Fuel Filter Change
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,483
Likes: 2
From: Central Texas
Look at http://home.austin.rr.com/sbv1/Proce...r%20change.htm. It is a procedure I modified and posted.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,011
Likes: 0
Wear clothes you can throw away and wear full eye goggles, and be prepared to take a long hot shower afterwards!!! We can give you some hints to minimize the "diesel bath" but I think on everyone's first time they get a little doused. This is doubly true if you have 4x4, because the driveshaft is in the way of the drain plug on the HFCM.
First thing, get a nice square strong 6mm allen wrench. If you have the original brass plug in your HFCM you might as well go get the steel replacement from Ford ahead of time, because the brass ones only come out once, maybe twice, before the hole rounds out and they're stuck.
Next, cut the top part off of a 2 liter bottle, and use it held right up against the hFCM to catch the stuff coming out of the drain hole... if you do as I did the first time and let it fall into a drain pain, it's just going to splatter and soak you. It's hard to describe the contorted position you need to be in to do this without getting diesel running down your arm and into your armpit, but you'll figure it out eventually.
Oh, and before you start, make sure your truck is pointed slightly DOWNhill. Because when you take off the HFCM plastic cap with your 36mm socket, you want the last drips of diesel pooling inside the canister, not running down your frame rail (and all over you) like it does if you're pointing slightly UPhill. (Ask me how I know this....)
The filter will probably come unsnapped from the cap and stay in the HFCM, just grab on and slowly wiggle it out (getting diesel all over yourself. Can you see a trend here?) Put a new o-ring and filter on the cap, slightly lube the o-ring and filter center rubber part with oil or fuel, and screw it back in. It's fun feeding it in there past the driveshaft and frame without getting it dirty by rubbing it on something. In fact, it helps a bit if you unclip the fuel lines from the clamps on the front side of the HFCM, so you can move them out of the way slightly as you work on removing and reinstalling the cap. Remember to clip them back! Cinch the cap down until the plastic touches the metal. If you go too far, you'll snap it. I don't use a torque reading, I simply snug it down until it hits... because the o-ring does the sealing, not the cap.
For the engine (smaller) filter, a 1/2 drive socket handle and extension will remove the cap. Have some container up there with you to move the filter into because it will be dripping diesel, trying to spill it everywhere! New o-ring and filter, lubed as before, install snug like the other one, and you're done. Kick back and enjoy your new aroma - it will be days before you smell like a human instead of diesel again.
Duncan
First thing, get a nice square strong 6mm allen wrench. If you have the original brass plug in your HFCM you might as well go get the steel replacement from Ford ahead of time, because the brass ones only come out once, maybe twice, before the hole rounds out and they're stuck.
Next, cut the top part off of a 2 liter bottle, and use it held right up against the hFCM to catch the stuff coming out of the drain hole... if you do as I did the first time and let it fall into a drain pain, it's just going to splatter and soak you. It's hard to describe the contorted position you need to be in to do this without getting diesel running down your arm and into your armpit, but you'll figure it out eventually.
Oh, and before you start, make sure your truck is pointed slightly DOWNhill. Because when you take off the HFCM plastic cap with your 36mm socket, you want the last drips of diesel pooling inside the canister, not running down your frame rail (and all over you) like it does if you're pointing slightly UPhill. (Ask me how I know this....)
The filter will probably come unsnapped from the cap and stay in the HFCM, just grab on and slowly wiggle it out (getting diesel all over yourself. Can you see a trend here?) Put a new o-ring and filter on the cap, slightly lube the o-ring and filter center rubber part with oil or fuel, and screw it back in. It's fun feeding it in there past the driveshaft and frame without getting it dirty by rubbing it on something. In fact, it helps a bit if you unclip the fuel lines from the clamps on the front side of the HFCM, so you can move them out of the way slightly as you work on removing and reinstalling the cap. Remember to clip them back! Cinch the cap down until the plastic touches the metal. If you go too far, you'll snap it. I don't use a torque reading, I simply snug it down until it hits... because the o-ring does the sealing, not the cap.
For the engine (smaller) filter, a 1/2 drive socket handle and extension will remove the cap. Have some container up there with you to move the filter into because it will be dripping diesel, trying to spill it everywhere! New o-ring and filter, lubed as before, install snug like the other one, and you're done. Kick back and enjoy your new aroma - it will be days before you smell like a human instead of diesel again.
Duncan
