Did mine this weekend. I knocked a bunch of crap out of the filter into a glass jar. I will definitely do around ever 30K like recommended. I struggled more getting one side of it to release than the other. My plastic fuel filter removal tool barely fit into one side. I had to bend it and force it in on the one side.
The filter that came off my ST was a wix, just like the one I bought and installed. Sure glad I did not pay more for a motorcraft one.
My idle seems smoother post filter change.