replacing fuel filter

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 3:35 pm

can someone describe the steps needed? It says to release fuel pressure

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:34 pm

I'm not sure if this is what they're talking about but, with my previous truck ('99 ranger) the check engine light came and I took it to a shop owned by a friend. He ran diagnostic code thing and found that the gas cap was not on tight enough. Apparently the fuel system is pressurized and if the cap is not screwed down tightly, there is a loss of pressure due to air escaping through the fuel fill hole.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:49 pm

I believe it is refering to the retained fuel pressure in the line.

If it has been sitting for a while you really should not have a problem.

The "BY the BOOK"procedure requires a fuel pressure guage with a bypass.

I have a cheap (Sunco) one of these:

Relieve the vapor pressure in the tank also.

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 7:42 pm

Wowzers. I usually just hit the pressure relief valve in the fuel injector line. It looks like a tire valve. No biggy.

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 8:05 pm

Still really confused. Brule, I don't have that type of tool and as for the pressure release vavle on the injector...no clue where it is... I don't want to f*** up the fuel and create an air pocket. I am used to replacing fuel filters on deisels but not gas..Not sure if air in the lines is bad...I just may have a mechanic do it and watch him

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 9:04 pm

air is no big deal in gas engines. If you can't find the release, you could still do it, it's just that it would spray everywhere. But like someone else said, if it was sitting a while, there may not be any pressure. It's a very easy do it your selfer.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 10:00 pm

Justin wrote:Still really confused. Brule, I don't have that type of tool and as for the pressure release vavle on the injector...no clue where it is... I don't want to f*** up the fuel and create an air pocket. I am used to replacing fuel filters on deisels but not gas..Not sure if air in the lines is bad...I just may have a mechanic do it and watch him

WOW, Sorry to freak you out

It is really no big deal. You can hit the gauge connection point to relieve the pressure, or this is how I do it:

Let it sit for at least two hours, to cool and some of the pressure will bleed down. (overnight is great) Open the gas cap to relieve any vapor pressure then close it.

Crawl underneath with a 13/16" and 5/8" open end wrenches (have the new filter ready), break loose the rear line to the fuel filter, if it is under pressure give it a minute to relieve (cover it with a rag and catch the rest in a drain pan if you can) . Snug it back up a little , and take loose the front line by squeezing the white plastic retaining clip and pulling the line forward.

Take the orange cap off the new fuel filter and slip it over the end of the old filter to prevent it from siphoning fuel, the line going front will stop draining pretty quickly.

Then , with the wrenches take the rear line loose and quickly swap filters. You should have time to attach the front line before the filter fills completely. Tighten the rear line and make sure that the retaining clip has attached for the front line.

If you have troubles getting the filter to slip out of the plastic bracket , take the bolt out and the lines that attach to it. I did not have to do this.

It is a messy job but not too bad if you learn where to be to stay out of the gas

When you're all done turn the ignition on..wait two seconds.. turn ignition off...wait ten seconds , check underneath for leaks, then repeat two more times. This will prime the system and purge any air.

You're done start it up !

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 5:36 am

HenryJ wrote:
Justin wrote:Still really confused. Brule, I don't have that type of tool and as for the pressure release vavle on the injector...no clue where it is... I don't want to f*** up the fuel and create an air pocket. I am used to replacing fuel filters on deisels but not gas..Not sure if air in the lines is bad...I just may have a mechanic do it and watch him
WOW, Sorry to freak you out

It is really no big deal. You can hit the gauge connection point to relieve the pressure, or this is how I do it:

Let it sit for at least two hours, to cool and some of the pressure will bleed down. (overnight is great) Open the gas cap to relieve any vapor pressure then close it.

Crawl underneath with a 13/16" and 5/8" open end wrenches (have the new filter ready), break loose the rear line to the fuel filter, if it is under pressure give it a minute to relieve (cover it with a rag and catch the rest in a drain pan if you can) . Snug it back up a little , and take loose the front line by squeezing the white plastic retaining clip and pulling the line forward.

Take the orange cap off the new fuel filter and slip it over the end of the old filter to prevent it from siphoning fuel, the line going front will stop draining pretty quickly.

Then , with the wrenches take the rear line loose and quickly swap filters. You should have time to attach the front line before the filter fills completely. Tighten the rear line and make sure that the retaining clip has attached for the front line.

If you have troubles getting the filter to slip out of the plastic bracket , take the bolt out and the lines that attach to it. I did not have to do this.

It is a messy job but not too bad if you learn where to be to stay out of the gas

When you're all done turn the ignition on..wait two seconds.. turn ignition off...wait ten seconds , check underneath for leaks, then repeat two more times. This will prime the system and purge any air.

You're done start it up !

See? so, I was right...

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 3:56 pm

ya, i replaced mine last year. just take off the gas cap. no big deal. but put out the cigarette

seapahn · Post by **seapahn** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 11:59 am

Be warned though (as Henry J hinted but I think it's a very important point) ... do NOT lie directly below the filter as you are taking it off. Unless you really enjoy having fuel all over your face and the taste in your mouth. Guess how I know this

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 5:22 pm

Gee, how much mileage you guys got? I usually replace those big cans about every 70k or so. I got 37k now.

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 7:32 pm

I change mine every 10-15k , more if I have to use "questionable" filling stations.

It really is cheap insurance. The fuel system parts cost way more than the filter.

P.S. I add fuel injection cleaner about every 5K.

EDIT: I'm pushing 23k right now.

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 7:45 pm

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:49 am

seapahn wrote:Be warned though (as Henry J hinted but I think it's a very important point) ... do NOT lie directly below the filter as you are taking it off. Unless you really enjoy having fuel all over your face and the taste in your mouth. Guess how I know this

hahahahaha

i can just imagine you underneat your blazer getting fuel all over your face

hahahaha!!!!

and i take it that paul isnt that extreme when it come to fuel filters and such as brule is?

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 4:03 am

HenryJ wrote:I change mine every 10-15k , more if I have to use "questionable" filling stations.

It really is cheap insurance. The fuel system parts cost way more than the filter.

P.S. I add fuel injection cleaner about every 5K.

EDIT: I'm pushing 23k right now.

I remember the old V-8's of the 70's usually had a filter about 1/2 the size of a chapstick tube. Those needed changed often, but now the filters are the size of a beer can and can probably take about 30 x the volume, so I don't worry about it much. I've never had a problem and just change after about 70k miles which is what the manual usually says, although I haven't checked the s-10 manual about that yet.

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 5:58 am

Owners manual says 30k (4.3l V-6)

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 6:00 pm

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 7:24 pm

quickbiker wrote:I remember the old V-8's of the 70's usually had a filter about 1/2 the size of a chapstick tube. Those needed changed often, but now the filters are the size of a beer can and can probably take about 30 x the volume, so I don't worry about it much. ...

Another thing to keep in mind about the newer fuel systems is that they move a larger volume of fuel through the fuel filter due to the bypass type fuel pressure regulation.
Fuel is constantly moving through the filter and what is not being used is returned to the tank.
Many of the old systems with mechanical fuel pumps only pushed fuel through the filter as it was being used. Thus the requirements would be smaller.
Another thing to think about is that a carburetor can handle larger size debris passing through without problems. Fuel injectors are not so forgiving.

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:39 pm

Depends what you're talk'n about. I know the old cars I've had, had the return line to the tank, but got passed back before the filter, so no, the filter didn't get constant flow. My wife's 96 Jeep has a sucky system. It has the big huge filter, but doesn't have a return line, so it only get's pushed, believe it or not. I've had so many problems with that hunk of *^%%(#$@!!! I've got a spare tank, just so I can rotate them cause of moisture that collects in it, so I don't have to wait till it dries!

Yellow Hammer · Post by **Yellow Hammer** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:16 pm

I just replaced my fuel filter today and you guys were right about it being easy. Only took me about 15 minutes. I think from now on, I will do what HenryJ does and change it every 10K to 15K knowing how easy it is.

Thanks for all the info you guys provided. One couldn't ask for a better site when trying to find something out about our trucks.

Yellow Hammer · Post by **Yellow Hammer** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:38 pm

BTW. If anyone is interested, the filter only cost me $10.88 at Advanced Auto Parts.

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:21 am

The fuel filter is one on those things that tends to get put off and somewhat forgotten.
I swore I had changed mine not too long ago, but upon checking, I have nearly 30k on this one

A little "hic-cough" the other day alerted me to something needing attention. The fuel filter was my first suspect.
It was really bad! The inlet side, when drained, was very muddy appearing. Glad I changed it when I did.

Time for some fuel treatment.

A couple things: I did loosen the bolt for the bracket, and used a large set of channel lock pliers to help slide the old filter out of the bracket. One side hooked to the bracket, the other on the end of the filter to push it out. That worked pretty well. I used a weather strip hook to release the top side of the plastic retainer. Any hooked tool may be helpful when doing this.

I had forgotten about one other thing I had done. I pulled apart a permanent magnet motor quite some time ago. It was an old "Tummy sucker" or "Briggs" starter. Anyway the magnets are just the same inside diameter as the outside diameter of the fuel filter. I released one half from the housing intact. Painted it and attached it to the top side of my fuel filter. I figured the magnet would help trap any metallic particles in the filter. Something to keep in mind should the pieces present themselves.

BTW, I used a NAPA Gold (wix) #3579 and paid $6.82

crew cab sonoma · Post by **crew cab sonoma** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:19 am

one mod i made to make filter changes easier, was to remove the plastic holder for the filter, and cut the band at one point across the top, to let the filter slide out much more easily.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:58 am

quickbiker wrote:Wowzers. I usually just hit the pressure relief valve in the fuel injector line. It looks like a tire valve. No biggy.

Or what about just pulling the fuel pump relay in the Power Distribution Center and start it up and let it die.

MARBLEYARD · Post by **MARBLEYARD** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:30 am

I tried doing this myself this past weekend and what a mess. Easy, yes, messy, very! Pressure wasn't a problem, I waited overnight and worked on a cold engine, feul from the engine was next to nothing. My problem was gas coming from the tank. At gas prices they way they are, it's like watching gold pour out from my truck

so I stopped and reattached the old one as soon as feul poured out. What do I do to stop this, or at least cut down on it?

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:14 am

run the tank dry first
park facing up hill
or...

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:59 am

You just have to be fast.

Make sure the gas cap is on tight when you change the filter.

An open tank can pull in more air and release more gas.

If the tank side is the one spilling most of the fuel then cap the engine side of the old filter as soon as you pull it off with large rubber vacuum cap.

Put another rubber cap on the engine side of the new filter and swap them as fast as possible.

I usually just hold an old towel up there when I swap filters to catch the small amount that does leak out.

There is no way to prevent some fuel from spilling no matter how fast your are.

Steve

MARBLEYARD · Post by **MARBLEYARD** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:51 am

thanx guys. If it wasn't 100 degrees outside today I'd let you know how it went tomorrow. I will let you know, even if just for sh**s and giggles.

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:01 am

You should be able to catch most of the fuel in a clean glass jar and pour it back into the tank.

dwntwnCC · Post by **dwntwnCC** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:54 pm

What has been the average milage ya'll have changed your filters at? I'm at 48k and I just started thinking about it. Am I over due?

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:42 am

You are way overdue we ,recommend a change interval of every 15k. But better late than never. It's not hard or expensive and can usually be done in less than 15 minutes.

MARBLEYARD · Post by **MARBLEYARD** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:35 am

I Cheated

When I had the mechanic replace my ball joints, I had him replace my filter too. He cut the ring that holds it in place to make my job easier next time.

I'm sure I needed to change it but , haven't noticed any difference in preformance or mileage (not that you really should)

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:11 am

MARBLEYARD wrote:He cut the ring that holds it in place to make my job easier next time.

there's one easily accessible bolt holding that ring in place. no need to "cut" anything. And, it's not just there to make changing the filter more difficult.

MARBLEYARD · Post by **MARBLEYARD** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:52 am

the bolt holds the ring up but not holding the ring closed, you would have to remove the bolt every time to replace the filter because of the other lines nearby. Now I don't, I get what you mean, but the easier the better in my case... I B LAZY

GAS · Post by **GAS** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:55 am

Talking about f/filter change regularity. Yesterday I was changing rear shocks (stock to Monroe), it was nice day and fast easy job and when I finished with it, I decided to change fuel filter too. However, when I tried to unscrew it from fuel line I realized the filter was never changing from day my truck left GM factory (2000). Truck now has 61 k.m. and seems to me original owner never visits this site. It gets totally stuck!

Now I got a problem

since I didn’t have 5/8" wrench and I operated 17 metric wrench but it’s a little larger then needed – fuel line nut began getting round. Tomorrow I going to buy 16 wrench and make next try.

GAS · Post by **GAS** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:39 am

If somebody uses metric wrenches, he will need 16 and 21 open wrenches for fuel filter change. The first one fits on fuel line nut very tight – you will never damage the nut. Tested…

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:50 am

Good to know. Those are very close to 13/16" and 5/8". I thought that 16mm might be a little too tight, glad it worked.
For some reason no wrenches fit just right. It is like they missed either standard.

GAS · Post by **GAS** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:42 pm

In such cases the tighter the better, don’t you think. Especially when you deal with open-end wrench works only on two sides of nut not six.

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:14 am

HenryJ wrote:The fuel filter is one on those things that tends to get put off and somewhat forgotten.
I swore I had changed mine not too long ago, but upon checking, I have nearly 30k on this one

I did slightly better this time, but really not good enough. It has about 20k miles on it this time and it was HORRIBLE! Black debris poured out!
I really need to put this on an annual replacement schedule.

The magnet that I have around it may indeed be trapping more than one without. I used one of the permanent magnets from and old motor I tore apart. The curvature is perfect to fit the fuel filter. It has been on there for quite a few years now and has stayed attached. Not a bad idea if you have something like that around.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:56 pm

Kinda reminds me of the magnetic tranny cooler line filters I used to buy at NAPA. They were THE answer to those finicky electric valve bodies on the old Mazda trannys.

PATRICKH · Post by **PATRICKH** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:25 pm

seapahn wrote:Be warned though (as Henry J hinted but I think it's a very important point) ... do NOT lie directly below the filter as you are taking it off. Unless you really enjoy having fuel all over your face and the taste in your mouth. Guess how I know this

DITTO. learned the hard way.

Horsehammerr · Post by **Horsehammerr** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:51 pm

It's OK Really," kills worms".