Fuel Filter

[Doug Thom]

Might seem like a dumb question but here goes anyways! When one changes the fuel separator (fuel filter), is there an easy way to drain the fuel out of the filter housing in order to thoroughly clean the housing out? I don't see a drain of any type on the housing!
thanks
Doug

[a5150nut]

Your 95 should be the same as my 94. Near the thermostat housing you will see a brass petcock vaulve with a hose running down the left side of the motor. Get a soda bottle and place under the end of the hose. Now open the vaulve and turn your key on to start the lift pump. Then open the air blead vaulve on the filter houseing and let the fuel siphen out. Or use air at the blead vaulve to force the fuel out.

[TTM]

I bought a one of those hand drawn siphons with about a 8 inch rubber hose attachment. If you get it right to the bottom of the fuel filter housing you should be able to draw all the fuel/crud all the out.

[HowieE]

You want to remove the fuel before opening the filter housing because the outflow port in the filter is half way up the center inside of the filter. If you just remove the filter while fuel is still in the bowl you run a chance of dropping dirt into the fuel and some of that dirt flowing into the outflow port and thus start into the injection pump when you restart the engine.

The siphon method is a bit hard while working alone without spilling fuel. If you have a hand held brake bleed vacuum pump attach it to the drain hose, open the air bleed on the filter, open the petcock, and draw a vacuum on the filter. Once the bottle on the vacuum pump is full you should have drawn the fuel level down below the outflow port inside the filter. To be real safe empty the bottle and draw off a second bottle. Now as you draw the filter up and out of the housing contaminants that do fall off the outside of the filter and into the bowl will not have a path to the outflow port. Any dirt that falls into the bowl can be drawn off by an additional pumping with the vacuum pump before installing the new filter.

[sturgeon-phish]

I borrow my wife's turkey baster. Funny, she let me keep it.
Jim

[Hubert]

Now, I also do the open the water drain valve and use a little compressed air to blow in the air bleed valve. Just enough to drop it down below tube some. Then I use a turkey baster to suck out left over fuel. My turkey baster works but leaks a little. So if you try that get one with a small hole.

Another tip I learned on here is to only open the air bleed just a little. If you open it up too much it leaks underneath the knob.

I swaddle the rear of the engine with old rags and then blow out bowl with compressed air and wipe out bowl with a clean rag. When feeling real anal you can wet new filter element with an injector cleaner and/or pour an ounce or so in bottom of bowl when intalling new filter. But follow directions on your brand of fuel treatment some are not good to overdose.

Ditto: The official manual instructions on just taking out old filter and dropping in new one is not good enough! Maybe just another contributor to all the reported IP problems. GM techs fouling the IP with trash on regular maintenance.

[DaveNY]

A friend gave me one of those through the dipstick oil change pumps when he sold his boat. I use it as a vaccum cleaner for the filter housing,I just stir up the last inch of fuel and suck it all up. Works great.

[Doug Thom]

Thanks Dave and all that gave me some great info. I will use your ideas.
Have a great day!
Doug