E350 fuel filter change
I read an old thread mentioning that changing fuel filters once in a while makes things easier for the fuel pump, which is hidden in the fuel tank and very expensive to replace.
I got a new filter for the E350 at the local auto supply (in stock) by specifying the year and engine size. Also got a tool for dealing with the "quick connect" ends on the Ford fuel line. $20 total. I read in the old thread that the new filter must be the same size as the old one and have the same length of tubing on each side, so I measured the filter before going to the store. I should have measured the diameter of the filter's tube - 1/4 inch - and got a tool with 3/8 and 5/8 half tubes, but the 3/8 one worked okay. I saw a utube video of a guy disconnecting a Ford filter with a piece of plastic tube cut from a pen, with a slit in it so the plastic tube could be put around the filter tube. He just pushed it into the connector with needle nose pliers.
The filter is on the frame under the driver's door. Easy to pull the clip off the filter tube. The little filter tool is like a pair of pliers but the business end is two halves of a tube that goes around the tube extending from the filter. The tool makes it fairly easy to push the tool's tube into the end of the fuel line, which pushes three little catches out of the way and allows the fuel line to be pulled off the filter. This was a matter of a few minutes on the side that had easy access for hands and tool.
The other side, toward the front was obscured by a heat shield around the exhaust and has access only through a narrow opening where you can see grass in this photo.
I found this side very difficult! No room to hold the tool to push its business end into the fuel line end. I finally got it with the filter still in its holder by putting the tool in place from the open end of the filter, then working through the slot alongside the heat shield. I used a long screwdriver to reach up and twist pry the tool end into the fuel line end. Once in place, the filter can be pulled off the fuel line. It slid easily through its holder.
I tried the trick of relieving pressure in the fuel line by pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranking the engine. It didn't start so I figured there was no pressure after sitting for a day or two since last start. I was wearing goggles for the first, fuel tank side but only got a dribble of gas coming out on my rag. On the difficult engine side, I got tired of the goggles and actually surprised myself when it finally came apart so I got a bit of gasoline dribbling on my cheek. A head mounted flashlight was very useful.
No problem slipping the fuel lines into the new filter. My filter had no arrow indicating direction but the shape of the filter is directional with the slightly rounded end going toward the fuel tank, at least on the old filter which did have an arrow.
I followed another suggestion and turned the key to "on" for a few seconds several times without starting the engine to make the fuel pump fill the line. Don't know if this helped but it did start immediately.
A fairly difficult job for me - if I ever want to change the filter again I will probably take it to a garage. I also have a 1992 GM van that I changed the filter on 14 years ago and will do that again myself just to prove I still can.
I got a new filter for the E350 at the local auto supply (in stock) by specifying the year and engine size. Also got a tool for dealing with the "quick connect" ends on the Ford fuel line. $20 total. I read in the old thread that the new filter must be the same size as the old one and have the same length of tubing on each side, so I measured the filter before going to the store. I should have measured the diameter of the filter's tube - 1/4 inch - and got a tool with 3/8 and 5/8 half tubes, but the 3/8 one worked okay. I saw a utube video of a guy disconnecting a Ford filter with a piece of plastic tube cut from a pen, with a slit in it so the plastic tube could be put around the filter tube. He just pushed it into the connector with needle nose pliers.
The filter is on the frame under the driver's door. Easy to pull the clip off the filter tube. The little filter tool is like a pair of pliers but the business end is two halves of a tube that goes around the tube extending from the filter. The tool makes it fairly easy to push the tool's tube into the end of the fuel line, which pushes three little catches out of the way and allows the fuel line to be pulled off the filter. This was a matter of a few minutes on the side that had easy access for hands and tool.
The other side, toward the front was obscured by a heat shield around the exhaust and has access only through a narrow opening where you can see grass in this photo.
I found this side very difficult! No room to hold the tool to push its business end into the fuel line end. I finally got it with the filter still in its holder by putting the tool in place from the open end of the filter, then working through the slot alongside the heat shield. I used a long screwdriver to reach up and twist pry the tool end into the fuel line end. Once in place, the filter can be pulled off the fuel line. It slid easily through its holder.
I tried the trick of relieving pressure in the fuel line by pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranking the engine. It didn't start so I figured there was no pressure after sitting for a day or two since last start. I was wearing goggles for the first, fuel tank side but only got a dribble of gas coming out on my rag. On the difficult engine side, I got tired of the goggles and actually surprised myself when it finally came apart so I got a bit of gasoline dribbling on my cheek. A head mounted flashlight was very useful.
No problem slipping the fuel lines into the new filter. My filter had no arrow indicating direction but the shape of the filter is directional with the slightly rounded end going toward the fuel tank, at least on the old filter which did have an arrow.
I followed another suggestion and turned the key to "on" for a few seconds several times without starting the engine to make the fuel pump fill the line. Don't know if this helped but it did start immediately.
A fairly difficult job for me - if I ever want to change the filter again I will probably take it to a garage. I also have a 1992 GM van that I changed the filter on 14 years ago and will do that again myself just to prove I still can.
