Well jeez, no wonder you had a hard time! I don't know how you got a big ol' cresent wrench in there. You gotta use an open end wrench to get in there.

I still don't know what a crows foot is though, since newbie Tom's pictures aren't showing up. Nice red Xs there Tom!. Haha, actually, I assume montypics is temp down. I'm going to guess that a crows foot is a water pump plier or adjustable pliers.

I wouldn't use pinching pliers for anything near gasoline though. I've used them for our diesel tractor when working on the fuel injectors, with diesel squirting out everywhere. I used pliers to try to grab a clamp and they'd always slip off. Finally, I noticed the sparks flying whenever they slipped. If that were gasoline, I'd be bbq'd.

Steve

 

Hehe, yeah I think Montypics may be down...those pics were working earlier!

A crow's foot wrench basically just looks like the open wrench head. Then there's a square hole, I assume to put in something like a socket extension. I've never used them, just guessing...but that's the pic (whenever it shows up) that I got from the craftsman web site.

 

Just like Piratefins, I thought I had it rough. On my 87 p/u the filter is in the wheel well. The lines that go to it have almost no slack, and after removing the line that goes to the engine, I had fuel raining down on me, I plugged the hole, pulled the line from the tank and had an even greater shower. I couldn't stop it for the longest time cuz their wasn't enough slack to put the new filter on. I got it on, a 16th of the tank later, and my arms saturated. Difficulties of another sort, but no fun either.

 

Well I picked up 2mpg with the new fuel filter. Im up to 16mpg as opposed to the old 14 on highway average. And I still have to replace the O2 sensor.....I want my damn 20-22mpg back with this 3.slow!!

 

OMG those open ended wrenches would have been a God-send! Obviously I dont have any of em....but when I was working on I was dreaming about those damn things and also wondering if there was such a thing as a open boxhead wrench? Any form of ratcheting would have made it waaaay easier.

Steve

 

How much fuel spills out when you change the filters? Never done this before and just trying to be cautious.

 

about a 1/2 gallon or so, just dont get any of it in your eyes. It burns like hell if you do.

 

1/2 gallon Did you relieve the fuel pressure before taking off the filter? Mine only leaked 1/2 cup of fuel

 

Yeah no kidding, it should drip out, not spray! And there shouldn't be *that* much that comes out, just whatever is still sitting in the lines.

Relieve the pressure, and toss some shop rags around the connections while you take them off to catch the gas that drips out.

 

I agree, I had hardly any fuel runout either.

 

Same here just a small amount of fuel came out. All I did was took off the gas cap and cracked the nuts a little but nothing else. So far I have gotten a 3-4 mpg increase. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG !!!!
Live and learn

 

How do you relieve the fuel pressure?

 

Hehehe.... Relieve the fuel pressure But that would make sense! I feel pretty stupid now,i was actually thinking bout opening the cap but I thought it would work like oil, and helop to push out even more fuel.

To relieve it, just open your gas cap. That pshhhhhhttt sound is the air that is built up pushing past the gap between the cap and screw in part to equalize pressure with atmospheric pressure.

 

relieve the fuel pressure? oops!

 

you could just remove and drain the tank and then change the filter.

 

Stupid question: Where is the filter on say, a 97 4runner? My chilton's book lists 3 possible places, so rather than go find it I figure I will just ask here.

 

Its on the inside of the frame rail, located on the drivers side of the truck. Just slide directly under your drivers door and it should be right there.

 

Thanks!

 

There's a skid plate of sorts (its plastic) - I think there's 3 bolts securing it. If you take that off, it'll be right there.

 

Score! I'll think I'll attempt this sometime soon if it helps increase mpg. What type of fuel filter did you guys replace it with? oem?