ThoBoyz

Just finished replacing my plugs, and I'm about to change the PCV valve for the heck of it in a few minutes, but my next tune up is going to be the fuel filter...

Advance Auto said they have the purelator fuel filter (part #: 43178) for like $10.

Just wondering what you guys suggest...
I'm looking for performance... Don't care how much it cost, or how long it last... I just want the best one that will make the car perform at it's best.

Also, I read somewhere that someone used a fuel filter for the 350Z or something like that, because it was twice as big, thus lasting twice as long and doubling the _______??? I dont know... anyone heard of this?

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

Bobo

There is no real difference in how the fuel filter performs. The Purolator, if it fits, will probably fit the bill and be cheaper than OEM.

You mean a 300ZX fuel filter, say for a 1995, not a 350Z filter. It is considerably larger than an OEM filter and theoretically does not have to be changed as often. However, it is a tighter squeeze, particularly if you have ABS brakes.

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

Get a 300zx filter. They are larger and need to be changed about every 60k miles. But Like bobo said, it is a tight fit. Mine occasionally pops out of the clamp but the lines will hold it in and you just gotta push it back in.

ThoBoyz

Sweet...

OK, well I have a 96 Nissan Maxima GLE, and it has ABS, but you are saying it IS possible, right? Just a tight squeeze?

If so, I'll go get one now...

Since I have a 96 Maxima, what year 300ZX filter should I ask for... 1995?

THANKS!! :-D

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

Yes it will fit if you have ABS, I have ABS and it fits. Now that I think about it, its actually not that tight of a fit, getting hte old one out and the new one in is a pain in the *** cus there isnt much room down there, but once its in there its fine.

ThoBoyz

Just called Advance Auto... asked for a 1995 300ZX fuel filter...

Advance Auto lady asked if it was 2x2 turbo or not...

I told her it was for my Maxima, and I didnt think it mattered, but she had to select one on the computer, so I told he to select non-turbo, since I have no turbo on my Maxima...

IS THIS CORRECT? If so, I'm going to pick it up right now...

Thanks for you quick response...

Bobo

According to a comment in the FAQs in the Fluids & Lubricants forum, the 300ZX filters for NA and turbo are identical. You could probably go with a 95 or 96. Go to Advance Auto and have them show you what they have.

I suspect there is only one part number.

cnenov

I have a 300zx TT and I searched everywhere for the correct filter with no luck.
The original 300zx filter has discontinued and the one everyone was trying to convince me was the right filter, did not fit in the bracket just right. what im trying to say is that the original 300zx fuel filter is smaller than what they have out there right now, so I dont know which one we are talking about.
on the other hand Purolator is a decent brand so why not just go for the right size maxima filter?

Bobo

Good point! Regardless of the size of the fuel filter, I wouldn't be inclined to leave a 300ZX fuel filter in for 60K.

ThoBoyz

Well, it's not the amount of miles that I could leave it in that sold me, but that it was "bigger"... I guess it's that mindset, "Bigger is better"..lol

Anyways, as I thought, the non-turbo vs turbo was the same.

Installing it right now... (Now, if only I could find a short screw driver...lol)


Thanks for all your help and suggestions!!! You guys are the BEST!

Bobo

Post up how long it took you to install it and what difficulties you had if any, please.

cnenov

i did mine 2 days ago
it took me about 1hr because I was cleaning everything on the way. I removed the top part of the stock airbox, mas, and a couple of more hoses. I cleaned the throttle body the pcv valve. you need regular flat and philips scredrivers, a stuby philips screwdriver (got one from autozone for $0.99), some gloves (not required), and some patience. dont forget to watch your face when you disconect the filter from the hose because its under a lot of pressure (i didnt release the pressure because I didnt feel like looking up which fuse a have to take out - but I have done it the same way many times). before you start pulling on the filter, try twisting the hose first to loosen it up. dont forget to make sure that it is on tight and not leaking after you are done. also make sure everything you disconected is back where it belongs. when you are done and insert the key in the ignition whait a couple of seconds for the fuel pump to fill up the system. it is going to be a hard start but thats normal.
this is everything I can think of for right now.
it is not dificult at all

ThoBoyz

LOL... What he said... ^^^

But yea, "cnenov" did a great job of explaining everything... --The only thing I'm not sure of is if the stock air box gets in the way or not... I remember leaning my forehead on my cold air intake, so I must have been working pretty close to it...

Anyways, I got the bigger filter, for the 300zx (1995). It seems to be staying pretty well in the clamp so far, but I may try to do something like zip ties to get it more secure...

Here are the instructions that I used...
http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/fuelfilter.html
(I copied that to an Adobe PDF if someone in the future is looking at this and the link is broken... just email me..)


Tips that I discovered:
-Wait for your engine to cool down... I just got back from Advance Auto, so my engine was still hot... I only waited like 10 minutes... Thus, now the bottom of my left arm is burning right now... not too bad though. --Also, I was scared sh**less, about gas getting on something hot and my whole car exploding...
-Like he said, be careful when you pull off that first hose... gas shoots everywhere... I was fortunate to have the thing pointed away from me...
-Do it in the grass... I didn't think about this until after I pulled the fuse... Hope Dad doesn't get mad about the gas on the driveway...lol
-Like it says in the instructions, pull fuse # 32 from the fuse box under your steering wheel, and the crank the car a few times. I did mine 5 times... Then I started going to work, but after loosening the top clamp, the hose was still tight... --so then I cranked it again... The car then ran at a very low idle for like another 45 seconds... Weird... --But I was then able to do a little twisting to get the hose off, and then it squirted gas everywhere...
-I took the top hose off first, and the tackled the bottom hose.. I was able to use a standard craftsman phillips head screw driver...
-Finally, just make sure you get the hoses back on tightly.

That's my 2 cents...


EDIT: Looks like I started around 5:10, and it's now 6:10, so it probably took me about 45 minutes all in all... and I'm a slow 19 year old that knows not much about cars...lol. The other 15 minutes were taking it for a test drive and doing a butt dyno and 0-60 test by counting in my head. Result? Before filter, I got to 60 on "10-missi", after new bigger filter, got to 60mph at "11", so it seems, according to my non-scientific calculations, my car is now a "ssippi" slower than before. Lol.. My guess is that I counted faster with the new filter, in hopes that the car was going faster.

Bobo

You better hose the driveway down, lol, before your dad lays a whipping on you!

RockfordMax

iTrader: (2)

well about getting gas to explode, dont count on the heat, it really needs an open flame or spark. when my injector o ring went bad, there was a puddle of gas on my block, and it was boiling, probably should have been scared, but oh well!

ThoBoyz

LOL.. I tried... he still noticed...
He said, "You'd better hope it rains hard soon, or else you'll be out here scrubbing with some laundry soap..."


Wow... i think I would have run away and called the fire department... lol

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

When I changed mine I just cut the lines. I tried for about an hour and they wouldnt come off the old one.

SNOMAX

iTrader: (14)

My lines were also a pain to get off the filter. You just have to crank the engine over and over again with the fuse pulled out for the fuel pump. It takes longer than you might think.

ThoBoyz

Yes, it does take a long time to release the pressure. After I moved the filter around some, trying to get at the screws, I then cranked then engine like another 10 times, each time it ran for about 20 seconds or something... --and then my lines came off really easy... --and I've never changed this thing before either...

4DRSpeed

iTrader: (22)

I installed a Z32 fuel filter on my auto. It was PITA due to the lines were hard to pull off, but some patience and some more pulling they finally came off.

I just ordered one at Nissan awaiting arrival for my 5-Spd.

ManualMaxima

iTrader: (10)

the 300zx and TT filters are the same so it does not matter which one you use. form year 90 - 95. When changing the fuel filter turn your car on and then under your dash pull out the fuel pump fuse while the car is running. it will take 10 - 15 sec for the car to stop running but it will make it much easier to take off cause not as much pressure will be built up. At autozone the filter is like 6.99 and is part FF651

and there is no point on cleaning your pcv valve all you gtta do is go buy one for $1.89 at autozone

udienow

iTrader: (15)

Why not just use a maxima fuel filter and not have to worry about it coming out of its clamps, or having a hard time getting a bigger filter in an already small space... Rather change the maxima filter 2 times as much, then have a hard time installing the 300z filter and worrying about if its in place or not all the time, but thats just my opinion...

ThoBoyz

I bought a new PCV valve too while I was at it from Advance Auto.
---I now hate Auto Zone, well at least the one on Jefferson Ave. --I went in there this afternoon to get my knock sensor code cleared to see if it would come back, and the a** told me that was illegal and that he didn't want to go to jail... I was like, "You gotta be kidding me... Illegal to reset my computer in my car?" and he was like, "Yeah, just unplug the battery", and I was like, "NO! Where's the nearest Advance Auto..."

Went 1 block down and Advance Auto let me do it, as long as I left my driver's license inside with them...

--Anyways, it's not as small of a place as I thought it was going to be... the 300zx filter got stuck for a second, but with a small push, it went down the rest of the way... And the clamp is holding pretty well so far, and I've already driven it 75 miles... even did a burn out in Auto Zone's parking lot, which you would think might rattle it loose, but it's still there...

udienow

iTrader: (15)

Hes not lying... it is illegal for them to clear codes, same thing happand to me.

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

because changing the fuel filter sucks *** and I would rather do it as little as possible.

1chewabacha1

iTrader: (6)

Actually there's a quick way to fix it from popping out. Just use zip ties. Zip tie one around the left side, one on the right side, and then another to connect the two zip ties together (around the fuel filter). pretty ghetto but I did that to mine and haven't seen it pop out in 10,000 miles now.

Install took 15 minutes. Put shop towels directly under the filter (NO gas spills for me). My lines were stuck too so I Used a pretty big plier to twist the lines softly while holding the fuel filter in my other hand.

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

hehe. I never even thought to use zip ties for it even though I use them for so many other things.

Batxel

iTrader: (1)

If you want the best performance you take the fuel filter out of the equation and connect a straight pipe there. Of course you may end up with reliability issues like engine life diminishing.

I had my friend pick up a maxima one at the dealer for $10, she said there was some discount (probably because she a chick, whatever). Getting the filter is easy changing one is a royal pain in the backside.

Are there any engineers that are thoroughly educated in thermodynamics can theorize about why the maxima has a smaller fuel filter than the early 300zx models. Personally, I would've thought of it being other way around being that the maxima is more like a daily beater where as 300zx would be more utilized as weekend only car.

chenzarino

iTrader: (2)

if you look at the box that the OEM z32 fuel filter comes in it actually has the maxima listed on there as a vehicle that can use it.