A quick guide to changing the fuel filter

[mckirdy-services]

can anyone give me A quick guide to changing the fuel filter.

I was just about to start pulling bits out of my engine bay but it has started raining so in my wisdom i thought

1) cup of tea
2) ask on here for a quick way to change the fuel filter

Its a 1997 3rd Gen 3ltr diesel

Basically whats the best / quickest way to change it.

And do i have to disconnect the air filter or is it easier to just unbolt the whole fuel filter assembly?

Many thanks

[Tiger]

Don't know about 3rd gen, but i would imagine it's the same as any other diesel engine (it's not a job to be done in a rush in case you have bleed issues) un plug water/drain sensor. Unscrew filter. fill new filter with diesel change filter reconnect sensor. Bleed diesel cross fingers and start

[nero279]

Drain the fuel out of the filter using the tap on the bottom and a bit of tube or a jar to catch it or something. Unscrew the filter from the housing, unscrew the water sensor from the filter, screw the sensor into the new filter, fill the new filter with redex, screw the new filter onto the housing. All done, jobs a goodun. Before you screw it on, smear the new gaskets with a drop of oil or diesel.

Fuel filters should only be handtight.

How mine went on wednesday - use a bit of cable sheathing instead of tube on the drain tap and drain 25% of filter contents into bottle under truck, unscrew tap a bit further as it's going a bit slow, screw tap right out and drop tap closely followed by remaining contents of filter onto wishbones, chassis, engine and drive.

Spend half hour trying various methods to undo the filter from the housing in situ, unbolt housing and spend half hour trying to remove filter from housing. Have a coffee and spend a further half hour trying.

Undo all the fuel pipes, remove complete housing, drill a 3ft length of angle iron and bolt filter head to one end of it. Spray filter in clutch cleaner to get a better grip on it with boa's, use two boas to undo filter whilst standing on the angle iron.

Replace with new filter, job done 2 hours late, meeting missed.

2 days later still waiting to see if the diesel on the parents block paved drive is gonna dissappear by itself.

[Cant Get Right]

I bled he filter the filter dry then took hoses off the housing, tried loosening the filter as it was only meant to be hand tight, nut nut it wisnae, put a screw driver through the filter then put the housing back on the truck upside down and started pulling and pushing, then to get it going again filled the filter wi diesel stuck it back on and away i went,

[mckirdy-services]

Thanks guys for the advice.

Got a slight problem

Not only is the fuel filter done up tight so is everything else around it! I cant undo any of the fuel filter assembly bolts or any of the air filter box bolts.

Bugger

I'm going to have another go tomorrow after having put some wd40 on them as i do not want to shear any of the bolts off.

It looks and sounds quite simple if i can just get to it

[MattF]

If you have a length of fairly flexible webbing strap, (not the really thick stuff), create a tourniquet around the filter with it. It'll come off that way.

[nero279]

Thanks guys for the advice.

Got a slight problem

Not only is the fuel filter done up tight so is everything else around it! I cant undo any of the fuel filter assembly bolts or any of the air filter box bolts.

Bugger

I'm going to have another go tomorrow after having put some wd40 on them as i do not want to shear any of the bolts off.

It looks and sounds quite simple if i can just get to it

if you get stuck gis a shout, i'm around all weekend i think, might be able to pop down or you're more than welcome to come up here. I'll PM me number.

[TonyN]

There really isn't room on a 3rd gen to unscrew the filter. just undo the 2 nuts holding the housing on, undo the 2 hoses, unplug the water sensor (and fuel heater plugs if you have one) and remove it all from the car.

Then you can drain it into a bucket by unscrewing the water drain tap, then put the housing in a vice, and unscrew the filter.

remember you need the whole water drain housing out of the bottom.

put it all back together, pump the primer plumger on top till its hard, and start the truck. when its running pump the primer again till the truck runs smoothly.

Its easy.

[Cant Get Right]

If you have a length of fairly flexible webbing strap, (not the really thick stuff), create a tourniquet around the filter with it. It'll come off that way.

and if that dont work put a big screw driver
through the thing and secure the housig and start pulling. if i can do a filter change anyone can, trust me on that one.
just mind when u put it back on,only tighten it hand tight

[Apache]

First time I did mine, it had been tightened so it wouldn't come off in the space available for wrenches. I took the mount off, turned it over, bolted it back on and did it that way.

Like everyone else said, just do it hand tight, then you can do future changes in about 5 minutes with no tools.

[mckirdy-services]

if you get stuck gis a shout, i'm around all weekend i think, might be able to pop down or you're more than welcome to come up here. I'll PM me number.

Thanks nero, and everyone for the advice.

I have finally managed to get it off today,

Got the bolts off yesterday with some WD40 but only managed to get the filter off today after spraying it yesterday.

Everything is now done up hand tight do it should only take 15 mins to change it next time.

I filled it with red ex and ragged it for about 10 minutes up and down the M20, bit of a pain as there is road works with a 50mph limit at the Folkestone end of the m20.

Its a bit smoother and definitely more responsive. I will start back on veg next week (Morrison's is still less than £1 a liter!)

The veg didn't cause any problems with the fuel filter but running the surf dry twice did bring up a tiny bit of muck.

Thanks again everyone for you help