fuel filter

[WDoherty]

About three weeks ago i tried to change my fuel filter. Although i sprayed with lubricant and used a tubing wrench it i still rounded off one end and never got the other to break. Now i am in my college town and hardly have a tool. I'd like to get the filter changed and looks like i will be taking it to a mechanic, which i don't like to do, i am definately hands on. A guy at O-Reilly autoparts gave me a couple places he trusted, i just don't know what to look for or ask. Can someone gets these loose, or will they have to cut the fuel line and install new fittings, i'm trying to figure the right way to fix this.

 

[Lextreme II]

http://www.lextreme.com/fuelfilter.html

 

[WDoherty]

thanks, yeah i've read this, and i pretty much followed those instructions and used a flare wrench and back up (i thought i was being cautious) and i still rounded off the nut. I'm screwed now, this happened i believe because the car is 14 yrs old and the salt corrosion is prevalent on those nuts because i got the car from Chicago.

 

[LEXKING]

I have done this and it worked fine for many years. Cut the tubing with a tubing cutter. Go out and buy High pressure fuel hose. Buy compression fittings to go on the cut ends of the gas line, also you will need barbed fittings to go on the new filter and the compression fittings that you have installed on the fuel line. Loop the hose to the filter and mount the filter with a new hose clamp around it. Use hose clamps for the hose to the barbed fittings. This is how I replaced the filter on my old 90 LS. The guy that owns it still says no leaks that was 5 years ago.

 

[Lextreme II]

Its always good to spray some WD40 before loosen the connectors.

 

[LexTite]

just an input, but it took me 3 months to find my fuel filter. Had too much pride to ask anybody a simp question like that. I gave up looking for it until i stumble acroos a peek of it while under the car doin some body work. Went to get the fuel and realized i'd lost it in the 2 months i kept in my shed.

 

[WDoherty]

thank you, thank you, thank you........ i'l be looking into this but not quite yet, its test time this week and next

 

[jibbby]

Hey guys how often should you change the fuel filter?...I don't think mine has ever been changed... Could this slow down fuel delivery?

 

[Toysrme]

It does as it eventually clogs.
Semi-modern Toyota's have no recommending fuel filter interval change. They're basically "lifetime". The last few I remember seeing were in the 100,000-150,000 mile range.
The fuel pumps have mesh bags on them & as time went on there were additional coarse filtering materials before even that pick-up.
All the big trash that normally clogs filters & injectors -> pretty much trapped before it even get's to the pump. (Also a major factor in why Toyota's Denso injector's fail rarely, while everyone else's have higher failure rates - even when using Denso injectors lol!)

So the filters really just pick-up the really, really small stuff.





On an OEM engine, I'd do it every 100,000 miles. On something pushing alot of horsepower & was hence more sensative to flow. I'd do it every couple of years.

 

[xirforever]

when i did mine a month ago, black fuel pored out of the intake to the fuel filter... it was really grouse

I didnt really have any problems taking mine off though, i guess i got lucky because i keep hearing these horror stories. I let some PB Blaster sit on there for 30 mins before i did it though, PB Blaster does amazing things.

 

[Death By Bass]

ok.. so... how come when I changed my filter, my fuel just kept on flowing out of the tank, down my arms, onto the ground, etc, till I had lost about 5 litres of fuel... hmm

 

[jibbby]

Well I'll be changing mine out shortly...I will use WD40 on the nut ends and hopefully they will not strip.... Underbody bolts that have not been turned in 15 years could be a problem...

 

[xirforever]

death by bass: If i remember correctly about 2 liters of fuel will pour out of the lines

Jibby: I cant urge you strong enough to use PB Blaster instead of WD40, WD40 will do nothing compared to PB Blaster, honestly. When trying to avoid rounding off those nuts in particular, you want to use the best stuff to avoid a huge headache

 

[Death By Bass]

death by bass: If i remember correctly about 2 liters of fuel will pour out of the lines

Jibby: I cant urge you strong enough to use PB Blaster instead of WD40, WD40 will do nothing compared to PB Blaster, honestly. When trying to avoid rounding off those nuts in particular, you want to use the best stuff to avoid a huge headache

no... mine was draining out the whole petrol tank....

it was nlolonger coming out of the fuel line that goes to the front of the car, rather, it was coming from the fuel line that goes to the tank......

 

[jibbby]

Well maybe we should change these filters on a nearly empty tank of gas..

Xirforever, I will look into this BP Blaster....I've just always used WD40 on those hard to remove bolts and nuts since I was a kid...

 

[xirforever]

Death by Bass: Yeah, about 2 liters came out of my line that lead to the gas tank, maybe something was wrong with your lines? Im not really sure how it works, i never cared enough to figure it out.

Jibby, do try it! i always used to use WD40, but trust me, you will soon see the light! note, PB Blaster is not a lubricant of any sort, just eats rust like nobody's business! So you can still you your WD40 on some stuff

Any auto store will carry it, gl

 

[gloverman]

One reason fuel comes out is the fuel tank can become pressurised - especially on a hot day with the car turned off. Before changing the filter release the fuel cap to drop the pressure then refit. This often helps with fuel loss but not always.
We see lots of blocked filters - many causing cars not to start. Partly blocked filter put extra strain on the fuel pump. The fuel filter also catchs the wear from the fuel pump - the fuel runs past the brushes of the pump - like any motor the brushes wear and the filter catches this material. Blocked filters are even more common now petrol prices are high so people drive around on empty.
lifetime service filters may last a long time but some have o-rings to seal them and they age, leaking fuel out or air in , causing poor starting and drivability problems. Cheers

 

[Death By Bass]

One reason fuel comes out is the fuel tank can become pressurised - especially on a hot day with the car turned off. Before changing the filter release the fuel cap to drop the pressure then refit. This often helps with fuel loss but not always

did that... didn't help...

 

[jibbby]

Can't you just plug the inlet line temporarily while the fuel filter is being replaced? Like plug the line with plastic or rubber plug? Doesn't seem like a big deal...

 

[Death By Bass]

Can't you just plug the inlet line temporarily while the fuel filter is being replaced? Like plug the line with plastic or rubber plug? Doesn't seem like a big deal...

the problem was, it took like 5 minutes to get both the inlet, and outlet nut thingos undone, and for this full 10 minutes, there was a steady trickle of petrol, once the filter was off, I figured I'd like the lines drain into a bucket... 5 minutes later, and one was still flowing strong... and then, ofcourse, putting the new filter back in, and another 5 minutes attempting to get both of the nuts done up again...

hmm