inch is about the minimum) Do not open this gap any further and you should only perform this task when you are ready to install the double clamp. We further recommend that the double clamp be left mounted to the stock filter housing until the system is permanently removed from the car.

2. Once the double clamp is stretched open you will line up the two small cutouts on the double clamp with the centerline casting ears on the stock filter housing. Slowly slide the double clamp over the neck of the stock filter housing and when it is past the larger diameter section of the housing you can then realign the double clamp cutouts with the casting ears. After this is done loosen the jam nut away from the head of the Allen screw until all tension is gone.

3. Next, rethread the Allen screw by hand and tighten it with your fingers. The jam nut will have to be manipulated to get the Allen screw threaded all the way and the double clamp cutouts and casting ears will perhaps need to be realigned (by rotating the double clamp) to get the clamp snugly attached to the stock filter housing.

4. You will notice that the double clamp has very little clearance on the left or right. You will want to tighten the clamp in between the air snorkel on the driver side and the A/C hose on the passenger side. (The torque spec is 10 ft-lbs. or pretty tight.) The A/C line moves with the double clamp since both are attached to the engine and the plastic air snorkel moves independently of the double clamp so giving slightly more clearance on the air snorkel side is advisable. If you like you may want to squeeze some silicon adhesive between the double clamp and the A/C hose to stop any differential movement however small it may be. Also be aware that over tightening the Allen screw can damage the filter housing.

5. Lower the pre filled Amsoil bypass filter and aluminum cap into the double clamp. Tighten the Allen clamping screw for the bypass filter and then make sure the bypass filter cap is nice and tight with your 1/2 inch ratchet and extension bar. Next, loosen the Allen clamping screw for the bypass filter and rotate and/or raise or lower the filter to position the filter caps fixed 90 degree elbow fitting to point exactly toward the oil feed line. Hand thread the oil feed line to the caps fixed 90 degree fitting. Finally, re tighten the bypass filter Allen clamping screw at a filter height where the oil feed line makes a nice smooth bend and where there is clearance for the engine cover above and the steel wiring bracket just below the filter. It is especially important to make sure the bypass filter does not touch the steel wiring bracket below the filter as a puncture to the filter might result if the two touch one another. Again, be careful not to over tighten the clamping screw for the filter.


Amsoil bypass filter


1/2 inch ratchet and extension bar


Allen clamping screw
for the bypass filter


Hand thread

6. Tighten the braided stainless steel oil line to the filter base conical 90 degree elbow by using a 14mm wrench. Sometimes it helps to spray the oil feed lines fitting nut with WD-40 to allow it to be tightened without twisting the braided oil feed line. Pretty snug is the torque spec on the fitting nut. Do not over tighten this fitting as it wears out the conical sealing surfaces!


90 Degree Elbow


Spray Fitting Nut

7. Attach the oil return tubing to the oil filter cap fitting. Slide the small compression nut onto the Kynar tube and then slip the compression sleeve over the tube. Next, insert the little tubing support inside the tube. Slip the end of the tube with this tubing support into the 90 degree fitting and butt up the compression sleeve and compression nut to the 90 degree fitting. Tighten the union. The finished assembly should look like this. Please note that this union is removable and reusable.

Check all oil line unions to make sure they are tight. Next, have someone else start your engine while you watch for leaks at the bypass filter line unions. You should see the opaque Kynar line fill with oil within 10-20 seconds of start up and no leaks should be present. If there are seeps or leaks, turn engine off and tighten the union which is leaking by a small amount. Make sure to clean the union off with brake cleaner and test again. If there are no leaks, take a very short test drive and check for leaks again. Also, when you return from your test drive stop the engine and give the oil at least five minutes to drain back to the oil pan and recheck your engine oil level. Make sure to recheck the bypass assembly for seeps several times in the next few days. Tighten fittings in small steps if there are seeps to prevent over-tightening. Please do not drive the car with a leak present.

Do not replace the engine cover until you have checked for seeps or leaks. Leaving the engine cover off for a week or two is the best way to do this.

Adding oil to the engine and Servicing the Bypass Filter

1. To change the bypass filter, loosen and detach the braided stainless oil feed line at the top of the bypass filter housing with a 14mm open wrench.

2. Next, disconnect the Kynar line compression fitting from the filter top with a 1/2 inch open end wrench.

3. Loosen the billet aluminum bypass filter top with a 1/2 inch ratchet and extension bar only to the point of being sure you can finish loosening it when it is out of the engine bay. This will prevent spills.


1/2 inch ratchet and extension bar (different engine shown)

4. Loosen the 8mm Allen screw (with 6mm Allen wrench) that clamps the bypass filter to the double clamp. Lift the bypass filter up and out of the engine bay and finish servicing the filter out of the car. Make sure to pre-fill the new bypass filter as much as possible before lowering it into the engine bay.


8mm Allen screw (different engine shown)