I was hoping that changing the fuel filter was easy. I know Ford wants $36 for the filter but I don't know where it is located or if I need a special tool to do it with. Can anyone educate me? Thanks in adavance!

 

under the body on the left frame-rail. about the size of a 20 ounce water bottle.


fairly easy if you have the tools...and a few warnings.



You need to buy A/C Line disconnect tools. If you ask a parts store, they'll know I'm talking about. It's a chunk of plastic that has a slot so you can fit it over the fuel line. Then you run it under a compression fitting to loosen a lock.


Also, Ford has started using these damn blue clips. You unlock them, partiall relock, then unlock...it's a major PITA and alot of people have broken their blue clips.



The front of the filter uses the A/C fitting, the rear of the filter is the blue clippy thing.



here is a great description of the blue clip.
http://www.f150online.com/forums/200...lue-clips.html





btw, let the Expy sit for a few hours before you do this. Hopefully some of th pressure will bleed off...also, have a rag handly to keep the spray off your face

 

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know where it is, but I cant get the lines disconnected. I have the $6 metal fuel line tool from Pep Boys, but it seems to be too fat, or slightly out of round, to slide under the quick disconnect fitting. The other side is a problem also, both of those lines have what look to be a plastic push button connectors. I have pushed the button and pulled them to death. I have searched many forums and cannot find a how to for the 2008 Expy EL. Can someone help out with this one?

 

I used a small screw driver to lift the blue clip, indeed major PITA.
Before you disconnect the lines you must release the pressure from the system , do this by removing the fuse from the fuel pump with the engine running, it will stall .Turn the ignition off. Putt the fuse back in place, disconnect the fuel lines , replace the filter. Crank the engine back up after the fuel filter change.
Done.

 

I've had the dealer change mine twice at about $50 each time, labor included because I didn't want to risk breaking the clips. I'm an Engineer and have always tried to fix and service everything myself over the years (I'm pretty frugal overal), I've learned the hard way that sometimes I don't know it all and its better sometimes to just pay someone to do a simple job that they already know how to do, rather than me having to spend an afternoon doing a job to save a few dollars.
My wife is also much happier with me because I'm not spending so much time working on the car and getting all dirty. Sometimes you just have to know when to give in. Now oil changes and brakes, that I will do.