As a dreaded fuel filter change approaches, I recall the painful twisting and wrenching to free the fuel lines, followed by the drenching reward of petrol.

Would a *very* light coat of anti-sieze before installing the new filter help with removing the lines next time?

Seamus

 

I'd never use antisieze on something like that because there is a chance it would introduce aluminum powder into your fuel system. So what's better to use? Well, the suspension oil in antisieze is uh... don't help me. Grease! No, oil! Yes, lightly coat the nipples of the new fuel filter with oil. When I say lightly, I mean just barely visible on the plastic surface. Then wipe it almost completely off. The theory here is that the oil will allow easier slipping of the hoses over the nipples, while hopefully allow easier removal next time. Of course this idea will only work if your fuel lines are neoprene and imperveous to most fuels and oil.

I've had good luck using 1/2 fuel line as oil cooler lines, and I've even used the oil trick on fuel filters before, so that's one useable testimony for you.

 

just craw undeer and place a vise grip eitheer side of the filter , thus clamping off the flow then remove the filter and replace, a can handy and drop the old one diectly in. you can do it without getting your hands smelly and only a bit dirty

 

Yea, the fuel filter on a 7 is the easiest I've ever done. A bucket, a rag, and a pair of pliers and 10 minutes and its done.

My last car, an '87 Buick that I abused relentlessly, never got a fuel filter change. It required 2 wrenches, 1/2 can of PB Blaster, 3 knuckles, AND OH MY GOD TUNR THE HISTORY CHANNEL ON NOW WANKEL ALERT and an hour and I still didn't have that filter off.

 

huh??

 

Appently there is a show on the history channel right now about the history of the wankel. Someone just posted a thread about it in the lounge.

 

yeah buit hes in ohio? so it will be on later for the west coast?

 

Thanks for the replies.

It was a piece of cake. The FB is *much* easier than the FC, even if both 13B, fwiw. On the FC the filter is close to the engine. Perhaps that extra heat, and the fuel line attached to the top of the filter is what made that a real PITA.

The FB filter is of course at the rear of the car. The lines came *right* off. What a pleasure.

Seamus

 

theres a modern marvel on at 8 our time on history channel about engines... i think thats the one they r talking bout...

 

Just so you know, there is a handy little clamp wrench made specifically for clamping hoses. You just squeeze the handles and it locks in place, and it won't damage the hose like Vicegrips may. I don't know for sure where you can buy them -- I got mine off the Snap-on truck -- but I'm sure regular autoparts stores would carry them. Nothing beats the right tool for the job!

 

$5 and 5 mins as I always say. The Rx7's fuel filter is by far the easiest thing short of an air filter than I've ever changed.

Jon

 

I once did a ROADSIDE fuel filter change.

I was driving the wife's '85 base, and I had been putting off a filter for a few weeks (As far as I know, at least 10 years on the filter that was in the car).
The car had been having classic fuel filter problems. Anyways, I had picked up a filter on after work, and was about halfway home when the car started to sputter and died. I got her going again, but she sputtered and died again. I grabbed some heavy pliers and whacked the filter a couple times to knock some crud off the element, and got about another 10 minutes down the road before she died again. After she died on my a couple more times, I found a nice wide shoulder, jacked thew car up, grabbed my vice grips and pliers, clamped off the line and swapped filters.

Smooth ride the rest of the way home.

BTW, when I got the filter filter home, I washed it down so I could see inside...
it was over half filled with crud.

 

'Course the GSL-SE is a whole 'nother story...

 

Does the SE have the clamp on fuel filter like the carbed FB and my truck have? (My truck's up front near the fuel rail...)

Or does it have flare fittings with flare nuts and the filter threads on.

I wouldn't in a million years think Mazda would be as stupid as GM and use their type of fittings.

 

The GSL-SE fuel filter assembly is crazy. The all-metal filter is held in place by a serious clamp that is bolted on the frame above the axle, and basically the whole thing needs to come out (the fuel filter assembly; not the axle ). You then have to disassemble banjo fittings to install on the replacement filter. Basically, it's about as involved as a fuel pump replacement.

 

Mine is an SE and I really didn't think it was that bad. I much prefer it over the seemingly simpler ones that came along in '86. One of the hassles with those was that if the lines were stuck on it was really hard to get any kind of grip on the top hose to pull it off due to close corners.

With the SE design it's easy to get some muscle on the hoses because they are both down low. I was actually glad for the banjos and this design. Also made containing the oncoming onslaught of fuel easy to once the lines were free.

Seamus

 

The biggest problem I've had with the SE filters has been dissasembling it the first time. 10+ years on the road tends to fuse the components together....

 

so then out of curiousity when you do a 12a to 13b swap do you leave in the 12a filter or move up to the 13b filter system?

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