Birdman-85RX-7

I decided to do some maintenance before fall sets in. Oil change, oil filter change,... easy stuff.

Fuel filter for a GSL-SE. I cannot get the bolts off the old filter to transfer to the new filter (see pics). Or are these parts being pointed to on the old filter supposed to be replaced when you replace the filter?

Liquid wrench has not worked. Leverage with a long 17mm wrench has not worked.

In the meantime I have put the old one back on until I can get what I need to finish the job.

Any suggestions?

Roger

PS. I have searched, but there is next to nothing about the fine details of replacing the fuel filter anywhere on the forum.

lovintha7

Hate to say it, but those have to come off, and they're special banjo bolts that have a hole drilled in them. Look like they're gonna break to me. Way too much rust. You can try a junkyard car to see if they come out, either than that, I'd suggest going to the mazda dealer and ordering new ones if you can. Once you get the new ones, rip on the old ones till they come loose, or break, but you're gonna need those lines off the filter.

BAN SUVS

Get some PB Blaster and they'll eventually come off. It worked wonders on my rusted struts/shocks

Birdman-85RX-7

So is the PB Blaster better than WD40 or Liquid Wrench?

I will try that (gotta find it in Ontario first). In the meantime, I will contact the dealer on Tuesday to find out about availability and cost. (the fuel filter with bracket already cost CAD$46 from the local Mazda dealer)

Thanks

BAN SUVS

I have been told it is and when one of my buddies was helping me change the struts on my car it broke the nuts and bolts free. Doesn't hurt to try it. Cheaper than going to the dealer and having to buy new parts,if you know what I mean.

ChasRX

Aerokroil works great, too.

hornbm

just get a phatty breaker bar (I use a 3 footer), with that it'll snap or come off, but either way it wont be there when your done

Actually when i needed to get a rear end bold undone, I used my breaker bar along with a 25 foot cheater pole. Man that bolt came off easy

nimrodTT

looks like a job for the impact, find a neighbor with one.

or you could buy new banjo bolts and banjo'd hose attachments at a local hose specialty place (hydraulic mostlikely) if the dealer wants too much/can't get your parts

hornbm

i woulda said impact but if he had one I figured he would have tried it allready

Birdman-85RX-7

Sorry, no air compressor here. On my wish list.

Roger

Birdman-85RX-7

Well, I called the dealer this morning

The banjo bolts are discontinued. I sure don't want to reef of the old bolts for fear of snapping the bolts clean off.

I am going to see if I can find something at a local wrecking yard. Wish me luck.

slashdawg00110

PB Blaster is great stuff. Shoot some on, wait, shoot more on wait, etc for a few cycles. If it's removable, the blaster will do the job.

Birdman-85RX-7

Actually, I haven't been able to find it yet. Napa and Carquest answer my question like I have two heads and have never heard of the stuff.

Where can I get this in Burlington/Hamilton area???

I am very leary of forcing the bolts off for fear of snapping them. I am going to have to source some before I do it. Just in case.

Anybody know the specs on these banjo bolts? length, thread size, etc.

Roger

bliffle

Sounds like a job for the impact wrench. I don't use air compressors either, so I have a Dewalt DW052 impact driver (usually used to set drywall screws) with a hex collet that usually will free a stuck nut/bolt, and it fits in tight places (got it for $100 on ebay). It puts out 100 ftlb torque max. For REALLY tough jobs I got a Dewalt DW059 18volt impact wrench that puts out 300 ftlb torque, but it's a big sucker and you need a little room to use it (works good on stuck starter bolts though!). That thing will twist your arm off! Since these things are battery powered you can lug them into the junkyard to get parts (like a starter that's stuck in tight). I paid $269 for that DW059 on ebay, but it's worth it, since it came with 2 XRP batteries (which I can use with my other dewalt tools) and a special charger, and each of those items is about $100 retail. And it pays for itself quickly.

B

Kweasi

The reality of it is that the bolt will probably come off; consider the meatyness of those threads in there (not prone to breaking) and that the rust is only on the head of the bolt- the copper gaskets won't permit mosture to get down into the threads. When you do get it out you'll see that interally the bolt will be mint. My advise is to just wail on 'er with a tight fitting 6-point socket (so you don't round the head) and it'll come out.

-Kwe

Birdman-85RX-7

Well, Kweasi, I hope you are right.

My current plan is to soak the bolts with Liquid Wrench (can't find PB Blaster) a couple of times each night until the weekend. On Saturday I will go to the local wrecking yard to see if any of the RX-7's have the parts I need.

Also I am going to take my new filter down to Home Depot to determine what the thread dimensions are and possibly order a couple of backup banjo bolts from Behrents (www.behrents.com).

We will have to see. Luckily I am in no rush so the old filter is back on the car until I can scare up some replacement banjo bolts. The car doesn't seem to be having any fuel delivery problems (knock on wood) but as you can see from the condition of the outside of the old filter (in pics above) it is time for a change.

Roger

Hades12

Here is what you do.

Put the filter in a vise to hold it good. Use a wire brush and clean up the bolt. Make sure you have a wrench that fits the bolt very tight. Try the metric and american. Now. DONT just put power to it and hope, What you do is bump the wrench with the palm of your hand. DO NOT hit it hard, just bump it with with more pressure each time. It will break loose and not round off. IF you just put power to it then it will round off. My dad taught me this and it works almost every time, works great for brake lines also.

Hades12

Were you able to get it off?

Birdman-85RX-7

Hopefully this weekend. It is my daily driver so I need to be able to keep it running.

And now for a different question...

Is there any reason why a fuel filter for a 2nd gen wouldn't work? I see that they just have the fuel pipe coming right out of the filter rather than having to fit it with a banjo bolt. Keep in mind my engine is the 13B with fuel injection.

This also may be a backup plan.

Roger

slashdawg00110

2nd gen filter might work. You might have trouble getting the fuel lines hooked up though, since the 2nd gen filter has nipples front and rear rather than both off the single banjo bolt.

bliffle

Hades advice is good: use a sixpoint and slap the wrench with progressive pressure. Usually, leaning on a breaker bar is a last ditch desperation attempt, as you are liable to cause a Forced Rupture of the metal. Impact wrench is better because the rat-a-tat-tat encourages the friction to loosen better than brute force.

Try borrowing a little 12volt Impact driver from a handyman. Dewalt, makita, porter-cable, all make good ones, and they are designed to NOT break off drywall screws, so usually they work on auto parts that are a little too tight or aged. I take one to the junkyard when I go treasure hunting, and I've pulled out stuff nobody could get loose, and saved a lot of other guys trouble.

B

Birdman-85RX-7

So is hammer drill the same as an impact wrench?

Roger

Birdman-85RX-7

slashdawg00110,

The banjo bolts are at both ends, the in and out side. Each fastens a pipe.

Roger

b_met

I was wondering that too. Get help and vannish, huh? lol

faye x7

PB Blaster...that stuff is strong. Liquid Wrench is a pansy compared to the other stuff. I was able to find it at places like Pepboys...Autozone...Advance Auto...any auto place would have it. I don't know what you guys got up there in Canada, never been there.