I have a 2004 F-350 dually with the 6.0L.

I need to change the fuel filters. (Did the top one last night which was easy).
The last time I changed the lower filter, the fuel never stopped running out and it was a huge mess.
I've read a bunch of posts on how to do this and watched another bunch of videos and it seems that for everyone else the fuel stops running out of the drain eventually and the fuel filter change is relatively easy with minimal mess.

Is there some reason that the fuel never stops draining out of my lower drain?
i.e. could this be an indication of some problem somewhere?

I'm changing the fuel filters now because the truck has been having intermittent starting problems. It is catching right away but then dies quickly. It takes 3 or 4 more starting attempts to get it running. It seems that the fuel pump is running when the key is turned and that maybe air gets in the line somehow.
But I don't see any leaks anywhere. I'm hoping the filter change may fix something but suspect that I may have a problem somewhere else.

Any suggestions?

 

Do you open the water drain first when changing the lower filter? I remove that drain plug and allow it to stop draining before I change the lower filter. But your starting problem is likely HPO system related. Do you have any gauges that read live data like the scan gauge II or one of the smartphone apps like Dashboss for IOS devices or torque pro for android or Edge insight CTS? They are absolutely necessary in diagnosing problems with these trucks and to just keep an eye on things in general.
Also are you using OEM oil fuel and air filters with an OEM oil filter cap? If not you should be, here is a video explaining the differences between aftermarket and OEM filters,

 

That is excellent info..

It's really essential to have an ODB2 port "gauge".. so you can watch your injector/HPO pressures (helps you identify when you have a problem there).

You also need to monitor your FICM voltages.. (Fuel Injector Control Module). Weak batteries/alternator cause the FICM to work harder to power the injectors and the circuity overheats and fails.. resulting in hard starts..

Lastly, a fuel pressure gauge (requires a sender be attached to the fuel bowl) and a gauge (my is on the A-piller) helps you identify whether the NO start is a fuel issue or something else. It also helps you find those times when you don't get the fuel filter housing cap on properly after a filter change..

Sorry, I can't explain your constantly flowing fuel issue, I drain mine via the drain plug and get about 1/2 a cup or so.. It's also worth upgrading to the brass "knurled" **** plug so you don't strip the allen wrench hole and create an even bigger problem..

Good luck!

 

This time, I am using Motocraft filters. I don't recall what I used last time but the starting problem began much later than the filter changes.
I also did an oil change last night too with the Motocraft filter.

Last time I did the fuel filter, I had literally accumulated 1/2 gallon of fuel before I decided to quickly do the change while it was still draining. I thought I was going to drain my whole tank if I kept waiting.

I had the truck at the local diesel mechanic for a week. Because the starting problem is intermittent, they had a tough time observing it. During computer monitoring, they did not see anything abnormal while it was running. During the few bad starts, they were not able to capture any data due to the short duration. The guy gave it back to me and said that he thinks fuel is draining out of the line during the stops but could not figure out how that could be occurring.

I'm going to change the lower filter this evening but I'm really not looking forward to it.....
Still hoping that someone knows why it never stops draining.

 

I have read that a bad fuel pump will allow the secondary fuel filter housing to drain back to the tank. That is an expensive guess but a possibility. That is why gauges are so important as different problems can have the same symptoms and having gauges can help you rule out the HPO system as one of them.

 

Run your tank of diesel down to near empty as you can, drain plug first, then filter. You may have a non standard filter in there or it's bound and causing this drain down issue. Be sure to replace both filter at the same time, lower first, upper should not be loosened, then replace upper. Ford filters and caps a must, though I have not seen many non standard fuel filters. I am not sure, but there must be a release valve inside the HFCM that closes when you pull the filter, something is causing your issue. Maybe someone can post the inside view so you can compare.

 

I changed the lower filter and this time collected a full 1/3rd of a gallon.
The fuel never stopped draining as before. There was an initial rush followed by a drizzle that looked like it was going to stop then it picked up and just continued to drain gas at a steady pace.
My previous filter was also a Motorcraft. For all the talk about original equipment and the vent hole, I noticed a small region at the top of this filter that was still white and probably had trapped some air. This region was smaller than a thumb and nowhere near as large as the ones shown in the videos.

My starting problem "appeared" to have gotten fixed. For a few days afterwards, the truck started every time the first time. But then it resorted to not starting on the first time if the truck has been off for a long time. It was taken on a long trip over the weekend and on the way back, injector #2 went out. Coincidence?

I took it to the local Ford dealer since the only other diesel mechanic in my area had it for a week and could solve the starting problem. Ford replaced injector #2 and the ICP sensor (said it was shorted). But the starting problem persists. Ford is pursuing a possible air leak in the HPOP system.
Does this sound reasonable? I don't want to replace the HPOP if I don't have to. I've read in this forum that it's really expensive.

Any ideas?