I ordered this oil trap on eBay for $14.88 to check out the quality and I’m pretty impressed with it. I wasn’t looking for the cheapest thing on the internet but I envisioned tossing it when I realized it wouldn’t work. There was a similar 2-port model but the hoses would need to cross each other when plumbed into the car. The 3-port allows one port to be blocked avoiding the hose crossover.
I like the way I can unscrew the reservoir without removing the entire unit. There is a sintered filter for the output port. The reservoir is smaller than some traps but I don’t drive the wheels off the car so this should be just right.
The OEM, Norma fitting on the breather line. These don’t work really well because when you squeeze the tab, one latch, of the two, will release and one stays engaged no matter how much you squeeze. The trick to removal is to simultaneously squeeze, pull and shift the tab side-to-side.
I didn’t want to destroy the existing hose assembly and found this VW Golf/Jetta breather hose assy. for $4.49 inc. S&H. Its listed on eBay as “Crankcase Vent Breather Hose Tube 06F103221E For VW Golf Jetta Beetle Audi A4 A6”.
The Norma PA12-GF20 quick connector. I couldn’t find these for sale separately.
I ended up with some 5/8″ Fuel Line from Car Quest for $1.99/ft. I bought 2 feet. The connectors push on nicely. I used hose clamps on the oil trap end since the supplied fittings were for 1/2″ ID max hose and I needed to compress the hose quite a bit.
These Multi-Cut cutters slice thru the hose really nicely and provide very square cuts.
I had a scrap piece of 1/16″ 303 stainless steel plate. I probably got it from McMaster-Carr. It looked like is was long enough so I used this for the bracket. It looked a little thin to hold the trap in place but I knew the hoses are fairly rigid and will restrain most movement. Here is a LINK to the drawing PDF.
Machining the rounded end of the stainless bracket. I used an M6 screw in a piece of scrap aluminum block. The edges on the opposite end are still sharp so I wore a glove. The light on the quill is another project. It has (2) 50 watt LED panels and is held using 2 magnets. The nice thing about it is that it can be re-positioned to eliminate glare or provide clearance when you’re trying to see the cutter. It can also be removed or replaced really quickly.
Finished Bracket.
I threaded the (2) 8-32 holes in the bracket and used acorn nuts to prevent loosening. I don’t really like the slotted ring with the button head screws and the small mounting flange which could have been wider for better strength.
Mounted in the car. It looks ok there. If I could find the rigid plastic shrink hose, I’d probably make a better looking bracket that looks a little more fitting (get rid of the ugly acorn nuts, the cheap slotted bracket and hack-a-day hose clamps).
Or, I could just make some 3/8″ NPT to Norma fittings pretty easily and attach to the trap for a clean look. Then I’d have a Norma fitting on each end of each hose.
The hose clamps look out-of-place here so I may use the crimp style clamps but I’ll probably need some 3/8″ NPT fittings for 5/8″ Hose ID. (the clamping range on the crimp clamps will be limited for my 1/2″ ID fittings that come with the trap).
I applied a little oil to the O-ring to facilitate removal. I should be able to unscrew the reservoir and empty it pretty easily. There must be about 10 threads so you need some patience while removing.
I haven’t driven the car yet. I guess after about 100 miles, I can check and see if it caught anything.
Installed September 2020