Whos dumb idea was it to make the fuel filter so difficult to remove?

[BajaXplorer]

Ok I go to swap out my fuel filter on Sat in 90* weather (so hot my ramps sank into the asphalt?!)
after thinking it was going to be a usual 10 minute job, i determine no can do and retreat to the computer to search past posts. I find i need a special coupler tool to the tune of $20 or so

What a joke!
Well I may drive down the street to Ford dealership and armed with a 6 pack for a tech see if one of them can swap it real quick at 5pm when there off work

what a PITA

dm
my .03

 

[jimbo74]

Off Hand, I'd Say:

Ford

 

[tbomb]

yeah, its a real pain in the a$$. i had a friend of mine do it (they own a heavy equip. repair shop) and when they saw they needed to special tool they bought it and didnt charge me for it - they wanna keep it on hand anyway, and when he finally got the filter off, he got the usual "gas in the eyes" treatment, heh. sucked then, but when i think back, it was funny as hell. i just take it to them now when i need a fuel filter.

youre 6 pack idea should work, go stop by one day and talk to one of the guys and be like, "hey, if you change out this filter for me tomorrow at the end of the day for like 10 minutes, ill get you a sixer of whatever you want." hopefully you wont get a mechanic who's a recovering alcoholic or anything.

on the other hand, if you get the tool now, youll be able to do all your fuel filter changes forever...until ford changes the setup but youll always run the chance of the "fuel in the eyes." tough decision.

 

[Robert]

The "special tool" is only a set of $6 plastic rings that you insert in between the fuel line and the filter. I bought mine from Checker Auto Parts here in Phoenix. It turned my fuel filter change into a 10 minute job (20 if you count the time it took me to drive up to Checkers. Someone did point out though from the east coast that the salt from the area can cause corrosion bad enough to make in very difficult to remove the lines even with the tool. Seeing how you are in San Diego, you might be faced with the same salty corrosion that they were faced with. Finally, removing the fuel pressure first, resulted in only a small trickle of fuel out the line once it was disconnected, no spraying.

 

[BajaXplorer]

Well if anyone has a part #, manufacturer etc. How are these plastic pieces used to remove the couplings? Any pictures?

I live far enough away from the ocean that I dont have problems with corrosion.
My undercarrige is spotless after a liberal amount of SIMPLE GREEN. I hate crap falling into my eyes when working on vehicles.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[aldive]

What about relocating the filter and changing the connectors to a more conventional type ( snap rings or hose clamps )?

Ideas? Comments?

Is obvious, as is the case many times, that a "design" engineer has never had to replace the filter.....

Maybe engineerrs had better stick to driving trains.

 

[geo95xlt]

i struggled with my filter for two years,on and off.
i finally bought this tool from k-d tools,it was about
12 bucks.once i got it ,i was done in about 10 min.
only prob i had was that i relieved the pressure at the
fuel rail ,or so i thought.there must be another one
somewhere because i got blasted with gas anyway.
o well maybe next time will be different

 

[Rhett]

That sob is a real pain to remove. I bought some of those toy plastic rings that are supposed to do it. I figured it would be a 10 minute job at most. ahaha. How naive I was. I would donate the toy plastic rings to a local daycare, those little kids need some toys to play with after all. On 2nd thought, I better not do that, they might choke on them.

 

[JDraper]

Originally posted by aldive
What about relocating the filter and changing the connectors to a more conventional type ( snap rings or hose clamps )?

Ideas? Comments?

Is obvious, as is the case many times, that a "design" engineer has never had to replace the filter.....

Maybe engineerrs had better stick to driving trains.

I wouldn't suggest doing that unless you go with a screw on fitting with braided tubing (preferrably stainless steel). There's a chance you would blow the hose clamps or rubber hose pieces you use right off the fuel lines. Fuel injection systems run at a considerably higher pressure than the old carbureted systems.

As for the design engineers never having to replace the filters, you're right!!! I've had the dubious pleasure of having to deal with some of the automotive engineers, and a lot of them have no clue!! One of the problems with automotive engineering is that the engineers are required to make a certain # of changes to a vehicle each year, so they sometimes just change things 'because'. Go Figure!!

HMMPH, engineers should stick to trains?????????????? I'M INSULTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! j/k (I'm an engineer and physicist )

 

[JoeC5]

The first time I changed it took me about a hour. Now I can do it in 10 minutes.

 

[MarkB]

I just need to vent here ... broke 2 fuel filter removal tools I got from PepBoys. One of the little prong thingies broke off each time. So I ask my wife to take the fuel filter I have and take it to a shop for them to just remove and install - $60 later I have the new one installed. I was pissed about that $60 when the freaking filter was under $10.

 

[LS431o28]

Yep and the same thing was crossing my mind today. after being stubborn and wasting the whole day and after picking up the piece of S*\T special tool I still couldnt get that stupid thing off actually broke that cheese ball of aluminum tool. I tried a pair of needle nosed plars and chanel locks trying to pry that ******* off. so i came back in here and started gong through the forums on the silly filter and found a few people whohave been succesful and those that havent so i tried all the ideas in here except that silly plats tool. if the aluminum broke i'd hate to see what i'd do to plastic. well needless to say I want the heads of engneerng team that designed this on a platter. It sure would be nice if engineers would try ther crap in the real world instead of sitting at their computers with the Dr. jeckyl laughs, laughng at us who are busting are knuckles and creating new words in the real world. the next time i buy a new vehicle im going to demand that all the speacial tools for that vehcle(which of course will be another X) be included in the purchase. not the severe maintenace tools just the typical tools ill need for mantenance like this after the warranty expires. well ive vented for the day and still didnt accomplish anything positive I was hoping to come back here and post some good news. but as luck has im just parsed. if anyone has any luck with somethng other than that cheesey aluminum or plastc tool pease let us know.
Sorry to be so negative Im normally pretty happy with the X

 

[BajaXplorer]

I broke down today and bought the tools from the CarQuest Auto here in my neighborhood. It took all of 10 minutes to get out and get the new one in. Just a dribble of gas (down my arm) and that was it.
I got the set made by LISLE tool it was $10
its made for A/C fittings as well as fuelline fittings.
worked great weird to get used to but worked once I got how it worked.

part # 370000

Dead Link Removed

 

[ammo troop]

I had the same probs. Finially got p____ed and cavemanned it, went to carquest after and bought new clamps, found out later (another vehicle) a piece of waxed cardboard believe it or not will work...Oh well...