yeah, stupid. now that it's finally apart I need advice.
1994 F350 7.3 IDI

1- the threaded piece to spin the filter up on is a little chewed up on the top half- the part that threads up into the top assembly. Since I hope to NEVER have this taken apart this much again should I worry about that? Is it replace-able? or would that mean buying a whole top assembly?

2- the broken fuel line is the small steel line that comes off the back (firewall side) of the top assembly and runs down to the top of the engine. I've replaced copper line in a gas vehicle before, flared compression type (HELP brand) that wasn't too hard. Called Advanced Auto who says it's plastic now. Can I cut the line and put a piece of line and a compression fitting, flare at the filter top and call it good? That's what I would do in a gas car, but I don't know enough about how this engine works to know if I'm being sensible or stupid. I'm assuming Ford or International is going to tell me its a 70$ part with 2 days ordering time, or some kinda crap like that. It's only crimped at the elbow, easy enough to reach and work on a home-fix...

3- when I removed the fuel filter bottom (finally, with channel locks) I dumped over a pint of fuel down on the engine. WTF? Did I miss something or this really set up to do that. Seems like there should be a bleeder or something....

4- the inside of all these parts were so stuck it's silly. I know as a female I don't have the arm strength you guys do, but really, it was so stuck I had to remove the top assy (that's where I crimped the back fuel line) and put it in a vice and use the big channel locks to crush and remove the filter. Even then it removed the double-threaded part from the top, instead of coming off the bottom thread. It looks dirty in there. There was even some sludge in the threading for the elbows. Did the old owners abuse this or am I doing something wrong? I use additive all winter and mostly in the spring and summer now. Should I be doing something else?

any advice welcome,
TIA

Lee

 

It sounds like a gorilla installed your last fuel filter. It does not need to be that tight by any means. A strap wrench should be able to easily take the filter off. Any tighter than that and it is too much.

If you bent the line that goes from the fuel filter to the injection pump, there may be a possibility of using copper line and swapping out the old connectors with flare connectors. It is a low pressure line. If it is one of the lines going to the injectors (8 total) then you need to replace the line with a new one.

Reinstall the filter head nipple back into the filter head and hopefully it isn't stripped too bad and will accept a new filter. Lube the new filter's O-ring on the rim of the filter with engine oil. I usually just pull the dipstick and use what is on the end of that.

 

I go pick up the replacement line in 15 minutes when they open. Only cost 25$ so that was worth not building one of my own. I am going to do another swap in the fall on the fuel filter, this time with a 1 piece!!
I had the same trouble with the oil filter the first time on this truck- had to use the hammer & screwdriver technique to get that apart... I use sandpaper myself. Just enough grip to get a 1/4 turn and it never loosens on me. Another reason I try to do my own work-I know I can still take it apart if I put it together.
Thanks for the suggestions, wish me luck. I'm nervous about getting it to start up now that all the fuel has gone out of the line etc...

lee

 

Fill the fuel filter with diesel before you install it. That will help to get it started faster. Some people like to put other stuff in, like diesel clean or atf, but regular diesel will be just fine.

 

I got the fuel line on and filter (filled) on, it starts but I'm having a leak where the electric connection goes on at the top. I questioned how tight to get the threaded part into the top assembly, and maybe it's not tight enough, but thinking it through I wonder if there shouldn't be some kind of o-ring where the plastic housing comes up through the top metal housing. everything else seems ok after tightening it up. Now I don't know if I need to take the whole damn thing apart...

anybody know what it should look like between the sheet metal piece that has the wire soldered to it and the upper cast metal housing? I realize most people haven't had to disassemble that much...

thanks again for looking
Lee

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...r-housing.html Read the post by k q in this link, may help.

 

a dozen chili donuts and a sixpack for all involved!!! Thanks so much.

now off to disassemble everything I put together

lee

 

followed the pictures, brought home 2 o-rings, put 1 in, it started right up on the first turn of the key!!!!

I did find out that my Ford dealer gets 160$ for the heater element, 120$ for the header, and 20$ for that screw thing that I thought about replacing. nevermind....
how do y'all afford to keep these beasts running???

thanks again
lee

 

Junk yards and by doing the work ourselves based on advice from FTE, exactly the same as you.
Congrats on getting that problem fixed. Now what will the next one be?
Good luck.