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Changing Fuel Filter

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Old Jul 19, 2005 | 06:43 AM
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Changing Fuel Filter

Is it hard to take out the fuel filter? It seems like there is no freaken room to use a screwdriver to take it out. I was wondering if anyone got some good tips on this without raising the car on jacks?
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 06:52 AM
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Might be in the stickys.

I've never heard of having to raise the car to get to it, I didn't have to.

Screwdriver, and pliers. Take out all intake ducting from TB to make things easier. Uncsrew the hose clamps, use pliers to "crimp" the end hose barbs on the old filter, and pull off. Most have trouble pulling the hoses off, but if you crush the ends of the old filter, since you wont need it anymore, it will be much easier.

Some people take the fuel pump fuse out and try starting it in order tog et all the furl out of the lines, I've tried it this way an w/o taking it out, and you still get fuel leaking out when you take out the filter, so that's up to you, I don't do it anymore.

Holy crap, I didn't flame
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 07:21 AM
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Originally Posted by amulla01
Is it hard to take out the fuel filter? It seems like there is no freaken room to use a screwdriver to take it out. I was wondering if anyone got some good tips on this without raising the car on jacks?
Much easier with the air intake off the car.
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 07:37 AM
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Dude it's real simple to get to. There is a write up in the stickys. The only thing that may hinder you is if you have a FSTB. Then it may be easier to take the left side off to access the fuel filter, otherwise pretty simple to do. Search the stickys.
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 05:06 PM
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i just did mine, like less than a week ago.
The only "hard" thing was that those damn tubes that are on the top and bottom of the fuel filter were like stuck/ or superglued on there. and i did take out the fuse and crank the engine like 10 times to relive pressure from the lines, but it still leaked fuel. i was yanking and yanking at like for a good while, then i got an idea. I used a short screwdriver (flathead), and started the wedge out the tubes from the filter. That made the changing fuel filter process much quicker for me.
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 06:16 PM
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Don't pull the tubes off, twist them off.
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 06:44 PM
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Alright, just got done changing them, took me like 3 hours, the hardest part was putting the tubes back in, it was a b*tch. Needless to say, my right hand is all bloody
Old Jul 19, 2005 | 07:17 PM
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What he said
Originally Posted by goldtooth
i did take out the fuse and crank the engine like 10 times to relive pressure from the lines, but it still leaked fuel
What I said
Originally Posted by NmexMAX
Some people take the fuel pump fuse out and try starting it in order tog et all the fuel out of the lines, I've tried it this way an w/o taking it out, and you still get fuel leaking out

Crsuh the end tubes/barbs of the old fitler ... it's much easier. ...

This forum runs circles around each otehr because people are too lazy to read the prior post, before they post the same thing ....
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 09:01 AM
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Just finished mine

I just spent approx two hours changing mine, and cleaning the throttle body while I was at it. Not a thinking job but a pain inta job. Taking off the intake plumbing helps but not much. I read this thread before starting and crushing the end of the filter to take off the hoses seemed like a good tip. It is close to impossible to actually do. Even with both hand on a long set of channel locks I could not generate enough power to crush the filter end. I had to resort to cutting the output side fuel line, and prying off the intake side with a screw driver. It is all done, now and doesn't leak a drop and no CEL is on so I guess it is all together correctly. I think I would rather do o2 sensors than the fuel filter.

I did hacksaw it open and it was full of crap. This was the only time it has been changed in 113,000 miles.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 09:38 AM
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I fit both hands in there, and used pliers to take out the tubes. The most time consuming thing was putting on the tubes onto the new filter, I still doubt I put them up all the way to the end of the tube, and small gap is visible on both ends, but nothing was leaking so I guess it's ok. I didnt want to crush the tubes to minimize the chance of small metal debris making its way to the tube. Now I need to go to quicklube oil change and have them clean my ingectors with some liquid or something for 50$. I hope this will fix my fuel inj cel code, if not I guess to operate and find out which injectors are bad and replace them.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 10:10 AM
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i had me and my friend....he pulled above while i pulled below...sure fuel sprayed in my face but hey...atleast it was off right??hah...yeah..get a buddy to help you out.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by amulla01
I fit both hands in there, and used pliers to take out the tubes. The most time consuming thing was putting on the tubes onto the new filter, I still doubt I put them up all the way to the end of the tube, and small gap is visible on both ends, but nothing was leaking so I guess it's ok. I didnt want to crush the tubes to minimize the chance of small metal debris making its way to the tube. Now I need to go to quicklube oil change and have them clean my ingectors with some liquid or something for 50$. I hope this will fix my fuel inj cel code, if not I guess to operate and find out which injectors are bad and replace them.
$50! Go buy a bottle and do it yourself. Those "quicklube" places love telling you that you need all that crap. Then they pay someone who doesn't know what they are doing $7 an hour to follow the same directions on the same bottle you can buy in a store. Just my 2 cents.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 11:28 AM
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Thinking outside the box....

A blowdryer should be in everyone's tool chest. I got a nice hand me down from my kid sister. Heat up those rubber tubes, and they'll come right off the filter. It will also make the re-installation alot easier. Don't use a heat gun, that may get too hot, and ignite the fuel!
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by The Wizard
A blowdryer should be in everyone's tool chest. I got a nice hand me down from my kid sister. Heat up those rubber tubes, and they'll come right off the filter. It will also make the re-installation alot easier. Don't use a heat gun, that may get too hot, and ignite the fuel!
Interesting....
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 11:47 AM
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i took a look at the fuel filter today and wondered wut was some of the confusion....i just reached down, snapped it out and saw the two hoses connected and put it back, i was like wtf is all the confusion? lol...anyway good luck if you havent done it yet amulla....and i second the blowdryer, my mom gave me her old one
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 11:48 AM
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Originally Posted by TJ_Max
i took a look at the fuel filter today and wondered wut was some of the confusion....i just reached down, snapped it out and saw the two hoses connected and put it back, i was like wtf is all the confusion? lol...anyway good luck if you havent done it yet amulla....and i second the blowdryer, my mom gave me her old one
Have you ever replaced your fuel filter yet?
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 11:50 AM
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Just change the fuel filter in the morning when the car has sat all night, there will be no pressure in the lines and make taking off the tubes much easier. The Blow dryer sounds like a clever trick also.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:02 PM
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it is a pain

Originally Posted by TJ_Max
i took a look at the fuel filter today and wondered wut was some of the confusion....i just reached down, snapped it out and saw the two hoses connected and put it back, i was like wtf is all the confusion? lol...anyway good luck if you havent done it yet amulla....and i second the blowdryer, my mom gave me her old one

Finding it is the easy part. Putting your hand on it is also easy. Getting the clamps off and the hoses off, and the new filter on is the pain in the *** part. I'd bet no one can do it in less than an hour.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by wahoohead
Finding it is the easy part. Putting your hand on it is also easy. Getting the clamps off and the hoses off, and the new filter on is the pain in the *** part. I'd bet no one can do it in less than an hour.
Are you taking bets
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by njmodi
Are you taking bets

seriously I could use some extra $$
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:24 PM
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It is a pain in the ****

The hardest part about changing the fuel filter was getting the hoses off of the old fule filter. I removed the fuel filter fuse and started my engine and ran it to get rid of the pressure on the fuel line. It was still very difficult to take the hose off.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:35 PM
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lmao...when i routed the nitrous lines, i actually slipped the bottom one off fairly easily..., maybe mine was changed when i bought the car?
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by NmexMAX
Might be in the stickys.

I've never heard of having to raise the car to get to it, I didn't have to.

Screwdriver, and pliers. Take out all intake ducting from TB to make things easier. Uncsrew the hose clamps, use pliers to "crimp" the end hose barbs on the old filter, and pull off. Most have trouble pulling the hoses off, but if you crush the ends of the old filter, since you wont need it anymore, it will be much easier.

Some people take the fuel pump fuse out and try starting it in order tog et all the furl out of the lines, I've tried it this way an w/o taking it out, and you still get fuel leaking out when you take out the filter, so that's up to you, I don't do it anymore.

Holy crap, I didn't flame
Yeah, I took the fuse out and still got fuel all over the place when I did this.
I would just leave it alone like stated above.

I had to use a little Petroleum jelly to get the hoses back on the new filter. It was tough to do.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 02:35 PM
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This is perfect, I was supposed to do mine tomorrow. Hopefully I won't run into any problems.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by wahoohead
Finding it is the easy part. Putting your hand on it is also easy. Getting the clamps off and the hoses off, and the new filter on is the pain in the *** part. I'd bet no one can do it in less than an hour.
I could do it in 15-20 min today, because I just changed it 2 weeks ago. The hoses were practically bonded to the filter; real, real pain to get off. I also let the car sit overnight to releive the fuel pressure. Then took out the FP fuse in the morning and the car never fired once upon cranking over.
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 05:03 PM
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It was a hazzle to change the fuel filter by myself. I can't take off the hose and I don't want the bloody hands afterwards.
Then I take it to auto shop with my own fuel filter, they just charge 10 dollars for labor.
Bargin huh?
Old Jul 20, 2005 | 05:22 PM
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I'd bet $10.00

I'd bvet $10.00 that it can't be done in an hour if we use my car for the bet
Old Jul 21, 2005 | 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Hajime
It was a hazzle to change the fuel filter by myself. I can't take off the hose and I don't want the bloody hands afterwards.
Then I take it to auto shop with my own fuel filter, they just charge 10 dollars for labor.
Bargin huh?
10$? The shop that quicklube sent me to wanted 85$. Actually PepBoys told me change fuel filter and clean injectors for 165$ total. I was like wtf...
Old Jul 21, 2005 | 12:58 PM
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c'mon guys. Its really not hard to change the filter. It is buried down there but once you remove the intake hose it is easy to get to.

To remove the hoses it helps to first break the seal since the hose and the filter has been sort of bonded together. I take a pair of pliers and grab the hose and then twsit the hose and filter in opposite directions until they seperate. They to get it off the filter take the pliers and wedge it between the end of the hose and the filter body and they pry it off. Just be carefull to apply even pressure on both sides of the hose so that you dont rip it.

If you do it this way it can be done in 15-20 minutes. I just did mine two weeks ago.
Old Jul 21, 2005 | 01:03 PM
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Old Jul 21, 2005 | 01:50 PM
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i thnk it should be closed, lol, 30 posts for "how do i change my wiper blades" lock it up!!
Old Jul 21, 2005 | 02:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Hajime
It was a hazzle to change the fuel filter by myself. I can't take off the hose and I don't want the bloody hands afterwards.
Then I take it to auto shop with my own fuel filter, they just charge 10 dollars for labor.
Bargin huh?
That is a bargain.
I would let someone do it for $10.
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