Hey everyone i am in the process of replacing my fuel filter, i sprayed it with PB blaster let it sit over night, one end came off FINE, but i screwed it back in a little to stop the dripping gas while i attemp the other one (the one thats a pain in the *** to get too because the bracket holding the filter is alllll in the way... i cannont get that one to budge, i'm not sure but i think i may of twisted the fuel line, its not broken but it looks like theres a swirl to it now, am i screwed or is it okay as long as its not broken??? it could be me being stupid but it looks twisted to me..

any suggestions on getting that one loose, the bracket is really in my way and is messing it all up, the bracket is really pissing me off though i wanted to smash the wrench thru the side of the car,..... but it looks too pretty lol but seriously i don't want to have to replace the fuel line, is it still possible to unscrew it if the line is twirled a little?? i will get pictures if i can but you probably wont be able to tell, its not that bad but i think i may of twisted it a little...

please help because this car is giving me a head ache just sitting there.... the first one came off so easy (after some choice curse words and such), but of course the second one has to give me a problem LOL is there anything i can do about the bracket??? i never knew it was goiing to get in the way so much.

mike

 

Take the bracket off.

 

honestly i didnt know you could take it off entirely? i see the one screw that kind of holds the filter tight in place but i didnt see one to remove the bracket from the frame rail???

also even if do remove it (going to check that out right now) what about the fuel line??? is it okay and will i still be able to get the nut loose if i soak it overnight again in some PB?

thanks and sorry to sound stupid i haven't been under these cars too much untill recently. i'm more of an s10 mechanic (all easy stuff compaired to these cars IMO) lol thanks

 

Hmmm, well i'd have to say that even if the line is a bit twisted but not crimped, it's still usable. Gas will still flow through it. If your "thinking" it may be twisted, it's probably not as bad as if you knew for sure it was twisted. Am I making sense? lol. Try spraying that nut with a bunch of WD-40 or something else....just soak it in something. Once you get the one nut loose you can't push it through the bracket to give you some clearance? Is there enough playing the fuel line? I'd need to see a picture to really help you out....

If you really need to, you may have to cut the line and use a compression coupling and a new small piece of copper tubing to replace what you cut out. I'm not too sure what size the line is. I'm pretty sure this can be done on fuel lines. I'm a plumber and do this kind of thing all the time on copper water lines of similar size. It's not like you'll have to replace a big section of fuel line.

 

oops mean to say is there enough play in the fuel line...

I don' t think those brackets can be taken off. I'm pretty sure it's welded to the car. There aren't any screws.

 

I'd take a pipe cutter and take off a bit off the line just incase it broke and replace it with rubber line and just use fuel line clamps.

 

Or that....didn't think of using hose

 

thats what i was thinking, but if it snapped wouldn't fuel be seeping out? its bone dry...

 

also... not to be half assed or anything i will definetly replace the area of line just because i believe its twisted but i can't do it right now and i just want to get the car running... its not even i think its twisted,, if i run my hands along the line it feels twisted, but not broke... but im afraid when i try and un-do the other end it's going to snap... i'm trying to avoid that, i'm trying to replace the filter and at least get it running before i do any line fixing..

 

it may not be leaking now, or even broken or cracked. but a bent or twist in the line will definatly weaken the area.

 

yea i definetly understand this which is why i will replace it i just want to get the car running before i do that (i have a fuel problem, car runs when gas is directely fed but stalls out as soon as it 'drinks it all' the fuel pump hums when i turn the key so i assume its good.. so thats why i'm replacing the filter... i'd rather replace the filter first too see if thats my problem before dropping the tank and checking for any clogs in there (which droppin the tank = pain in the *** !! lol)

anyways back on topic, if i want to cut the fuel line, how do i go about repairing it, just go to autozone and ask for rubber fuel line? and what about the nut that spins on the end on the fuel line (the reason its twisted in the first place) how would i attach that to a rubber line??? do you mean just slipping the rubber line over the twisted fuel line and then clamping it ??

sorry if this is a stupid question it's just i dont want to mess around with fuel lines, i'd want everything to be correct so i don't blow up when driving down the street lol.... thanks

 

I'd get a pipe cutter and cut out the twisted section along with the connection on the other side of the filter and just put rubber line on both sides. makes filter replacment a lot easier. and then just use fuel line clamps.

 

let me see if i understand what your saying just to make sure, cut the twisted section off which is obvious lol but the other thing you said confuses me, your saying cut the connection on the other side of the filter, the one that unscrewed no problem? and then put rubber line between, but if i was to do this where would the fuel filter go if there is a rubber line in its place?? sorry if i mis-understood what you meant...

I tried to take a picture of the twist with my phone but no flash so all i got was blackness so i made a quick diagram of where the twist is, what would be the best way to fix a twist in this location, as it is right behind the nut...

 

....

 

you can leave the side that came off no problem. but if it were me I'd take the other side off too. take 2 seperate pieves of tubing and put the filter between. so theres rubber tubing between the metal tubing and filter on both sides.

 

i get what you're saying 100%, i'm just still a little confused how i would attach the filter if i was to cut the end peices off the fuel line since there would no longer be the line nut that screws into the filter. besides that i get exactly what you mean lol thanks, Mike

 

You should be able to get a repair kit from most any parts store. It will include a length of line and the nut to go to the filter, and a means of splicing the new line to your cut-off original line.

 

you can get a new fuel filter without a threaded end that will slip right into the rubber hose.

 

did you use a backup wrench on the filter when you first tried to remove it?

normally your ok as long as there is no more than a quarter of a turn worth of twist to the line, much more & it can start to collapse the line & that may cause it to crack.
i wouldn't use rubber fuel line to repair it, you don't have the proper flare on the metal line for the rubber hose to fit on, with out it if the hose clamp gets just a little loose the hose will blow right off the metal line.
i would never use copper tubing for fuel lines. copper bends easily, it also will develop stress cracks & break at the worst possible moment.
i would use a brass compression fitting. properly installed a brass compression fitting will last with no problems.

 

a compression fitting woul dbe better safer than just clamps and a hose yes and is recommended of course

if the line end for the filter is regular flared type then you can judt buy a short length of line at your local auto parts store they are cheap and already flared and have the fitting

it should be 3/8" tubing

this is simple either way

basic stuff

everyone should have a tubing cutter and anyone who knows they will run into fuel and brake line repairs should have a flaring kit too, all are cheap

i ahve to do this stuff on vehicles all the time, its really easy to do,


a backup wrench on the filter and the spray should have gotten it loose without any real trouble


just my


good luck

 

I'm starting to dislike this car. it's almost like its against me and my efforts to get it going...lol

yea the fuel line is definetly twisted now, i let it soak in PB blaster spraying it a couple times a day for 2 days... so today i get under it expecting the nut to come loose no problem, so i go at it- i feel it turning so i think its the nut coming loose, little did i know i was twisting the hell out of the fuel line, its twisted so bad now that its leaking...


is there any way i can stop the leaking i have about 3/4 tank of gas and i dont feel like standing there switching buckets???

also i'm going to autozone in about an hour to get what i need to fix the fuel line, can anyone give me a 'list' of what i would need to repair it?? either the rubber line way or the metal line way, honestly whichever is easier, rather than cheaper... $$ is not the issue, its the pain in the *** part that bugs me LOL

please help before i trade this thing for a honda or something jk


-Mike

 

rubber line is going to be the easiest and the cheapest. only takes a few minutes to cut out the old line and toss some rubber line on there. I did it to my offroad jeep a couple months ago, still havn't had a problem.

 

sounds good, does this sound about right?

i use a pipe cutter to cut off the twisted section, then slide the rubber line onto the metal fuel line and clamp it with fuel line clamps. that part i understand but the part that has me confused like i mentioned above (once again sorry if this is easy stuff, i'm not a mechanic LOL) anyways how would i connect the rubber line to the fuel filter, i have the kind of filter thats for the nut rather than a rubber line so what can i do to make this work?

 

could i just cut the twisted section off, slide rubber line and clamps on then put in the twisted section with the nut attached and clamp that in? kind of like using the rubber line as a cast and the metal line would be the 'broken bone' ?? only way i can describe it... or would this not work right?

 

for example.... the metal fuel line is the dark gray line and the rubber would be the black. the clamps are yellow.. would this work ?

 

ttt some please help i'd rather go there and get the right stuff than go there and get a rubber line that wont work LOL

 

Easiest way to do this is to get rid of your current fuel filter and buy a new universal one that will lwork better for this situation. you can get them at any auto parts store. this is a picture of one from summit racing.
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/9597/filtervd0.jpg

 

nice, i see exactly what you are talking about now... are they about the same price as normal filters ? do they have a special name or do i just ask for a universal fuel filter?

sorry for all the questions bro i appreciate the help.

 

Just ask for a universal filter and they'll know what you want. they can range from $5 to $20.

 

went into autozone last night and there was some kid workin who had no idea what i wanted (he knew what the universalfuel filter was) but he couldn't help me with finding correct diameter rubber line.. and i couldn't tell him what iit was either, can anyone tell me what size rubber hoseline i would need to slip over the metal fuel line to be clamped on ?

also i decided i want to fix it the way i explained above, in post #25... can anyone tell me if this will work just to get the car running and driving and then i can replace with metal line later on?

 

That's a cheap, easy fix what you are describing. Go to autozone and ask for rubber FUEL LINE, and not rubber hose, as there is a difference. You will probably want 3/8" inside diameter, if memory serves. There are special fuel line clamps as well, which have covers on them to keep the "ribs" on the clamp from "biting" in to the fuel line hose. If they aren't available, regular clamps should be ok, but I don't recommend using them.

In the future, a good set of flare-nut wrenches can be of inestimable value for doing those little PITA jobs.

 

That will work. Just don't expect it to hold up if you switch to TPI some day.