Donaldson filter G065433 install

[Gnarlodious]

Preparing for my turbo upgrade I got the Donaldson air filter model G065433 installed so I thought I would show you Vanagon nuts how I did it.

I got this filter from Shawn Thomas who still has one for sale here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1623213
Filter inlet is 65mm OD 60mmID (2½" tube)
outlet is 58mm ID 64mm OD (2½" tube)

Needs a Donaldson 6½" mount HOO8444 $15 bought on eBay. If I could do it over I would have gotten 2 of the plastic mounts instead as the steel one is made for heavy equipment applications.

I had seen other installs but was unsatisfied with their location and access. I wanted the dust cleanout to be accessible without crawling under the van or removing the rear taillight. I didn't want to relocate the battery and the passenger side front-of-taillight space is already used for traction device storage. This is what I ended up with:

I ripped out the padding/insulation several weeks ago and have new sticky 1" diesel acoustic mat to put in there when I have my transmission out later in the year. I did consider putting the canister on the other side but there are three problems with that location:
1) There is a large bundle of wires affixed to the top of the frame that would interfere with the filter cap clearance.
2) A spring buckle that snaps on the cover falls at a peculiar Vanagon-only angle that is tangental to sheet metal. You will see that in a picture later.
3) Accelerator cable, vacuum and fuel return traverse the same space the filter would have occupied

Prepare the clamp. Screw some 13mm mild steel nuts nuts down and weld them inside the mount as it will make it easier to install for one person. Don't be stupid like me, put something on the threads to protect them from welding spatters.

Procedural instructions:
Finagle the canister with open side toward you through the hole you see above the wheel, leaving it on top of the transmission. Bolt the clamp in with larger spring hole upward. With the cap off, expand the clamp and put the canister through. The clamp goes on the canister between well defined ridges. You should experiment with the clamp mounting before you get it into a tight spot, so it is easy to position later.

In the picture below, the screw you see is the outside screw of two that hold down the seat belt anchor:

I put the canister at a slight downward slope so any water entering would drain to the rubber drain ("vacuator valve"). You can see the angle between the mount and the anchor plate in the picture above.

As determined empirically, I had more clearance than Donaldson said I needed, so this positioning is not ideal:

One thing I figured out from this experiment is that Donaldson's recommendation of 8½ inches of clearance for "Element Service" is excessive. I would have placed it more outboard, like a half inch, since a corrugation behind drops off which you can't see in this picture. It just makes for a slightly wobbly installation, which shouldn’t be a problem when hoses are attached.

This picture from inside the van is crooked, but you can see the angle I mounted the clamp at for canister drainage. I will probably get some large washers to put there later, and maybe upload a better picture.

The large 17mm bolt up top was originally the seat belt anchor, but my van doesn't have back seats.

Here is the canister with filter element installed:

This Vanagon has the highest possible suspension, but it looks like the filter could go here even with low-slung Vanagons. You would simply have less convenient access to the filter.

Here circled is the springy clamp that needs to clear the frame to work properly. As I mentioned above, this latch was a problem for installation on the other side of the van, since it could not have done its job without standoffs to distance the canister from the sheet metal.

This is really the biggest reason I had to put the filter on the passenger side. Imagine the filter cap rotated 90º CCW and you can see how the latch falls exactly too close to the metal to pivot.

Here is a shot from above the wheel showing the inlet/outlet ready for some air tubes. I haven't figured out what to use. Unfortunately 2½ inch thinwall PVC is not a common size. That fat hose is really the heater hose covered with insulating pipe foam.
Notice the springy clamp screw, I actually installed the clamp upside-down. If I ever take out the mount I will flip it over, since the spring on top would make for easier assembly. This is due to metal coolant pipes getting up close under the bolts, there would be more tool clearance with the spring on top. Learn from my mistakes.

Be aware that the Donaldson G065433 filter has a rotatable outlet port. You set the inlet port to any desired angle by rotating the canister, then you set the outlet to any angle by rotating it. There is another model filter that features a straight-out port, I probably would have used that if I had known what I do now.

Will update this topic as I get some air tubes installed.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[Zeitgeist 13]

That's a really cool location for the filter, but I ran out and it looks like it might interfere with the hoses for the rear heater. Does an '83 have one of these?
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE.

[Gnarlodious]

No rear heater on this ’83 diesel, and I don’t know what the hoses look like. The filter can just as well be mounted on the other side, but there are a few small complications to deal with.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[Zeitgeist 13]

Thanks, I'm really intrigued with your innovation here. Will study further
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE.

[srmpf]

interesting location - I would never thought of that. Do you plan to route the intake all the way to the original snorkel in the D pillar?

about the piping: I've used this flexible hose: http://www.mcmaster.com/#5915t17/=s7ihau . not cheap but very robust and still flexible enough to bend it in close to 90 degree angles.

[Gnarlodious]

Thanks for the link to the hose, I just might use that. I suppose 2½ID is excessively sized considering the K14 turbo inlet receives a 1.9”ID hose so any resistance caused by the spiral winding is probably offset by the larger diameter. Theoretically.

This diesel has the existing snorkel on the driver’s side which will be decommisioned and the air scoop will feed an an intercooler. On that very same topic, some great air scoops are found here: http://bullihutzen.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=1
however shipping to the new world is something like $130. The guy has said he is looking for a US distributor which should bring down the price for North Americans.

So I am relocating my air intake to the passenger side. This will require some hosing gyrations as the battery and pressure bottle interfere with any hose routing especially in the case of solid rigid PVC. Flexible hose would be a solution as I will probably chop two holes in the wheel well and run it diagonally through there. Otherwise hose routing looks simple enough with no sharp bends needed. Only unknown is in the engine room where it can get a little hot. Will need a silicone reducer to get the air into the turbo.

Will post more photos as it gets done.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[Gnarlodious]

I had to take the filter out to put in the acoustic absorber mat, as described here:
Diesel engine: above transmission acoustic mat replacement
This post duplicates some previous steps with improvements, so here goes.

First I made standoffs from 1” rolled spacers so as not to compress the acoustic mat:

I glued these parts together with a fender washer to reduce metal fatigue at the bolt-on area:

I clamped it all together for curing onto the filter mount, since it would be real messy trying to install the assembly up there while gluing:

I had to reach inside the acoustic mat with a blade, preferably in hot weather, to cut a hole in the hard stuff against the metal, since I wanted to glue the washer on to metal. The tarlike layer is simply easier to cut while hot.

The next day I glued the standoffs onto the metal, this part is made easier with a helper:

You can barely ease the G065433 canister through the opening shown with the mount clamp off
TIP: Do this first:

With the standoffs glued up in there, I taped off the holes in the aluminized mylar and drilled through from the inside:

The mount clamp bolted into place, this job is easier with a helper:

TIP: Bolt the mount in with the small clamp hole downward.

This time around I learned from my mistake, its simply easier to clamp the ring down in this position, otherwise you have to fight with a heavy bolt and spring that wants to fall out:

Before you tighten the clamp be sure to set the drain to 6 o’clock with the van level, which you do by rotating the entire canister.

For ease of service access I removed a little metal from the marked area, so have a grinder on hand:

This was necessary as the 1” standoffs reduced the space need for removing the cover. There may be a better position that eliminates the grinding, but this was a remedy to adding the acoustic mat.

The end result:

I am real happy about this mod.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[rotaecho]

Gnarlodious,

Did you by chance remove this bracket shown in the photo below? It appears to be for the fuel filter.

It’s the one thing that’s buggering me up I think for fitment.

_________________
-Will
1982 Westfalia mTDI (50deg) aka Betsy Bertha
http://www.tdivanagons.com

[Gnarlodious]

My van didn’t have that bracket or the hoses or that cable. You may have the rear heater, which would explain the hoses. Mine is an ’83 diesel so the fuel filter is in the engine room.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[rotaecho]

No rear heater installed. The two heater hoses you see are the ones coming from the front. They aren't really in the way.

There's just that one bracket; welded it seems for the fuel filter cable. Yours must be relocated else-where.

If I remove that, I think I'll be good. I was just nervious/curious before doing that. Since it is welded and looks factory.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Gnarlodious]

Someone must have at one time installed a pre-filter filter.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[rotaecho]

On mine? I don't think so. I've seen other diesels with prefilters, but I only got the one canister fuel filter in the back/right passenger side.

I found some other photos online with that bracket, so I'm going to go on a limb and say it was an 82ism.

[metropoj]

[Gnarlodious]

Yes, I posted I posted in a separate topic this upgrade:
Diesel engine: above transmission acoustic mat replacement.
When I put the mat in, I had to remove the filter and put standoffs through it.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[metropoj]

OK, great, thanks for that link.
_________________
John.
86 TiiCo powered Westy.

[Team WorldTour]

I've been following on the Yahoo group, but I can't post there....
Anywho, here are MY $0.02.
This is the original part and number:

And here is proper placement in the engine bay:

_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
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