Fuel filter connection seized

[campbell]

OK so it's probably been a long time since mine was changed, and yes the lower union is seized tight.

Lots of release oil over a period of hours before attacking it with a decent pipe spanner but I am only succeeding in starting to round the pipe nut.

I suspect heating is out of the question

Current understanding is that to change the tank-bound fuel line + connector will at least involve taking the tank out and even then the required line is only available attached to a new fuel pump...£££££, great...

So, Jedi Robin has a thought to try and cut the line right at the union, fit a new union / nut thingy and I think "flare" the line again (I presume this is the way of widening the end of the line so that it seals when the union nut is tightened onto the new filter?).

What have we missed? Am I doomed to yet more expenditure on an 11-year-old gem? How do you cut a fuel line without creating a spark from a hacksaw? This and other questions we hope will be answered in the next exciting edition of Scrapheap Challenge

Thoughts welcome.

Campbell

[robin]

Campbell, no need to worry about fire risk - the fuel will only burn where it mixes with air, and then not explosively so. A wet rag and bucket of water or hose will be more than enough protection against it.

As to re-flaring the pipe - I haven't ever done it myself - used to get brake lines made by the local motor factors, pre-flared. I know JD has a flaring tool, but whether it's the right one for the fuel pipe, who knows. Likewise Lawrence no doubt had one somewhere in the garage ... I'm not sure what the pipe is made of and whether re-flaring it in situ is possible.

Cheers,
Robin

[mckeann]

can you cut the filter off at the base, to allow a ring spanner onto the nut rather than an open ended spanner??

[campbell]

Do you have an email address for John? Think I saw him in a MINI the other day in Linlithgow, might take a run out his way although I know he'd been working away a fair bit in the past so could be hit and miss!

What we need here is a pipes expert...c'mon all you closet pipers, step right up...

cheers

Campbell

[campbell]

can you cut the filter off at the base, to allow a ring spanner onto the nut rather than an open ended spanner??

Good shout.

In principle yes, and the filter seems fairly soft metal, but the filter's captive nut is larger (19mm) than the pipe union nut (14mm). So a 14 mm ring spanner is not going to slide over it, sadly. And it's the union nut that is starting to round, rather than the filter captive one...

Decent bit of lateral thinking there though mate!

Next I might try a can of PlusGas, rather than just the random penetrating oil PTFE spray I've been using...Alistair says this is what Willie at CLCM managed to free his well-seized geo adjusters with recently.

Sudden thought...if I did get the filter cut off really close to its captive nut, would this make it any easier for the penetrating oil to work down into the seized threads...?

[hiscot]

can you cut the filter off at the base, to allow a ring spanner onto the nut rather than an open ended spanner??

thats the approach i would also take , even if you cut right through the filter you may unscrew the filter from the union
chances are the union is rusted to the steel pipe, therefore in stead of turning the union thats seized you may just have a tight filter nut to turn and once the filter is removed you may be able to tap the union back over the rust and be able to clean it up
either way nothing lost but make sure there is no pressure in the system ( let stand and undo from the fuel rail )

edit too slow typing again

[robin]

Surely if this would work, the fuel filter would already be undoing from the union ... I mean there is nothing to stop the fuel filter turning at present (at least nothing substantial), so no need to cut it in half? Unless I am missing something?

Cheers,
Robin

[hiscot]

Surely if this would work, the fuel filter would already be undoing from the union ... I mean there is nothing to stop the fuel filter turning at present (at least nothing substantial), so no need to cut it in half? Unless I am missing something?

Cheers,
Robin

ahh i see i expected both unions seized ,
in that case hold the union with decent grips and try turning the filter with a strap or chain wrench , more leverage ?

[Rich H]

Mine was f-tight but it did come undone and go back on too.

Fuel pipe is steel at that point but plastic further down.

My filter was steel cased (Replacement is ali)

Get some big molies or stilsons on it.

[robin]

Will report back when I get a proper look at it

Cheers,
Robin

[Peter]

I have a set of oil filter pliers if the diameter is similar?

[Dave]

I had the same problem on the Exige, eventually managed to remove the filter but ended up making a bit of a mess of the union, it would probably have been ok but I decided to replace the fuel line anyway, at the time I was also told that the tank would need removing, but in the end the way round it was to removed the cover to the fuel pump behind the passengers seat, there was just enough room to get in to the top of the fuel pump which meant I was able to release the fuel pipe, this was then just pulled back into the engine bay. Not quite sure if the Elise is the same but it might be another option.

Dave

[fd]

Not withstanding just not 'having the technique' . . .

The filter is aluminium, the pipe and fittings are steel . . . they electrolytically weld themselves together over time with moisture and salt ingress . . . I had to cut the filter out of my car, I didn't destroy the pipe fitting, however the fuel filter body crushed and could not be removed from the pipe fitting . . . use a pipe cutter rather than a hacksaw to cut the pipes, much neater . . . in the process of doing this on my car the already corroded steel fuel line ruptured . . . very crap materials selection . . .

I simply replaced the missing fittings with new ones on the end of braided rubber fuel hose, its only 3 bar after all . . . you can get the hose and fittings from think automotive . . .

I'm sure I posted something about this at some point, perhaps even the fitting part numbers I used . . .

I doubt re-flaring the pipes in situ is practical, unless you can bend the pipework to re-site the filter - the pipework will not be long enough . . . and you cannot practically bend it without folding it as it's very thin walled steel . . .

Fd

[Rich H]

My fuel filter was steel - but still got very stuck...

[roadboy]

Normally if it is stuck then the pipe is too corroded to be able to reflare it and get a seal on the new filter.

Just best to cut it off and an fashion up a new arrangement.

Dan