This is the best socket to get.

http://www.lislecorp.com/tool_detail.cfm?detail=88

Any autosupply jobber that sells Lisle tools should be able to order it for you if they don't stock it.

It is made from aluminum or some other light material.

Bob

 

Got mine at Home Depot for $8 I think.

 

I'm with bnmccoy, get the Lisle! It has a combination 35/36mm socket on a 3/8" drive. It's lightweight and works perfectly for the oil and fuel filters. Mine was almost $14 on eBay including shipping (cbmtools was the seller) because I had no idea where to get it in town. Good luck and wear a throwaway T-shirt when you do it!

 

OK, got a 36mm socket on the way home tonight and did the fuel filter change. Followed instructions carefully (I'm like that), I'm sure both O-rings are installed, added some PS diesel kleen in the engine mounted resevoir after sucking out the fuel in there (mentioned in the tech folder instructions) and everything seemed to go smoothly. Reprimed by cycling the ignition 3 times and started the engine.

It started right up and I proceeded to check for leaks under the hood and at the HFCM, so it idled for about 2 mins or so. While I was crawling out (no leaks found by the way) it started to run rougher and "miss" a little. I got in and was gonna drive around the block and hit the accelerator to rev it a little and no response. Got rougher and I went ahead and shut it off - like it was running out of fuel. Tried to restart, only crank. Tried re-cycling the ignition 3X and restart, only crank. I didn't want to keep cranking b/c I know the injectors can be damaged if dry.

Any ideas, sure would like to hear them... I'm gonna try again after a while. Could that straight batch of DK in the upper filter housing have gotten to the engine and stalled it? Only other thing I know to check off hand is pull the plug at the HFCM (udated one installed) and make sure it's got fuel there. In the meantime, I'm open...

 

2005X, I had a similar thing happen to me after I changed my filters. I could hear what sounded like bubbles passing back up the fuel line to the fuel tank. I figured it was getting air in through one of the filters. I took the horizontal filter cap back off and the O-ring came out in 2 pieces, so it wasn't allowing a pure seal which was pulling air into the line. I put a new O-ring on, primed it without turning it on, then it started up, sputtered, and then took off like normal. I can only hope that it's something this simple for you and that I could be of help. Best of luck! I'm not sure what a pure shot of diesel kleen would do, so I can't help you there.

 

Thanks for the note, I'll take a look at this and let you know.

I did re-drain the HFCM and got about the same amount of fuel as before, so fuel is getting at least that far, but I didn't take off the cap at that filter. Would I be getting fuel to the drain point if the o-ring was damaged? I did take off the cap for the engine mounted filter, and sure enough it's not got much in it, about half full, so not getting to the engine. that filter came out with the cap where the original one stayed in the housing, if it matters, but the new o-ring there was fine. May be a morning project now...

 

dc3655,

I decided I couldn't wait till morning, it was just getting to me. My O-ring on the HFCM was fine when I pulled the cap off, but I looked more closely at the mating surfaces and saw some space between the cap and housing. When I put it back on, it hit that same spot, where I thought it was tight enough, but kept on turning and it eased up and turned another 3/4 turn or so, like may be a burr in the plastic cap somewhere. Snugged it down tight, the surfaces came together and all is well once again... All the "DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN" warranings have me paranoid, dont have a torquewrench that would work there.

On the second cycle of the ignition I could hear the fuel pump whine change pitch a little and I figured it was priming this time. Turned right over after the priming procedure, ran it around a little, like a champ. I guess I didn't damage anything, I was carefull not to crank too long when I tried. Thank God, can't imagine being towed to Dealer and explaining this to them...they would get the whole FF service and and then eomsg

 

Can anyone comment on why we should be sucking out the fuel in the top mounted resevoir when changing this filter? What would happen if by chance this filter was changed while leaving this fuel in place....

 

pretty much to help remove any sediment left over when removing the filter.

 

I was wondering the same thing, I thought about not botherind since didn't see any sediment, but the original o-ring that came out with this cap (first fuel filter change for my engine) had a red "goopy" sealer on it that had dried and left residue in both the cap groove and top of the housing.

When I was cleaning that out, some peices fell down into the fuel, so had to clean out the resevoir good. Anyone else find this red sealer on that cap? It was all over the o-ring I removed and hard to clean out of that groove, but the replacement sealed fine. Wonder why unless Ford has had some leak...

 

My thoughts on this sucking the fuel out of the filter housing are, IF you clean the top that you are taking off (the lid) really, really, good so there is not one grain of dirt that can fall into the fuel in the bowl. Then after you break the oring seal IF you can get ALL the dirt that has accumulated in the groove that is between the lid and the oring and keep it from falling into the fuel filter housing, where it will go directly to your injectors upon the first start. Then there is no reason to suck the fuel out of the filter housing. Since I can't do all this it is just easier for me to suck the fuel out of the cannister and clean the bottom of the filter housing with a lint free towel that I keep just for that purpose. Maybe I am too picky but the purpose of the filters in the first place is too keep stuff out of my injectors and I'll help all I can when I am putting new filters in. Just my thoughts.

Frank

 

Did my 15k fuel filter change for the first time. Piece of cake. Working on the horizontal filter was a little tight but patience paid off. Thanks to FTE and the tech article section. That procedure was priceless.

 

I read these posts on the International part #'s and price. I finally called my local dealer and he quoted me $37.00(Canadian). Just for yuks I called my dealers parts dept. They would give them to me for "trade" price of $98.00. Being a FTE member just saved me a pile of money. Thanks guys.

 

Maybe stupid question but I just did mine last week and it seems the owners manual is not completely accurate. It says there is a "lever" on the bottom of the HCFM to drain the unit. I found no lever, but instead an allen bolt. Did I miss the lever?

 

If you were under my truck, you didn't miss it. 6mm allen bolt. I have heard that there is a lever type gadget that can be installed from somewhere, and somewhere I heard that a few of the late models might have such a thing, but nothing I can steer you toward. If someone else posts where or how, it is a good thing for sure. I hear the replacement part is not the very soft metal that the truck comes with, which some say it is very easy to strip out when putting it back in. I've been very ,very, careful not to torque that thing down too much, just what I can turn with my thumb and finger using only the short end of the wrench for leverage. Never had a leak. Done it 3 times. Oh yea, get the good filters too, the blue ones is what they are called, they have the special media in them to keep the water out, Aqua something or the other, but Motorcraft and a few select others have it under their labels too. I hear the Int'l brand is the same.