Hey guys, hope everyone is well. Yesterday I started my truck for the first time this year. I parked it in November with a load of firewood, and finally got it split n the box cleaned out. It was a couple degrees above zero so I figured what the heck. Cycled the plugs once, 4 flips n she’s idling. Activated the high idle n left. Drove it out of the snow bank and to the other side of the house, n I can smell fuel after I shut down. The drain is leaking fuel down onto the valve cover. I drained it before I started it, I always drain it if it’s been sitting for awhile.

I phone Ford, and they’ll have to get it out of the states a week away. $100 for just the drain valve assembly. I ask if I can buy the whole bottom base, guy says yes but it doesn’t come with the drain or sensors. I ask if they sell the little oring separate, as the drain valve is probly good, just the oring is damaged. They don’t sell the oring separate.

Now, I could swap to the one piece wix filter, but I have a few Motorcraft filters on hand. They would then be unusable. I don’t mind the two part deal, this is the only problem we’ve had with it all these years. Then I’m thinking, the filter head says International on it, but I can’t remember if the base is IH too. I’ll have to take a mirror and look to see if there’s a stamp or IH number on. If so, maybe I can phone IH with my serial number and get a valve cheaper. Doubt it, but maybe. I’ll probly end up going through Ford, but it would be interesting to see what IH would say if it is theirs.

Also, has anybody replaced their drain valve? Looks like a tedious job with small pieces, something I just excel at

 

can't help you with this, i switched to one piece filter back in 1990.

 

The one and only time stocking up on fuel filters bites me in the azz lol

 

If you think its just an o-ring, you should be able to pull it apart and get the o-ring out. Then either measure it well, or bring it someplace that stocks o-rings and match it up.
I have an assortment I got at harbor freight that has come in handy a few times for random o-rings. They have a metric and a standard one, sometimes neither has what you really need, but may be able to get close.

While you have a decent idea of draining when its been sitting, do you collect and look at what you get out? If something is accumulating in the fuel tank it will be in the fuel tank. Its not going to make it to the filter until you start the truck, so you might be wasting your time. If the water in fuel light comes on, then by all means drain the filter.

 

what tecgod said

 

Looking again online, it’s more of a flat seal instead of an oring actually; we’ll see when I get it apart. I too have an oring kit, I think they’re all old and dry as I’ve had the kit for years but nothing ever matched up to it.

I’m well aware of the filter not catching anything unless the engines running, I just couldn’t remember the last time I drained it. I’ve never saved any samples, as long as it smells like diesel we’re good. I’ll drain it again after I put the truck to work and let the fuel circulate, just in case there is something in the tank.

It was a good thing I drained it now, let it leak in the yard instead of going down the road without me knowing. But with the price of fuel, she better not leak at all lol

 

Just wanted to post an update on this, I ended up buying the complete drain valve kit from Ford as they don’t sell the seal separate. Put it in a few minutes ago.

E8TZ-9J305-A is the kit. Ran me about $100

International is 1813018C91

Very easy job to do, the easiest job I’ve done in awhile.

For those like me that want to keep the factory filter setup, if yours is leaking and your seal is not torn or shredded; flip it upside down and put the rough/used side under the brass cap. Put the other/good side towards the filter base, and try that. It might work in a pinch until you can get parts.

5/16 wrench is all you need.

 

Drain closed

Drain open

 

Excellent write-up. Also, for another (not necessarily cheaper) source of seals, McMaster sells a bag of 100 for $18.31 (P/N 90133A021 )

Like you, I have had temporary success with flipping the seal too.

I know the factory drain bowl setup gets a ton of hate on all the forums, but in my view most of the issues are caused by a lack of understanding about how the drain valve works. If the seal is good, it will be squishy enough to tighten with two fingers. When replacing it, clean the seat for it too, I have seen a few of them with enough accumulated crud to prevent a good seal. A properly functioning factory drain bowl lets you use MUCH cheaper filters, plus you don't have to worry about moving the sensor over every time the filter is replaced.

 

Not sure where you have been buying your filters from, but when I priced it, the one piece filters were MUCH MUCH cheaper than the factory one. Moving the sensor is a piece of cake (the filter comes with a new o-ring), or you cat the filter that doesn't use the sensor and don't worry about it... Maybe its changed since I swapped over years ago *shrug*.

 

Thank you solanum! There isn’t much info on this online, so hopefully this thread fills the gap for the next guy that’s going in blind. Not that it’s overly complex, but I’m one of those guys that likes to gather any info I can before diving in.

Thank you for adding the McMaster part number, that will definitely help others. If I could have just bought the seal by itself, I would have. The drain valve itself doesn’t really wear out, and I would’ve reused the old one without worry.

I too don’t understand all the hate the factory filter setup gets, 32 years later it still works fine. My Dad never had trouble with it, and neither have I. As long as I can still get parts, I’ll stay with the factory setup.

 

It’s crazy, but a Factory MC filter is still cheaper than a Napa Gold or Wix one piece. Looking on Napa’s website, even the two piece Napa filter is more money than a MC. At least around here it is

 

Excellent point, glad you brought it up. For years I used the FIL 3417 or its close cousin the FIL 3617 from NAPA. Until quite recently they always cost $35 on my account, which is about the same as any of the RockAuto filters would have been after shipping. Under this price structure I agree, the integral-drain filters were the way to go.

But it's 2022 and all, so now NAPA charges $79.99 for them. At least on my account, I now get zero discount off list on filters.

RockAuto sells the correct Motorcraft filter for $23, and a genuine GM filter for $22. They do sell the WIX 33417, which is the non-NAPA branded version of the integral-drain filter, for $33- but in my book, as long as I have to wait anyway, may as well use the factory filters and save $11.

A few weeks ago, RockAuto was selling a bunch of the Motorcraft FD-3375 filters with the old-school packaging for $11/ea as a closeout, so I bought a case of them.

I burn all manner of nasty scrap oil and fryer grease as fuel, and replace the filter every 2500 miles or so (twice per oil change interval), so for me it adds up. The drain pipe kadingus on the factory setup is a nice added bonus too.