Fuel filter, how tight?

sjwelds

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Had it happen a couple of times now where the fuel filter loosens up on its own and fuel gushes down the filter.

How tight do you tighten your fuel filter? I've always just got it as tight as I could by hand but starting to wonder if that isn't enough.....
 

Cubey

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Well... let's put it this way:

Years ago when I borrowed my mom's 03 Taurus (V6 Vulcan) when moving a few things or some such, and offered to do an oil change at my expense for her in exchange for borrowing it. I drove about 15 miles on the freeway from her house to mine. When I went to do the oil change, I just barely bumped the oil filter with my gloved thumb when reaching in with the oil filter wrench, and it began unthreading. It hadn't leaked at all despite being in that horizontal position and had been on there for a long time. I called her and told her never to go back to where ever she had it changed last.

So, yeah, they don't take that much really. That oil filter was barely hand tightened and it kept in the oil completely fine, amazingly.

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The_Josh_Bear

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I got nothing for you...both my fuel and oil filters are tight as all get out by the time its due for a change. I can rarely get them off with gloved hands.

One-hand tight plus a grunt sounds about good to me, haha.
 

Jesus Freak

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They seem to get tighter in my experience. I bet rolls Royce mechanics have a special tool and a mysterious way to torque them.
 

sjwelds

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Yeah last time I changed the filter I pretty much had to destroy it to get it off.

Hand tight and a grunt, I like it
 

Cubey

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Yeah last time I changed the filter I pretty much had to destroy it to get it off.

Hand tight and a grunt, I like it

I've removed and reinstalled my RV's fuel filter 3 or 4 times over the last few years. I use a rubber strap wrench so no harm done to the filter.
 

Nero

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It says right on the filter, spin it on til it touches, then 3/4 of a turn.
 

Big Bart

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Some other thoughts

1) See if you have a lot of vibration at idle or up at 2,000rpm. These engines clearly vibrate but if you see things are vibrating excessively try to figure out why. If so at idle then perhaps turn the idle up 50-100rpm to smooth out some of the vibration.
2) Make sure your fuel filter braket and fillter head are tight. (I have seen some that were loose. If so perhaps use lock nuts.) If either are loose and vibrating/swinging, that could be your issue.
3) Perhaps this time wipe off the face of the filter head and the filter seal. Use what little lubrication is left after wiping off as much diesel as possible to allow it to slide up tight face to face. But not be able to vibrate loose.
4) If it persists, try replacing the filter.
5) Hand tight and a grunt should do it. Just FYI I have not heard of anyone stripping a oil filter head or fuel filter head or the inside of the filter threads. (I am sure others here have heard of a one off case.)
Rather folks who grunt several times, end up poping the rubber seal or crushing the filter by squeezing it too hard trying to tighten it to much. So don't be afraid to grunt twice! ;Sweet
 

Jesus Freak

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A firm calibrated 40yr old grunt should suffice. If you're under 30 do a half grunt, unless you're a gamer type then maybe 3 grunts. If you're over 55 do 1.5 grunts. Anyone over 70 should ask a younger friend to grunt for them, because if they made it that far and they're still messing with this stuff they deserve a helping grunt.
 

Nero

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A firm calibrated 40yr old grunt should suffice. If you're under 30 do a half grunt, unless you're a gamer type then maybe 3 grunts. If you're over 55 do 1.5 grunts. Anyone over 70 should ask a younger friend to grunt for them, because if they made it that far and they're still messing with this stuff they deserve a helping grunt.
I'm a gamer, and a diesel mechanic by trade, can't confirm your claims of three grunts LOL
 

WECSOG

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I grew up understanding that it's hand tight plus a quarter turn. That is about the same as hand tight and a grunt, while still being doable by those over 70 who may need to use a strap wrench for that last quarter turn.
 

Old Goat

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Hey, hey hey, lets be kind to the older crowd. I thought 70 was old till I got there. Some 70`s are too fat to reach over the fender to get to the Filter...LOL.
All you need to do it wipe off the filter head mating surface, apply some Diesel or ATF if filling the filter with it. Lube the rubber seal and spin it on till it is seated, then another 1/2 to 3/4 turn. So far I haven`t had one leak in the almost 8 yrs of being the current care taker of her.

I like to use ATF to fill the Filters, then I know it`s coming out of a clean container compared to using the rusty old diesel container sitting on the shelf.

Iam 78 and still crankin, Grunt is the name I call my 86.


Goat
 
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