It's been a while since I changed that nasty placed filter - and of course received my complimentary armpit gas wash even after letting the car sit for a couple hours while I changed the oil/filter and did a couple other maintenance items.

Some observations:
- It was dirty as the gas that came out the inlet side was really cruddy looking
- The Wix fuel filter was heavily rusted on the exterior. While it did its job, I probably wont buy another.
- The replacement Motorcraft filter has a stainless steel casing
- The Motorcraft nylon retaining clips are quite puny in comparison with the Wix. Of course I didn't have the inlet side seated correctly. That part of the driveway needed washing anyhow but not at $2.70 per gallon of gas

Coming soon - spark plugs on this V6 (and on my V10 F350)

 

That Ford/Motorcraft fuel filter is inexpensive enough to begin with. It is inconceivable why anyone would contemplate venturing elsewhere for the price that it is.

Both of which are relatively simple tasks. How about receiving and diagnosing a 6.0L E-350 cubevan on a Friday afternoon that needs an injector or two replaced, that the owner of which expects to be ready and running on the Saturday morning following?

 

The average local availability of a Motorcraft filter isn't what a Wix, Purolator or Fram, etc are at your local parts store . I WILL NOT pay the exorbitant Ford dealers price so unless I have a need of other parts from Rock Auto (or similar), my vehicles get the known name parts from my neighborhood suppliers. And surprisingly, the retainer clips for that 'premium' Motorcraft filter - poor/flimsy

When you compare the price of a single 6.0 fuel injector(van or truck) vs a set of V10 spark plugs, the plugs come out ahead unless you are unlucky enough to break one off. And 6.0 fuel injectors costs are among several of the reasons I have a V10 gasser instead of that diesel

 

I used to change my gas filter on a regular basis, like every 30K miles. My mechanic told me if you use a name brand gas, Exxon, Shell, Mobil, Chevron etc. you rest assure the gas is pretty clean. In the last 20 years or so he has never seen a clogged gas filter.

What I do, is about every 6 months dump a container of Techron in the gas tank, 20 gallon size. Fill it up, takes 16 gallons in the Escape. If there is anything in the filter the Techron will take care of it.

If by some chance anything gets in the tank, it usually will stay in the tank unless you run your tank down to just about empty. So a good idea is to keep the tank at least 1/2 full or more. Or when it gets down to between 1/4 tank and 1/2 add more gas.

The gas filter is one of the last things on your maintenance list you want to worry about.

 

Over here, I'm the mechanic. I'll just keep changing fuel filters every 30k miles. Motorcraft always, O'reilly Auto has them reasonably priced here, but they aren't everywhere in the country.

If that V10 has heads with the minimal-engagement spark plug threads issue, be sure to record your audio while you work on it. The audio file can be used by some university research project to see if they can make a drunken sailor blush

I think starting in 2009 Escapes, the inline fuel filter has gone away. Instead, some kind of lifetime in-tank filter. I hope that works out well. I would really prefer a separate filter that I could change.

 

I wish I could agree with your mechanic about seldom if ever changing a fuel filter. Sometime when you are out wandering, take a look at the trucks delivering gasoline. If they have the Shell, Mobil or whatever you might be OK. In my area of the country, we have Hess and everyone else. Hess usually does their own deliveries. There are a half dozen other oil tanker companies doing the rest. Those companies do not have separate tankers to deliver diesel or #2 heating oil - and yes, I have talked to the drivers. Then there are the bulk deliveries to the tank farm. Much of ours comes up the Hudson River to the Port of Albany. NY. They too are not really clean, but at least the fuel is filtered before it's loaded on the tanker.

Now, as far as not seeing a fully clogged fuel filter - probably so. Most have enough surface area to pick up the dirt and pass enough fuel to run. The dark colored crud and pieces of dirt that came out of the inlet side of my filter was enough to remind me that $10 once a year was money well spent vs a trip on a roll back outside of West Overshoe from the interstate. Tecron, while good stuff will not pass that dirt through the system and is a pretty good injector cleaner. An occasional bottle in a 16 gallon gas tank and well diluted in that tank really wont do much when you give it good thought. If you were to use it every full tank, maybe.

As far as keeping a full tank, it really doesn't make much difference until you get to the last gallon or so which is when any water is concentrated. The gas line pickup and fuel pump are on the bottom so dirt - it will be picked up regardless.

My V10 is a 3 valve so has the 'extra' threads, but what Ford did in their infinite wisdom is to design a long bodied two piece $14 spark plug that will concentrate carbon between that body and the head. And worse, it's a 9/16" wrench surface with a pretty small plug diameter - and the @#$% plugs break while removing instead of blowing out if you don't follow the Ford bulletin to the letter. Then it's off for that $$$ special tool that you may never use again. Of course you need 10 new boots at $4-$8 each (which are sold in packages of 4 so you'll have a couple of spares) plus that $10 tube of dielectric grease. This is not a complaint, just a statement of facts. And it's a LOT cheaper doing it yourself then paying someone 2-300 hundred bucks or more

 

Your opinions well taken. If I was buying gas that would cause my gas filter to clog and prevent gas from flowing through it, I would without a doubt buy gas from a different gas outlet.