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View Full Version : how to: replace 5th gen fuel filter


Drew
06-09-2007, 11:17 PM
:::EDITED::: now includes pics

disclaimer: i am not liable for any problems encountered if you so choose to try this. if you have LITTLE OR NO mechanical experience, i WOULD NOT try this. this is not a beginners job. i would say its a moderate level of maintenance and requires quite a bit of patience..

TOOLS REQ'D
1. 17mm box wrench
2. 14mm open end wrench
3. 17mm socket with long extension and flex extension (for bolt on top of fuel filter)
4. couple of shop towels
5. pry bar (might be helpful but not req'd)
6. 10mm socket and small extension (or ratcheting 10mm wrench)
7. ratchet (of course)
8. new fuel filter (of course) it should come with new washers too
9. a pair of small hands will help drastically

i got my fuel filter at autozone for like 18 bucks. its made by purolator or something like that.. honda has them for like 24 i think. i just passed 66K and let me tell you, i noticed a difference. mainly at idol and when the A/C is running during accel. under normal accel conditions with out the a/c i didnt notice it that much. but it seems to accelerate more smoothly. when i pulled the fuel filter out and poured the fuel out it was a slight brownish color. so i know for a fact it improved the flow.

STEPS:
1. disconnect negative battery terminal (if you have stock radio, make sure you have your code before you do this)

2. open gas door and remove gas cap

3. take 17mm box wrench and loosen nut on fuel rail where the fuel line from the fuel filter connnects to. wrap a towel around it to collect the fuel. it shouldnt be very much.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4729/step3jl5.th.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step3jl5.jpg)

4. it may help to remove the bracket that holds up the throttle cable and it also may help to remove the gray electrical connector at the bottom of the intake manifold that sits just above the filter.
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8773/step4uj1.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step4uj1.jpg)

5. grab your 14mm wrench and loosen all the way (make sure you turn clockwise from the way you are looking at it) the nut at the bottom of the fuel filter. some fuel might come out of there too. the pry bar might come in handy here to help loosen this bolt.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8581/step5bp4.th.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step5bp4.jpg)

6. take your 17mm socket and extension and flex extension and loosen the bolt at the top of the fuel filter. careful, there are 2 washers that may come flying out. (i recommend leaving that bolt hand loose until you are ready to pull the filter out)
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8417/step6cl5.th.jpg (http://img401.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step6cl5.jpg)

7. loosen the 10mm bolt for the clamp that holds the filter in. you may want to try to leave the bolt in ever so slightly. its a bitch to get that clamp bolt back in. i myself wasnt able to keep that bolt in. chances are you will have to remove it completely.
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/700/step7we9.th.jpg (http://img468.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step7we9.jpg)

8. ok so now you have everything loosened or removed. now remove that nut on the fuel rail. and pull the filter out with the top line attached to it (believe me it makes the install process much easier. but be careful there is a washer on top of the line that connects to the fuel rail, so dont loose it you will have to reuse it.
http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7091/step8ni3.th.jpg (http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step8ni3.jpg)

9. with the fuel filter out of the car now, fully disconnect the the bolt on top of the fuel filter. replace as many of the washers as possible with new ones. remember there are 2 at each junction except for the 14mm nut, there isnt any there.

10. loosely install the bolt and fuel line on top of the fuel filter BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE CAR. dont forget the 2 washers.

11. slide the filter in its bracket. make sure the key lines up properly into the bracket. and loosely install the 14mm nut at the bottom of the fuel filter.... it may take some time trying to line it up.
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/9585/step11cw8.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=step11cw8.jpg)

12. fully install the line attaching to the fuel rail and dont forget the 2 washers one under and one on top. the bottom washer shouldnt have been removed anyways. tighten down that nut all the way.

13. now comes the tricky part if you took the bolt for the bracket all the way out. install that bolt. by now your fingers are probably tired so it may take some time. it helped me to thread the fittings a little more to help line up the filter more. if you were lucky enough to not have to pull it all the way out, just tighten it down. make sure the key on the fuel filter is in the proper position before tightening down the clamp bolt.

14. tighten the 2 connections on the fuel filter.

15. the fuel rail nut is 20 ft lbs

16. the other 2 on the fuel filter are 25 ft lbs......... if you're actually able to get a torque wrench in there. it helps if you have a crows foot.

17. if you removed the electrical connector and throttle cable support put those back on.

18. install gas cap and battery cable.

19. turn key to ON position (dont start right away) let the fuel line prime. maybe 10 seconds. start car, check for leaks.

hope this was helpful. if you have any questions, please reply or PM me.

Si Speed
06-09-2007, 11:32 PM
I'll be needing this before long. Good write up.

LUDENNYC
08-05-2007, 03:36 PM
Crows Feet Help

thomas97
10-07-2007, 11:41 PM
i just did this. without these instructions, nice write up. explained very well. i did all the steps you did.

98preludeguy
06-28-2008, 11:59 PM
****ing pissed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i CAN NOT get the 14mm nut off (on the bottom) i tried so hard that the filter twisted out of the key lock thing and bent it out so its not being held in any tips? im trying to use 2 wrenches and its just not going....

so its a female connection on the filter, nut, and a hard tube fuel line how does that work?

Si Speed
06-29-2008, 02:29 PM
I think I got mine from the bottom after getting it up on a lift but that was after 3 hours of trying to get it from the top in my driveway. It was a sure sense of accomplishment once I finally got it all put back together.

Kelso
08-22-2008, 03:02 PM
I bought a set of crows feet with an angle-able socket to get mine.

I put the left side of the car on a jack stand and got to it from the bottom. Much easier than the other way mentiond IMHO.

Irish Luder
08-22-2008, 04:54 PM
good write up! i changed my front fuel filter a couple of months ago and it didn't make any difference but i changed the main fuel filter today and my god such crap came out of it, i recommend everyone to do it!!!

gaborn73
09-11-2008, 08:03 PM
very nice write up!

Mdtdnb
10-18-2008, 06:18 PM
I'm on my way to go do this in a minute...I'll give you some feed back when i am done!

Oceanborn
10-18-2008, 07:06 PM
Have fun with the bottom bolt bro!

:biggrin:

Mdtdnb
10-19-2008, 09:47 PM
actually it wasn't that bad! I happen to have a brand new set of Craftsman metric Crow's Feet and they made this job quite easy. In fact, they have made LOTS of jobs easy for the lude! Good write up!

http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00904362000?qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

Oceanborn
10-19-2008, 10:01 PM
I'm jealous, I had to jack it up and use 2 cans of carb cleaner on it and then muscle it off. Took about two hours :tongue:

MaSSaCrE
10-19-2008, 10:08 PM
Yeah well about bolts being tight I snapped 4 of the bolts on the fuelrail\intake manifold trying to break them free after 4 days of non stop spraying with dif stuff.So yeah=[Along with stripping 3 bolts. They havnt been touched since 1993 im sure lol because i just got it so yeah I have to drill some **** out.