I am going to attempt changing my fuel filter for the first time. HOW do I do it?
Not knowing diesels really bites!!!

 

This will help ya...

http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/filter/00fuel_filter.htm

 

Take a deep breath. Its easy.
Also, you need to get a fuel pressure guage installed right away. If your LP is weak you'll have a tough time starting after the fuel filter change. (purging the air out) These trucks should come with an FP guage, but they don't so we MUST add one.

 

that reminds me - my LP is less than 2k miles old and is starting to go, I think.

 

Thanks for the info guys, never worked on one of these before, and trust me when I say I'm a little scared doing it!

 

I just did mine for the first time over the weekend. It's easy really. The instructions make it seem much more difficult than it really is. The only thing you don't want to do is let the diesel syfon (sp) from the VP44, open the water drain and crack (unscrew and just lift about 1/4 inch) the filter as fast as you can so your only draining the fuel from the bowl and filter. after install I bumped the starter 7 times, listen for the pump to stop, I had to remove the key to bump and get the lp to prime again, and then had to run the starter for 10 seconds at a time 4 times and it fired right up. Total time less than 20 minutes and I was being very carefull.

 

I just changed mine for the first time a couple of months ago. Easier and quicker than changing the oil. Just refer to the instructions linked above and you won't have any trouble.

 

I'll add on a little tip I learned that makes the starting up the truck afterwards a lot less stressfull.

Before you bump the starter to fill the cannister,
leave the filter lid a little loose (tightened till the o-ring just starts to make contact),
then bump the starter and quickly (very very quickly) be ready to tighten the lid down once fuel starts spurting out around the edges.
Helps if you have 2 people, one to bump the starter, and one to tighten the filter lid.

This is a very good way to make sure the air is purged out, and pretty much guarantees the truck will start on the first crank.

You should only have to bump the starter once, and the filter bowl will fill to overflowing.

First time I changed mine, I followed the instructions to a T and had a minor panic attack when I couldn't get the truck to start, and I really didn't want to have to mess with cracking the injector lines to purge the air out.


phox

 

I keep reading about this cracking of injector lines to purge air.

On my personal record out-of-fuel experience (2nd day), the AAA
guy that came out purged the lines with a valve toward the lower
front of the fuel lines. It was basically in the end of a drip/drain
line, something like a shrader or air stem. (2001)

Now, if I'd only known about running the lift pump for 10 seconds,
instead of just trying to crank and crank and crank and ....

 

That's the first step, is gets the air out between the filter and the injection pump.

If you have air in the lines going from the injection pump to the injectors,
then you have to crack 3 lines or so to get the air out.
Once those injectors are firing, the other lines will purge themselves.


phox

 

...Or do somethnig smart...

Fill the canister back up with fresh diesel fuel from a fuel can. Less mess and easier on everything. No bumping the starter, no squirting fuel, etc...

 

I second the filter canister fill with fresh fuel.

 

This works very well! Works for me every time...

 

i did mine for the 1st time this past weekend also and it was easier than i expected. also i might add this tip. you don't need to remove the key when bumping. just turn it of count to 5 and do it again.took me about 15 minutes total time. after that is when i was under the truck and found the broken motor mount bolt.