Fuel Filter pissin' me off.... | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Fuel Filter pissin' me off....

MistahYebba

Well-Known Member
Joined
June 29, 2015
Messages
275
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18
City, State
Clearwater, Florida
Year, Model & Trim Level
2005 Ford Explorer XLT
So.... I go to change my fuel filter.. Easy enough, right?

WRONG.

This is what my filter line looks like....

d4a80226249dc3c18379b94322a74004.png


ef93f6cf260d5072c952d92c552b932f.png


So....

How the heck, right?

I got one of those "special removal tools" to make it easy...

The freakin' tool doesn't fit between the filter and the push lock thing..

So I cut it down hoping it would work (albeit cut very jaggedly...)...........

Ugh, this is the result.. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

21433e869464c60cb65d776273412de0.png


Maybe I'm a freakin' moron but I reckon my filter lines are... unique...

Someone please tell me how to change this fuel filter... this is just one of the 500 different problems with my truck right now and I am running out of patience for everything to have a little gimmick to it.. :/

THANK YOU.
 



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I would try using a "hook" pick to reach inside and release the little fingers one and two at a time.
 






I would try using a "hook" pick to reach inside and release the little fingers one and two at a time.

Why are mine different than everyone else's? :(

but yes I thought about something shaped like that.

Thank you for the suggestion.
 






I bought the metal tool. Much better. Still some wriggling and swearing, but that comes complimentary with quick eelease. :p
 






I bought the metal tool. Much better. Still some wriggling and swearing, but that comes complimentary with quick eelease. :p

But look at my picture and how the plastic one doesn't fit at all even after being cut down 75% in size with a razor...

After being cut that much, it probably wouldn't even reach in there far enough to get to the teeth anyway!

Get what I'm saying?

That's as far away as the filter will get from the line fitting itself..

I can barely fit a quarter in there!
 






you need a metal one like this 3/8-5/16

FUEL_LINE_DISCONNECT_TOOL-2T.jpg
 






you need a metal one like this 3/8-5/16

FUEL_LINE_DISCONNECT_TOOL-2T.jpg

But the teeth of the metal one (and the plastic one) are thicker than the width of 2 quarters, and really that is the most that can go in there is the width of 2 quarters as you can see in the picture :/

Do you think I'll have to snip the filter nipple?
 






Not sure what your saying. But I use this exact one 3/8-5/16 on mine and it works.
 






Since the fuel line has been replaced with stainless braid hose and no clearance, I would cut the filter nipple with a hack saw. Stainless filter should not spark. Once the other line is removed you should have plenty of room to insert any disconnect tool.
 






You sure you can't pull that hose more away from the filter. Seem odd they make a filter that cannot be taken off.
 






Someone said this would happen if they put a ranger filter on an explorer? The nipples would be shorter?

What about wire snippers? Ugh.
 






oh well maybe then.. Guess you got to cut it off
 






Maybe you can pinch it with some wire cutters. Then bend it back and forth till it snaps off.
 






You really don't want to crush the nipple, otherwise the tool may not fit. Stainless is soft, hack saw blades are very cheap. Do it.
 






Yes its soft but once you got the filter out of the way I think you could pinch the end of the nipple to make it kinda round again to fit the tool over it.
 






Ahh, yes, the ford quick connect. Typical of ford to design something that can be put together fine, but impossible to take apart. My advice is to get a tin snips and cut the filter off. Worst case scenario, you have to buy some new high pressure fuel line, and put it in.
 






That doesn't look like the right fuel filter that someone stuck on there. The neck on the filters is supposed to be longer in order to give you the clearance to get the tool in there.

It looks like you're going to have to hacksaw the neck/nipples off the hose. Cut as close to the fuel filter as you can. Once it's off, use some pliers to crush the diameter of the neck/nipple so you can get the tool on and pull the neck/nipple out of the hose fitting.

On a side note, if there's any numbers off the fuel filter, post them here.
 






There is a filter with long nipples and one with short nipples. Explorers take long nipples and yours has the short nipple filter. Cut the nipples off the filter and then the tool will fit so you can pull them out. Its the only way man.
 






Hey guys! At least finally a good update. Cut it off with a hacksaw and it all went pretty smoothly. I put the correct fuel filter on and that should make the next time it ever has to be replaced a breeze.
 



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