How do you clamp the fuel line when you change the filter? is it a two-man job? or is there a simple tool that i have forgotten to use for it! last time i tried i spilt fuel everywhere!
steve
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There is a proper pipe clamp tool you can buy, but it's just as easy to wrap a rag around the pipe (to protect it), then clamp with molegrips.
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Steve,
I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I read the Haynes manual about doing this job on my car last night. Haynes seems to think the most important part is to depressurise the fuel line (by removing the fuel pump fuse, then running the engine til it dies, then a few more times on the starter) before you start.
If you already did this then feel free to ignore my post!
Hope this helps
Chris.
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Good point about de-pressurising the system Chris (it doesn't totally stop fuel blowing out though) however be careful with Haynes 'manuals'....mine suggested, step by step, to disconnect the negative lead at the battery, remove the fuel pump relay THEN turn over the engine for at least five seconds! (spot the deliberate mistake).
Steve....I found the easiest way to do it was to locate two drill bits with shanks of the same diameter as the 'swelled' part of the short pipes on the fuel filter. If you keep the fule hose slightly upwards, twist and pull off the fuel filter then quickly insert the drill shank into the hose you'll get neglible spillage. You can leave the jubilee clip in situ on the hose and nip it up a little to stop any weeping.
Regards
Bob
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Steve, on some cars, the feed hose is a plastic (sometimes surrounded by rubber protection) which is hard when new and gets more brittle with time.
Using a hose clamp could split it.
Getting rid of the fuel pressure then catching the remaining fuel with a rag is probably safest.
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ah yes i didnt realise about the fuel depressurisation! that'll be why it violently covered me from head to toe ;)!! ill depressurise it and try again, and have a hose clamp handy also.
cheers for your help people.
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Changing the fuel filter after leaving the car overnight is good practice if you are concerned about fuel spillage.
Otherwise a handful of rags is the best idea.
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Yo steve,
On the ford fiesta Zetec 1.25 engine, on the left, by the injector inlets, there is a schrader valve for depressurising, look for something similar.
Pastyman.
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Really need to know what car you've got Steve ;-)
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I agree with DL that leaving the car overnight should be enough to relieve the system pressure, and that we need to know what car we are dealing with (this applies to *all* technical queries, not just this one). I also strongly agree with DaveSm that the pipes should NOT be clamped if they are plastic or old rubber, otherwise they WILL split!
The new filter probably comes with two small push-on dust-covers over the inlet and outlet openings, which have to be removed before fitting of course. Depending on the car, one of these covers can be made use of when changing the filter, as I shall explain in my usual confusing manner ...
First, make sure you have the new filter to hand when you start to remove the old one. Disconnect one of the pipes from the old filter (the pipe that is easiest to get to) and quickly seal the open end of the filter with one of the covers to stop the fuel running through it. Equally quickly, connect the pipe to the correct end of the new filter. Now you can take your time to disconnect the second pipe from the old filter, drop the filter out of the way and fit the pipe onto the end of the new filter.
Doing the change-over this way should result in no more than a thimbleful of fuel escaping from the pipes, though there will inevitably be some leakage from the discarded filter that you've dropped on the floor! I mentioned connecting the pipes to the correct ends of the filter as the filters are usually one-way-only with a flow-direction arrow marked on the body.
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Dizzy (and others),
Thanks for this - I began to swap the fuel filter on my N plate Cavalier yesterday, but encoutered excessive spillage, so gave up. I will follow the advice above and have another go, maybe over the weekend.
One method that I found really useful before when changing on a Mark 2 Range Rover was to use golf tees as plugs and to then tighten the jubilee clip that connects the pipe to the filter around the tee to form a plug. Kept spillage to a minimum, and meant I could keep them in the car in case of emergency. Problem yesterday was probably trying to rush job in too dark and tight an area (and too close to the house!)
Jono
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Liquid cannot be compressed, so the fuel shouldn\'t come spraying out as a gas would come hissing out, as a gas is compressed, it expands (volume increases as pressure decreases) but with a liquid, this is not so, the only pressure can be in the swell of rubber pipes, and a valve in the regulator. Spillage should be minimal in the order of a desert spoon full, so as long as you remove carefully and have some kitchen towel over the joint, you will be OK. and of course make sure there are no sourses of ignition and you have a plan in your mind in case of worse case scenario!
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joosisqu, I think we might be talking about two different filter systems here.
I assumed that we were discussing in-line cartridge filters as used on some petrol cars and which are typically located below the fuel tank level. Presumably the fuel could spill out of these until the tank is empty?
I agree that there is unlikely to be much spillage from diesel (or petrol) filters that are located in the engine compartment above tank level.
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