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Fuel Filter Replacement

4K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  jesilvas 
#1 ·
I bought a 2003 PS extended van. 276,000 miles. Runs great. I just changed the oil and the top end oil as seen on youtube. To change the fuel filter does one go through the dog house for access? The procedure for the van I can't find. Here is what I'm envisioning is done.

1) Drain fuel bowl by pulling cable and hopefully catch diesel in pan.
2) Obtain access through doghouse and unscrew old filter.
3) Replace gasket?
4) Put new filter in, and prime bowl by doing WTS a couple times for visual confirmation that diesel has filled the bowl.
5) Put lid on tight and do WTS a couple more times to purge out air.
6) Start it up.

Sound good? or am I being too naive? I own a 1987 turbo diesel Mercedes and some of the concepts are the same, but there are plenty of differences. Last question. If air ever does get into the system what then? For my Mercedes I crack the injectors until the pump bleeds the fuel out. How about on the PS van? thanks for your help. BTW don't be afraid to spell it out, I floundered the longest time figuring out what WTS was referring to in these topics, so I'm quite new here. Have a good 4th! :thumb:
 
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#2 ·
For all the 7.3 diesel vans you get to the fuel filter from the front hood, not the dog house. You have to remove the entire air filter box (it brakes/cracks easy) and the hose leading to the CCV (hose that attaches to the air box). You can then see the round black cap where the fuel filter is. There is then some misc. wiring that has to be pushed to the side while you try squeezing the old one out and the new one in. If you see rust in the bowl, it would probably be a good idea to use a magnetic pen and take out the rust.
 
#4 ·
did you do it?



did you manage to change it? im in the proses of doing the same thing. i dont see how im going to fit my hands in there? and in my case i have to change some o ring in the fuel filter housing...i dont see how is this hapning...whoever designed the fuel filter setup need to be fired
 
#9 ·
There is an electric pump on the fuel rail, but in the engine isn't there a high pressure pump? Also something to do with engine oil actuating the injectors. Anybody want to elaborate on this and why air in this part of the system is no problem?

Maybe there isn't any high pressure fuel lines like on my Mercedes. Get air in those lines and that is where the problems start.
 
#10 ·
Nope. Your Mercedes, Cummins, old Ford IDIs, Duramax's have a high pressure fuel pump which pressurizes fuel to 25,000 or so PSI, then hands it off to the injectors. Air can cause a problem here, especially if there's a lot of it. Electric supply pumps help this problem though, unlike the old mechanical ones.
7.3s and 6.0s as well as some CAT engines have a high pressure oil pump. The electric fuel pump supplies fuel in the neighborhood of 65PSI all the way to the injectors. The HPOP pressurizes oil from 500-2500 or so PSI which travels through the heads, to the top of the injectors, then hits a plunger and intensifier piston, which then hits the fuel in the lower chamber of the injectors and then the 65PSI fuel is injected at the 25,0000PSI like other diesels.
 
#12 ·
It took 6 hours but I finally changed my fuel filter. I have some words of advice since I did make some mistakes.

1. Remove intake box and move rubber hose to the right.
2. Unbolt bracket holding up that monster wiring connector.
3. The connector comes apart by undoing the bolt in the middle of it.
4. Then move all the wires to the left.
5. Use a long screw driver and a hammer to spin the top off.
6. You have to use some force to get the cap and the filter out.
7. Very important. DON"T even try putting an aftermarket all in one cap and filter replacement in. It will not make the bend around this plastic box on top of the engine. I had to go into the dog house and remove a ton of stuff to move that box, ended up breaking a super hard to get to bolt and spent 4 hours dealing with that broken bolt.
8. Then don't make mistake #2 and put the filter gasket in upside down! The flat side goes up. Otherwise you will have a massive amount of fuel spraying all over your freaking engine that will make it stink for days.
:(
 
#14 ·
After I had my leak I went back and looked more closely at the gasket and found it isn't like an oil filter gasket. One side of the gasket is flat and the other is beveled. The cap to the filter housing is flat and the fuel bowl has a tapered groove. So flat sits tight on the cap and the tapered wedges down nicely in the groove.
 
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