Yes I responded to your message.

 

I'm in the same boat. I broke the clips on my 04 Ranger. Those are the most pain in the *** clips I've ever delt with. I don't want to have to pay $300 for new fuel lines to be installed because I broke some piece of *&^# clips.
Where did you find the replacement clips? Junk yard? and how did you get them off of the junker?

 

A friend of a friend of a friend used to work at a Ford dealer and had a couple of them. I tried at junkyards and through the internet without any luck. Good luck in your search.

 

I used zip ties. It looks pretty neat and looks like it will do the job fine. I just hate to jerry rig anything. Especially something like a fuel line. Thanks though.

 

this is well worth bringing back up for it sure helped me today

 

I struggled for hours with the 'special tool' I bought for the filter swap out. It worked for one line after some struggling, but it didn't fit on the other lines. I ended up grinding the tool down to try to get it to fit on the other lines, only to have that fail and discover the tool was now too short to take the line back off the new filter (I did a test fit.)

I had just about given up when I twisted the new filter around, with one line clipped on it, and took a good look at it.

If your fuel connectors have green or orange bands on them, squeeze the bands with a pair of adjustable pliers and pull on the line. That's it.

The longest part of the project should be jacking up the truck and depressurizing the lines. The actually filter changeout should take a minute or two (not accounting for controlling fuel still left in the old filter.)

I was seriously considering having the truck towed to a dealership to get it fixed before I discovered the 'secret.'

By the way, there are too many smiley options on this board for my own good.

 

I have the green, orange band on the fuel line clips and I going to replace the filter this weekend.

Can you elaborate on "squeeze the bands with a pair of adjustable pliers"?

I sure don't want to break the clips.

 

Sure, I'll try.

If I remember correctly, the lines connect to the filter with a black round shroud that has the one flat colored area you've noticed.

Squeezing this colored band in towards the center of the line will release the line, and you should be able to pull it off the filter easily.

It should not take much effort at all to do this, given your average sized pair of channel locks/adjustable pliers/whatever you want to call them.

To give you an idea of the construction, consider this:

/###\
|#o#|
|#U#|
\___/

the 'o' is the fuel filter connection, flared at the end for capture.

the '#' signs and the 'U' are the colored plastic, only a portion of which you can see.

The rest is the black shroud on the fuel lines.

Pressing the exposed colored band (###) pushes the 'U' trap away from the filter connector (the 'o') and exposes it to the larger, free area.
###
# #

so that you can easily remove the line. Once you take off the line you'll be able to see all this clearly for yourself.

Hope that helps.

 

The fuel line clip is similar to a horeshoe. The end you want to press on is the large flat side. Push fuel line fitting toward filter and use a small flat blade screwdriver on the large end of plastic clip and then pull fuel line to release it. It works on all three clips on my 03.

 

I was reading this post and was wondering why no one had problems with these clips. I run a garage but that really means nothing in this world today. But I tried to do a fuel filter change today and was unaware you use the same disconnect tool as you do for others. I tried pushing and pulling at the same time to get them out. The fuel pressure was relieved beforehand. I broke two and the third wasn't broke per say. But in looked wounded at the split in the ends. I went everywhere looking to see if I could get one. I was calling other garages to see if anyone knew. I had to get this truck running today. I started to think wire ties but, i like to do things right and thats scary-to me. Anyway this previous owner of a garage said I know what you can do. I'm like wait your going to say use a wire tie. Put the fitting on and make sure the openings in the female (truck side-all three ends at filter) side pass by the ring on the fuel filter. Get a multi-pack of wire ties and use the one thats the exact same width as the filter. Use good ties. Keep the thick end of the wire tie between the side where the two small holes are. The other end will run a c around the filter and use the ring on the filter to sit against. Anyone ever hear of this? It worked, I tried pulling on it when the truck was running. It holds, but does anyone know where you can get those ends? Without buying a whole fuel line kit from ford.

 

I broke the green and orange clips and was hoping someone could tell me where to buy them. The dealers won't sell them.

 

The wire ties as referred to in so many posts here are more commonly known as "zip ties". As posted, these can be used if applied with some caution. I used them on my fuel pump lines when I changed them, but I had to double up on them to be sure there was enough thickness to be sure it would not slip off. You just have to guide the plastic strip around the fitting and test it to be sure it won't slip off after you you zip lock it.

I'm going to do my filter tomorrow and I will report the results of what I have learned about not breaking the damn things in the process.

Thanks to you all that know that informing the rest of us here on these mundane things to save us some money, time, and work serves a good purpose...and I hope to add to this information after tomorrow.

 

Yes the clips do readily release when you depress the flat colored surface on the clip. I used a pair of channel locking pliers because of the position of the flats. I'm sure a screw driver can be used. The main thing is to not crush the end of the fitting because it doesn't take a lot of pressure on the clip to remove the line.

More importantly, be sure to relieve the pressure in the system by unplugging the switch above the passenger side kick panel. Start the truck at let it run till it dies. There will be some residual gasoline spillage from the lines and the old filter...best to prepare for that. The new filter should come with plastic dust covers over the line fittings, so remove them and have them ready to slip onto the old filter to retain the gasoline in the filter and have a rag handy to catch the drippings from the lines. They won't loose much, but enough to drip into your eyes and ruin your day.

Make sure all gasoline spillage is cleaned up and the fumes have aired out before taking your ratchet and 1/2" socket to remove the nut on the holding bracket, which is also clinging to a flexible line that runs parallel to the gas lines, it's just in a slot attached to the bracket and should just slip out, be sure to put it in the new bracket before you re-apply the nut.

The new lines will flex enough to align the end to slip straight on and the clip will click into place.

I honestly don't know why they would design the filter system in this way, or place it under the truck in such an inconvenient place. The idea that new lines have to be purchased if the clips are broken is outrageous. Two to three hundred dollars for new lines? They should just give them to us as an apology. Nuff Said...

 

WHY HAS NO ONE POSTED PICTURES!

It would be very useful to have pictures of the several different kinds of filter/clip combinations and then a picture/arrow/direction for each.

(this is mainly because I need to change mine and need to figure out how to do it)!

 

yours is pre-2000 so I'm under the impression that you need the "tool" and my photos wouldn't do you any good