fuel filter change hdi - HORROR storiesi

[406silverhdi]

I want to change my fuel filter on my 90bhp hdi

but found lots of horror stories like this

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/ ... tm?t=59141


is it something to leave to the garage, or is there steps do DIY?

Thanks

[hammerman]

I could only read some of the artical(p.c problem with it)but it sounds the same as my filter,with what would seem to be a blank screw hole.
But on the underneath you will find a drain screw.Undo it untill the fuel drains out.Then i used to remove the whole filter housing(pipes unclip with a screwdriver,& a couple of mounting bolts)& undo the top on a bench.But now i`ve changed it a few times,I leave it in place.I could`nt undo the top before,it was VERY tight.
Then remove old filter,fit new fiter & top seal,screw top up,all done.Thefilter should come with a new seal & some blanks o fit to the open fuel lines.
I`m doing mine in the next few days.Once you`ve done it once,its fairly straight foward.Although not as easy as my old Xantia`s 1.9TD filter housing.

[hammerman]

Just in case,on mine(110)its all self primming.Just switch on the ignition,& the fuel lift pump under the rear seats will run a few extra seconds to fill up the empty filter housing.Another good thing is when you fit the new filter,fill up the housing with a bottle of injector cleaner before fitting the top back on

[steve_earwig]

It's up to you but the stuff about crud getting into the fuel pump and as good as writing your car if is pretty well known, I've read it all over the place including this very forum.

[jasper5]

I think a little bit of common sense is needed here, before dismantling the filter housing to replace the filter, clean the housing with some brake cleaner or gunk or something.

If you are changing the filter on a 90 with a hand pump on it, try to park the car facing downhill to help with bleeding afterwards.

The biggest challenge is unscrewing the big plastic nut on the housing, it is much easier to do with the housing removed from the engine bay and held carefully in a vice or one of those diy vice type things (workmate thing).To remove the housing undo the pipes by pushing in the plastic clips on the pipes and pulling the pipes off (gently), then pull of the green wiring plug and undo the 2 ten mil bolts.I use a large pair of water pump pliers to undo the big nut.

It's possible to break off one of the fuel pipes by slipping off the big nut whilst trying to undo it (been there, done that ).

Remove the old filter and clean out the housing, again, brake cleaner is very good for this, replace the seal rubbing a little diesel around it, fit the new filter in and fill the housing with injection cleaner, fit it back on the car and replace the pipes, except the one going to the pump, now pump up the diesel, using the hand pump, until diesel pumps out of the pipe that goes to the pump, replace the pipe going to the pump and start up the car.

I have changed dozens of these without problems, except where I broke off a fuel pipe by slipping off the big nut (3 times).

I have serviced a fleet of 36, 90 HDi vans from new up to 100,000 miles, changing fuel filters every 12,000 miles and have never had a single problem except as stated by slipping off the big nut with my removal tool.

If you have any doubts, replace the whole housing with the filter included.

[Welly]

I might add that my mechanic, in the end, went from being a big baby about these filters to just changing mine with no comments (after my in-tank pump failed ).

As jasper said...CLEANLINESS.

[steve_earwig]

The biggest challenge is unscrewing the big plastic nut on the housing,

[jasper5]

I have one of those, I've never managed to get it to undo these plastic nuts, the pipes are in the way and there is little room to fit the strap onto.

The ideal tool for these is a pair of mole grips with a large opening, I have tried to find a pair without success, my son in law lent me a pair, but he couldn't remember where he got them from.

There is a special tool for unscrewing Fiat fuel filters, but I don't know if that will do for these, but I've always managed with my pipe grips (I use them for undoing oil filters as well).

[steve_earwig]

I used a chain wrench on mine 'cos it's all I had to hand (and, you know, my car was in bits...)

[Welly]

Regarding oil filters - isn't there a special tool that 'fits' the weird shapes on the oil filter body and attaches to a socket set? I'm sure I've seen one. It grips the oil filter shape and cannot slip.

I tore the skin off my hand between thumb and forefinger through latex gloves trying to undo my Peugeot filter by hand and I'd already cracked the thing off with me strap thing but it stays dead tight for ages as you undo it (big thick rubber seal).

Never did another oil change myself after that

[steve_earwig]

There is but I get on ok with a chain wrench. I once tried hammering a screwdriver through one once (mini van, done up by a gorilla and no room for owt else), you want mess??

[Welly]

Ooo, stabbing the filter is the last resort isn't it and if you tear the thing to shreds it gets reeeeeal tasty........

[steve_earwig]

The filter was so tight the screwdriver did a quarter of a turn before it came unjammed.........................

[Welly]

[steve_earwig]

something very similar (plus blood of course)