Wow.. That had to be the biggest pain for any fuel filter change I've ever had to do... What doesn't help is that the truck had a huge crank seal leak right before I bought it, so the entire undercarriage is covered in a thick slime...

I'm gonna break/crimp something if I have to press those fuel lines away from the starter to fit the filter bowl down through there again... or break off the yellow handle...

Looks like that prime-loc kit is certainly in MY future... or does anyone else offer a similar kit?

Yeah, I guess I'm a wuss....

 

Change it from the top. Lie in across the front of the truck.

 

Or get a FASS and remove the fuel filter altogether.

 

I couldn't get the housing out... it was close, but it wouldn't come out on mine... hydroboost lines in the way IIRC.


By the way, is it normal for the filter to be completely totally black? I figured it was the biodiesel I've been running lately, breaking down 215,000 miles of deposits in the tank...

 

I always thought the '98s were easy to change from the top, maybe someone doing work on the brakes didn't get a line back in the right place.

The black you see is called asphaltines, found in all diesel fuel and normal. More info on them here> http://www.baldwinfilter.com/engineer/94_14.html

 

I always change mine from the top and pull the can out between the intake tube and some hydraulic lines by the battery box.

 

Change it from the top. I drain it 1st into a bucket then remove the filter and sneak it out past all the other junk in the way,it can be tricky at 1st but after a few times it becomes real easy! Laying on your back to change it SUCKS