Fuel Filter Change

[NorthStar]

Growing up on a Midwest farm, I was always taught to change diesel fuel filters in the first ten hours of operating a new tractor or combine. Right or wrong, I followed what my grandfather taught me especially given the fact this truck has sat on the dealer lot since October 2020.

I grabbed the Mopar filter from Amazon, opened the water seperator valve and got no water. Then I opened it further until diesel started coming out so I could drain the entire filter housing of diesel before removing the cap with filter. That was the easiest fuel filter change I’ve done in my life. No more dipping a tank to fill a filter, no more mess, super easy to prime and less than ten minutes to do it…the first time. Not a spot on the driveway.

I now know it sure as the heck is not worth what the dealers are charging to do it.

 

[Sascwatch]

I like that no special tools are required like the old school inline filters found on many older gasoline vehicles. Just a socket and a wrench, I don’t torque mine either just go until it’s tight and give it a bit more after that.

These filters should be on all vehicles, not just diesel equipped vehicles. Injectors aren’t cheap on any vehicle and while there is a filter in the tank I’ve seen debris get past it and ruin injectors.

 

[Aseras]

It's not bad. Do the 2 liter bottle trick to get them off without getting a diesel bath. Cut top off and slide whole bottle up over the housing and unscrew and remove presto. No mess.

 

[NorthStar]

It's not bad. Do the 2 liter bottle trick to get them off without getting a diesel bath. Cut top off and slide whole bottle up over the housing and unscrew and remove presto. No mess.

On the 3rd Gen Ecodiesel? Why? There should be no diesel remaining in the filter housing if you unscrew the water separator valve and drain all the diesel out of it. No bottle required. Simply unscrew the seperator valve a couple of turns to drain any water and then continue unscrewing until you have diesel coming out. At that point simply let it drain the diesel. Once it’s done draining, unscrew the housing cap a couple or rotations until you get a small dribble coming out of the cap…then open the valve again to drain the remaining diesel held in by the vacuum. Once it is drained then you can remove it without even so much as a shower cap because you won’t be getting a diesel bath at all.