Can someone please tell me what the trick is to get the fuel filter off the 97 Explorer? I purchased a replacement filter but I cannot get the origional off. Is there a trick to this?

 

There's no trick, but you do need a special tool.

1. Remove the safety retainers from the fuel line/filter connections.

2. Install the special tool between the line & filter & slide it toward the filter to release the metal tangs that hold the line to the filter.

3. Slide the line off of the filter.

[a href="http://www.ontool.com"]Ontool.com[/a] sells a full set of Lisle brand fuel line tools for less than eight bucks. You should also be able to find them at nearly any local autoparts store. The Lisle set looks like this:

http://www.ontool.com/product/images/LIS/images/LIS_37000_fs.jpg