View Full Version : Fuel Filter replacement
Greg Watkins
10-23-2002, 07:17
Want to replace the fuel filter on my 2002 DMax. Any pointers, gotchas, etc..?
Thanks,
greg
IndigoDually
10-23-2002, 07:34
I jacked up the passenger's side to make more room in th wheelwell. Remove the inner fender and it's a piece of cake. I went through all of this since I was installing a pyrometer anyway.
John
george morrison
10-23-2002, 07:35
There is a wonderful section posted by Jim on the 'exact' procedures for changing the fuel filter out. Highly recommend you review this before tacking the fuel filter change-out. It is superb..
George Morrison, STLE CLS
Actually pretty simple: unplug the connector on bottom. Get a oil filter wrench (if you can) and unscrew the old filter, that was the hardest part! They put them on so danged tight. Fill the new filter up with fuel and get it srewed on (actually this was somewhat of a pain), they don't give you much room. Unscrew black screw on top of filter housing and pump the fuel pump until fuel comes out, plug back in the connector on bottom and your ready to rock.
Colorado Kid
10-23-2002, 09:51
I agree with everything Me4OSU said except "Fill the new filter up with fuel" If you do that the fuel you fill it with will be unfiltered. Since we don't get fuel out of sealed sanitary containers like we do motor oil, and since any likely contaminates may be too small to see, I recommend against prefilling the fuel filter. You're going to have to use the primer anyway, so you'd be risking fuel system damage to save a few pumps on the primer. I also use a plastic grocery bag to avoid spilling fuel on the frame...it seems that Diesel fuel is an excellent solvent for the wax used to coat the frame.
If you open the bleeder you can drain the filter into a can or hose via the water dump valve at the bottom. Close this drain up and you can change without hardly spilling a drop. No need to drain it all, just a bunch to lower the level.
The new orings are a bit small so I stretch them so they do not roll in and get pinched. A little oil on the inner ruber, and the oring help make things go smoother. Keep an old oring around in case you damage the new one...
The one thing no one has mentioned is the filter canister cannot be (removed) taken out of the engine bay through the top there is too much plumbing in the way, once unscrewed you lay the canister on the truck frame then reach in the fender well and pull out the filter canister with diesel fuel still in it, CAREFULLY, DAME IT, IT JUST SLIPPED truck frame and drive covered in fuel, and I thought I had drained all the fuel out, guess not.
Or is it only my truck??????
Well that wont happen again.
You Guys are having all the fun and I am sitting
on the side waiting.
My 03 D/A CC SB is on railroad car somewhere.
But at least I'll know how to change the fuel filter when it gets here.
:cool:
-KISMIF
ChevysRus
10-23-2002, 15:03
My fuel filter comes out the top! And also by the way you can't disconnect the sensor at the bottom of the filter on the '01 anyway, maybe they fixed this on the '02 or '03? Follow the wire up to the plug on the side of your valve cover just in front of the fuel filter. Unplug the connector, then take the whole filter out sensor and all. Then change it all over to the new filter on your work bench.
The plastic bag trick is worth it's weight in gold! and you need a "strap wrench" to get this tight sucker off. Be sure you put it back on tight as well, the fuel pressure is high on this puppie! And as Kennedy said watch those "0" Rings. A little grease will hold them in place as getting the filter back on is not a piece of cake, just a slice. You ahve to puch it up into the housing, hold it there with one hand and with your other hand find the strap wrench and then use your left foot to hold the bottom of the filter in place while you turn the filter to screw it on, being careful not to drop the strap wrench.
For those who want to do all this with a prefilled filter.......good luck!!!!!!! I prefer to just get it back on and pump the primer 10 times and fire it up. BE VERY SURE TO LOOK FOR LEAKS!
Otherwise it's really easy, especially since you are saving $100 plus bucks by not having the dealer do it.
Go For It!
If you want to see the value of the fuel filter, take your hacksaw or cutoff blade and cut the cannister loose from around the ring at the top, remove the metal sleeve and take a look at those filter sheets.......pretty black bottom half probably. If it's real bad find another place to buy your fuel!!! depends on mileage when you are changing it more than likely.
Good Luck and post some pictures!
My experience,
Don't prefill the filter. It primes right up and starts right up.
Definately a strap wrench. I have one of those "band" style filter wrenches that you use a ratchet with but it barely fits around the filter. Pain in the butt to shimmy it on and off.
The water sensor/drain unit is plastic and is screwed to the bottom of the filter. To unscrew it, I carefully used a channel lock plier. You will find settled dirt and possibly some water in the bottom. I rinsed it and cleaned out with compressed air.
Like JK said, the large o-ring usually will not sit in the groove in the top of the filter, like it's too small. Just stretch it a little so it sits in the groove without popping out.
I use a plastic paint pail liner that you can buy at the paint stores or home centers for less than a buck a piece. They are flimsy one gallon plastic containers used to line paint pails and throw away. You can flatten it out and put it under the filter, sitting on the frame where it pops back open. It catches the fuel.
When installing the filter, you have to pull up on it pretty good to get the threads to engage.
Agree with George Morrison, the step-by-step with pics by Jim Bigley on this page is a great help your first time. I've only had to do it once, so far. Used a strap wrench, the type with a big nylon strap and a 1/2" socket for a ratchet and extension bar--about $9 from CarQuest. Actually had to turn the socket several times to take up the slack in the strap. Onliest problem I had was the &*%#@ rubber grommet in the center hole of the filter came off and stayed on the filter housing. Since I didn't take the fenderwell skirt out, so I couldn't see what the problem was when the new filter wouldn't screw on. Kind of difficult with 2 of those grommets in place!
The primer pump works just fine. You'll feel the resistance when the filter starts to fill with fuel--seems like it was 20 pumps or so. I had to bleed it twice to get the engine to start, but away it went finally. Like someone said, it's a big incentive to change it yourself when you consider what the stealer wants for the filter and the 20 minutes it takes to change it.
george morrison
10-23-2002, 20:16
In a related matter, by week's end we will have the "before and after" fuel analysis results for our Duramax fuel filter. It will give us exactly what the filter is capable of removing. Hopefully it is a very high efficiency filter, as Racor claims.. Stay tuned....
George Morrison, STLE CLS
Am pushing 32K miles and found two fuel filter changes so far to be an easy task. Bought a $6.50 filter strap wrench on 9 inch long hollow square the size for a half-inch rachet. Works like a charm and I have more trouble disconnecting the water sensor wire than removing the filter. No pre-draining or pre-filling and lift it up out the top. Dealer quoted 6/10 of an hour to do the job and I manage it easily in less time than that. O-ring placement and bleeding are the key to re-starting without missing a beat. Really couldn't manage without the extended strap wrench in such a tight space.
my filter comes out the top! granted its a tight fit but it'll slip through the plumbing.
A few questions guys regarding the filter change.
* is the recommended change @ 15K
* what is the part number & mfg of the filter and the best place to get it.
* what is the link to the Jim Bigley instructions
2002 GMC 3500 CC 4x4 D/A
98 D*#!e 3500 CTD 24 valve (the wifes)
2002 John Deere 4310 (another Japanese diesel)
Colorado Kid
10-25-2002, 14:58
"* is the recommended change @ 15K"
Yes, it is.
"* what is the part number & mfg of the filter and the best place to get it."
Racor, I don't know what the part number is, go here http://www.dieselpage.com/racredu.htm and they'll send you the right one.
"* what is the link to the Jim Bigley instructions"
http://www.thedieselpage.com/members/duramax/dmaxfuelfilt.htm
You're Welcome.
On Edit: By the way, the first step in Jim's article, which he somehow fails to mention, is to remove the Duramax engine from the truck. This makes the rest of the procedure much simpler! :D
[ 10-25-2002: Message edited by: Colorado Kid ]</p>
george morrison
10-25-2002, 15:23
We have received the 'before and after'(Tom took a fuel sample at the pump and then from the return line to the fuel tank) fuel filter fuel analysis for the Duramax. They are not posted as we have a problem. The problem is that the 'after fuel filter' analysis reflected a much higher particulate/dirt level than 'before filtration' pump sample! This is not the way this should work! Yes, the 'after' filter sample should have reflected 98% fewer particles than the 'before' fuel sample. A new filter is going to be installed and a re-sample accomplished as soon as possible. However, what these results may indicate is that if this filter is installed improperly ("O" ring rollover, etc.)fuel, as with water, will always find the easiest way through a channel which translates into just what our analysis indicates: a very high level of particulates. This would also translate into greatly reduced pump and injector life.
As difficult as the filter is to change properly, we may have uncovered a very important problem with our fuel sytem, that being the importance of proper fuel filter change-out. It anything goes wrong in the change, it is like having a silent injector killer in your engine.
And we still do not know if the fuel filter is indeed a 2 micron 98% efficient filter yet. Stay tuned.......
George Morrison, STLE CLS
[ 10-25-2002: Message edited by: george morrison ]
[ 10-25-2002: Message edited by: george morrison ]
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george morrison
[if this filter is installed improperly ("O" ring rollover, etc.)fuel, as with water, will always find the easiest way through a channel which translates into just what our analysis indicates:]
The "O" ring roll over confused me, are you refering to one of the two "O" rings on the out side of the fuel canister or that large internal ring in the center of the fuel canister.
If you could expand on this subject it would be much appreciated
[ 10-25-2002: Message edited by: letsgo ]</p>
I bought a cloth strap wrench with a socket bar on it that works real well. I got it at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I posted the part number in another thread but don't have it now. Also silcone gasket maker applied in a thin coat to the o'rings works real well to keep them from coming out of the groove. The filter on the 01 will come out the top and I did the whole job from the top. Through the wheel well would probably be easier but I didn't want to pull the rubber shield out so I did it from the top. I did have to be real careful and use the strap wrench to apply slight turn to snug the filter up. Couldn't get enough grip with just my hands.
Tom
slapshot44
10-25-2002, 23:57
George, first of all, thanks! for taking on this project, but I'm confused by your previous post.
Even if you had an o-ring sealing problem, the fact that you had a higher dirt level on output than input would lead me to suspect that either the samples were mixed up, or dirt was introduced during sample collection or testing. Not all of the fuel going through the filter system would travel through an o-ring rollover site or channel breach, at least some of the fuel would get filtered, and the particulates seen at output would have to be at least slightly lower than at input, unless the fuel system itself was contributing a huge amount of particulates itself, or dirt got into the sample during collection or testing. I don't think that the injectors on any engine that was "manufacturing" dirt and particulates inside the fuel system, post filter, would last long enough to even make it to the first filter change.
I think I recall that some of the injector problems people have reported on this board are thought to be caused by rust, or other metal particle contamination in the fuel system, post filter. But again, the only way the contamination post filter could be much higher on output than input would be that no fuel was being filtered at all, and the fuel system was contributing its own dirt and particulates besides. I think we would have seen a whole lot of injector problems by now if that were the case.
I would like to see a filter test done entirely under lab conditions, using pump bought fuel, to test whether the filter worked to the claimed specs and to set benchmarks. Then actual operating conditions could be introduced. The comparison of the two sets of tests could then be used to help determine if we might have a problem inside the fuel system itself.
An o-ring rollover should be checked for before the filter is installed. If the ring is installed in the filter correctly and lubricated, the tightening of the filter shouldn't cause any problems, unless there were a machining problem on the mating surface.
Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to tackle this question for all of us. I've been watching this thread with interest and am looking forward to your results.
Denny
Question for those of you using the cloth strap with bar for tighening around the fuel filter...
Are you doing this from under the truck reaching up; or from the top, through the plumbing?
My first and only fuel filter change was done by Diesel Injector Service whilst they were installing my gauges. They even spilled some fuel on the frame during the process denoted by an area where the frame is clean of its coating.
Which leads me to another question, should this area of the frame be cleaned and recoated? Or is it not any big deal and will probably happen again at next filter change?
I used the wrench from the top and had no problem. The difficult part is disconnecting the indicator wire. It is somewhat of a two hand operation. Then getting a good grip to tighten the filter is awkward. That is why I used the strap wrench to snug it. CAUTION - the bar has to tilted towards the center of the filter slightly so that it will not dent the filter can. This puts the pressure on the filter rim instead of the lower part of the can. Just watch what you do and use common sense and you won't have any problem doing this. My second change is just around the corner. I change it at 10,000 miles like the book says and I am over 18,000 miles now.
I may try a different approach since I bought some ramps so that I can start changing oil my self. I too big to do it without ramps. My 4x4 Suburban was no problem but can't do it on the 4x2. Lubing without ramps is very difficult even on the 4x4.
Hope this sheds some light on the subject. smile.gif
Tom
i found the easiest way to change the fuel filter last week. i brought my $16.00 filter to my dealer and had them install it. it took less than 20 minutes, they charged me $15.00 labor. I got to drink two cups of lousy coffee.
BEST OF ALL- i got a receipt that shows that I had the filter changed and at what mileage. I don't care if you have receipts showing you purchased 50 filters a week. You can't PROVE to the general when you installed them. $15.00 is cheap insurance to refute what will certainly be the first reason given if injectors fail is that is was bad fuel and/or no proof of recommended service intervals.
imported_
11-03-2002, 17:48
I also took my fuel filter to dealer at 12,000 miles & they only charged me $25.00 labor. The service guy told me next time it would be $50.00 labor due to its difficulty. Iam almost due for another filter change now. Not sure if iam gonna try it myself or let dealer do it.
CanadaKev
11-03-2002, 19:11
Took my truck to Diesel Auto Services last week to replace fuel filter. They had already done some DMAX's. I gave the service guy a hand 'cause I wanted to see the procedure. Left the filter in the box to pass it up under the fender skirt to keep it free from dirt. O-ring was a little persnickity, but got it to stay centered with a little grease.
Cut the filter open. It was 90% black! Was at 15000 miles(first change). Definately left it too long!!
Had a noticable increase in get-up-n-go after the filter change. Must have had some restriction :(
No scientific (before and after) comparisons, just a seat-o-the-pants observation.
Kev
02_2500hd
11-12-2002, 14:22
Did my first FF replacement last night. I saw that I could not get the filter out of the top without taking out the battery. So after a little thought, I took the battery out and also the holder plate that was under it. A total of 7 bolts/nuts (4)1/2 (1) 10mm (2) 7mm later and a little pulling I got the plate out. The filter was in full view and easily got my wrench on it.
I open the valve at the bottom and put the plastic bag over it to catch the fuel. I had to take the valve out to get the fuel to flow at all.
I kept trying to find the connector to disconnect from the filter, and wasn't until I had unscrewed the filter did I realize that the connector was 5" away.
I unscrewed the water sensor out of the bottom and it had some black goop in the small compartments. Put the sensor in the new filter, with new o rings and a little grease on the large one and the one inside, pushed the filter hard up into the housing and turned it slowly til it caught. I hand tighten it only. Pressed the pump ~15 time and saw a little fuel come out of the bleeder screw. Tightened the screw and replaced the battery and plate.
Truck started right up and i inspected for leaks. Nothing.
I'll probably do it this way again. Yes it takes a little time getting the battery out, but it makes life much easier with the filter.
gary
[ 11-18-2002: Message edited by: 02_2500hd ]
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