Fuel filter clips!?

[reansor]

Can someone PLEASE help me with some detailed pics of how to remove these stupid plastic fuel filter CLIPS! I've read a bunch of very detailed threads, but I still don't comprehend exactly how these clips are supposed to function. I've been working on vehicles for 20+ years, and I've never encountered anything that made me feel this clueless.

For one, on my 2003 4.6L Mountaineer, the 2 plastic clips on the one end of my fuel filter do not have any "red part." They appear to be one black piece with a little "door" that opens exposing 2 clips inside clasping the tube on the filter. Beyond that, I'm lost.

 

[Mr Dubya]

Two types of clips on each end. One type is on the fuel tank side, the other is on the to-engine side.

The gas tank side clip have tabs that pinch the end like fingers in the shape of a U. Identify them, and shimmy each side up until they've popped up and the whole clip can be slid off. Those are the easier ones.

The engine side clips are the hard ones, purely because of design.
Inside the fitting ends are a weird type of spring that closes in on the filter end like your index and thumbs squeezing around pipe in a circle. The tool is used to be clasped around the filter end, and then pushed into the space between the filter end and the line fitting. This is supposed to separate that weird spring and release the pressure. In a perfect world you then pull the line off.

Fight with it, bang it around, rotate it back and forth, and in about 45 minutes of stop and go it probably will come off. I did mine for a while with no luck, but then once I came back and gave it one last shot, it popped off like nothing. I didn't even do anything different.

Good luck




-Dubya

 

[reansor]

The plastic, gas tank side clips are the ones that baffle me. I popped opened the little "doors" on them, and then couldn't figure out what to do. I pinched them, twisted them, tried prying the little tabs inside the "doors...." No movement. I can comprehend how the engine side one works. It's kind of like a Sharkbite, right?

 

[Mr Dubya]

You may have to try and get them popped off further. All I can say is that they took me about 60 seconds each.

And yes, those other fittings are the same general idea as the sharkbit fittings. That'll give you a better mental image when fenageling around with them.

 

[reansor]

Thanks. I've just been a little leery of the plastic clips cuz I know that if I mangle em, the whole fuel line is shot. After I pop the "doors" open, do I just twist them to release those upside down u's?

 

[reansor]

Wow, I get 'em...thank God! It wound up pretty much like I figured: Once I figured out how the clips work, it was easy. I could do the next one in probably 20 minutes. The metal outlet fitting gave me the least trouble. Anyone who's ever done any plumbing work with a "Sharkbite" coupling should have no trouble.

Thanks for the help, and this pic I got off another thread was perfect. Looking at it made me comprehend how the clips work.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aornelas/3817957795/