Return line spring in fuel filter head. Is it needed and what does it do?

[Golden Helmet]

Heya guys. I'm in the middle of putting a new fuel filter head on my truck, modded to delete the fuel heater. I'm swapping all the stuff over from the old head to the new one. On the old one, i found a spring hiding behind the return line fitting. When i put the spring in the new housing, it falls much deeper in to the fuel filter head than it did on the new one.

Can I just remove that spring, or is it doing something important?

 

[Thewespaul]

You should have a small ball with the spring, which is why it’s probably setting different in the housing. They tend to fly away once you pull the fitting out, so if you don’t have the ball just plug that port, many delete it and seem to have less issues with air intrusion.

 

[Thewespaul]

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[Golden Helmet]

I found the ball, thanks! Now I gotta get that spring back out, put the ball in and reassemble. I also gotta get a new olive, apparently the IP feed line uses a different sized olive than the filter feed line. Damn little details....

 

[Thewespaul]

It’s always something. Russ has got the olive you need if you can’t get it local.

 

[Golden Helmet]

I was able to get some new olives, had to drive 45 minutes one-way but hey, beats shipping.

Now the problem is i can't get the smaller olive on the line. I'm gonna try some creative engineering with my drill, but there's gotta be a better way.

Man, I always find the smallest stuff to get stuck on

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I wouldn't try drilling the center hole bigger. I'd lube it up and then try again. Use diesel, WD-40, a little bit of ATF, spit on it, or something else like that.

 

[Golden Helmet]

I just can not get this thing on the line. I got two olives of this size and i've already dropped and lost one. ******** this is infuriating.

So this olive is too small and won't go on the line. The other olive is loose on the line and won't fit in to the nut. I'm running out of ideas here. I'm thinking about lighting a match and walking away, lol.

I've got a few more of the big olives, maybe cut away at the OD so it fits in the nut and call it good?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'd bet that wouldn't seal on the hard line. I've seen someone (can't remember who right now) say that they've made their own olives by cutting some fuel line. The feed line to the IP is 5/16". You still need 5/16" ID in order to seal. It seals the line by being tightened onto the flares at either end.

 

[Thewespaul]

It won’t fit over the tube or it won’t fit in the nut? You can also warm the seal up a bit with a heat gun to make it more flexible

 

[IDIBRONCO]

It won’t fit over the tube or it won’t fit in the nut? You can also warm the seal up a bit with a heat gun to make it more flexible

Thee way I'm reading this, the 5/16 won't fit onto the line and of course the 3/8 won't fit into the nut. X2 on the heat.

 

[Golden Helmet]

It won't fit over the tube, i tried using some motor oil as lube but had no luck with that. And of course I don't have a heat gun.

I'm just about out of daylight, and with the gusting wind and screaming neighbor kids, I'd better pack it up for today before I kill someone or set this truck ablaze. Or both.

Driving the Chevy of Shame tomorrow

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Driving the Chevy of Shame tomorrow

That's too bad. I'm sorry.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Which olive cant you get on? If it's the filter side you can use a cheap tubing cutter and slip fuel rated hose over the hard line and thread a 1/4 NPT x whatever size barb into the filter to connect the other side of the hose to. Clamp it up and done.
But the IP side is all goofy threads I believe.

Chevy of Shame...arent they all

 

[Golden Helmet]

It's the olive on the feed line from the fuel filter to the IP. The olive on the hard line going from lift pump to filter was very easy to do, but the filter to IP line is being a complete monster.

I don't mind the chevy that much, other than the check engine light. It's got that 8.1L Vortec monster, the air conditioning works great (the AC on the F-250 has never worked), and it rides much smoother than the IDI. But it doesn't put a smile on my face every morning like the IDI does