Holy Moly! Fuel filter

Just did the 108000 mile "B" servie on my car. All went smoothly except for the fecking fuel filter.

Firstlly I managed to shear off both the screws that hold it onto its poxy little bracket (luckiy I managed to get the bracket off the car adn drill them out leaving enough thread to fit new screws). Then I put as much torque as I dared on the unions but they wouldn't budge.

I regret to say that its going to have to go to a garage to have it changed. Oh, the shame, but TBH my bottle went. I didn't fancy shearing the fuel pipe off and filling my dad's pit up with petrol.

Anyone else had problems?

Yep! When I did mine I managed to get the old one off, but then it started absolutely pissing it down. Tried to get the new one on while lying in a rapidly enlarging puddle of freezing cold water under the car and stripped the thread on it trying to do it too fast. Finally gave up before hyperthermia set in - had to leave the car up on stands at the bottom of my drive & take the next morning off work to put the bloody old one back on as I'd knackered the new one. Suffice to say when I'd ordered another new one I got the garage to do it for £40 or whatever.

im quite the opposite. i cracked both connections to my 90k UK miler with no problems at all. i undid the unions before taking bracket off for leverage

I've been pondering doing mine for a few months.

I have some Loctite Freeze & Remove (I think it's called). Supposed to freeze the nuts to -28 and lubricatingly penetrate too. D'ya think it'll help?

Didn't fancy trying heat on the nuts

How do you stop fuel pissing out everywhere?

I didn't have too much trouble getting it undone, it was just trying to get the new one on too fast with no enough light to see what I was doing while freezing my arse off! You need to use a flare nut spanner. To stop loads of fuel going everywhere you just disconnect the fuel pump and crank the engine a few times to depressurise the lines.

mm interesting, thanks. I'll try to find where the fuel pump is (it's in the boot somewhere isn't it?) and might have a go tomorrow.

What's a flare-nut spanner?

mm interesting, thanks. I'll try to find where the fuel pump is (it's in the boot somewhere isn't it?) and might have a go tomorrow.

 

What's a flare-nut spanner?

It's a special spanner for compression flare nuts on pipes, so you don't round them off. They're kind of a cross between an open ended spanner and a ring spanner. Halfords sell them. Like this:

http://im.edirectory.co.uk/products/1629/i/16556.jpg

The fuel pump ECU is on the passenger side in the boot, up inside.

It's a special spanner for compression flare nuts on pipes, so you don't round them off. They're kind of a cross between an open ended spanner and a ring spanner. Halfords sell them. Like this:

 

http://im.edirectory.co.uk/products/1629/i/16556.jpg

 

The fuel pump ECU is on the passenger side in the boot, up inside.

great, thanks. Picture hasn't appeared.. might relate to your session on that site or something, but I think I can imagine what you mean. Is it sort of almost closed so you have to slip it over the pipe and then slide up onto the nut?

Try this one...

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/images/products/hi/MM040210071G.jpg

Try this one...

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/images/products/hi/MM040210071G.jpg

Thats just a standard pipe spanner mate I remember the fuel filter incident lol. Not seen you about these parts lately.

mm interesting, thanks. I'll try to find where the fuel pump is (it's in the boot somewhere isn't it?) and might have a go tomorrow.

 

There's a connector that you can disconnect near the spare wheel, front/left corner.

OK, quick guide to replacing the fuel filter.

1) Extinguish all cigarettes and naked flames etc.

2) Choose a day when the car is very low on fuel.

3) Get the car up in the air, preferrably on a ramp, failing that get the front on ramps/axle stands.

4) Remove the 2 EFI fuses from the fuse box under the bonnet, crank the engine over a few times to depressurise the system.

5) IMPORTANT: using a spanner on the flats on the filter and a (pipe) spanner on the flare nuts on the pipe, just loosen the pipe connections either end of the filter.

You will get petrol coming out, but depending on the level of the tank and the angle of the car, hopefully not too much. Be prepared for the worse, with lots of absorbant rags.

6) Remove the 2 filter retaining bolts

7) Remove the filter pipes using 2 spanners, be prepared for (lots of) petrol spillage, but dont panic

8) Fit the pipes to the new filter, don't panic and cross thread them, and don't tighten them yet, so that you can position the filter

9) Replace the 2 filter retaining bolts, remembering to fit the earth strap

10)Tighten the filter pipes using both spanners

11)Replace the 2 EFI fuses

12)Start the car and check for leaks

13)lower car from jacks, drive off ramp etc.

14)congratulate yourself on another job well done

Standard disclaimer

All the above is obviously undertaken at your own risk.

If you strip the threads, pull the car off of the stands on top of yourself, or set fire to the fcuking thing, DON'T come crying to me

Do the EFI fuses kill the fuel pump to then??

I've been pondering doing mine for a few months.

I have some Loctite Freeze & Remove (I think it's called). Supposed to freeze the nuts to -28 and lubricatingly penetrate too. D'ya think it'll help?

Didn't fancy trying heat on the nuts

Not heard of that before - I thought you were meant to heat stuff that won't come off.

I'll look out for that next time I'm in a jam.

Not heard of that before - I thought you were meant to heat stuff that won't come off.

Maybe not fuel lines though

Maybe not fuel lines though

Oh yeah! Duuuur. LOL!

(I was meaning just in general though, not this specific application)

Oh yeah! Duuuur. LOL!

 

(I was meaning just in general though, not this specific application)

I know, just pulling your leg

5) IMPORTANT: using a spanner on the flats on the filter and a (pipe) spanner on the flare nuts on the pipe, just loosen the pipe connections either end of the filter.

Much easier said than done on my car! The tapered connector feels like its solid.

Not heard of that before - I thought you were meant to heat stuff that won't come off.

I'll look out for that next time I'm in a jam.

I saw it at a place called Bogle and Timms nr Manchester, and immediately though of the pending fuel filter change and bought it for that. Was about £4.99. I guess the ideal thing would be to freeze the inside part somehow so as it contracts, but I think the idea is that it shocks the parts into being movable.

Much easier said than done on my car! The tapered connector feels like its solid.

TBH, mine was very tight as well, but with decent spanners and a bit of swearing it eventually came undone

Anyone know what size flare-nut spanner I need? Going to suppliers now but uncle says they are sometimes given in BSP sizes :frown:

I saw it at a place called Bogle and Timms nr Manchester, and immediately though of the pending fuel filter change and bought it for that. Was about £4.99. I guess the ideal thing would be to freeze the inside part somehow so as it contracts, but I think the idea is that it shocks the parts into being movable.

-43C, even better

http://www.uk2sucks.net/freeze/1.JPG

Revived!!

Did this spray work? and do I really need it to change the fuel filter?

I have only ever changed ford fule filters and they are pretty straight forward and easy. This reads like I am going to encounter problems.

Hi, I am tackling the fuel filter replacement but I am currently concerned about the amount of petrol I have gathered from the partially undone unions on the fuel filter. I did not depressurise first but I guess that once you allow fuel out you are depressurising by default? I have currently drained around 2 litres of fuel and it is still coming. Can anyone conform that it is not going to drain the fuel tank before the flow stops? I ask because the tank is about a third full.

You need to undo the feed on the top of the tank otherwise you'll drain the tank buddy