Just wondering. I need to have the fuel filter changed and cooling system serviced and I'm not sure I want to mess with it myself. Might be a good time to go meet my dealer.

 

You can do the fuel filter pretty easy yourself. You do need the line disconnect tool to do it though. I went down to Pep Boys and bought it (about $10). A helpful tip I learned was once you put the tool on the line, push the line towards the tool to unclip the line from the filter.
Not sure about the cooling though. Good luck.
Jes.

 

Also, before you disconnect the filter, open the fuel fill cap to vent the system.

Cooling system is easy. Technically you must dispose of the coolant properly. If you can do your own oil change you can change coolant. It is a job for the mechanically inclined.
(AKA MOTORHEADS) It is a bit harder to do though. Main thing is to catch all the coolant in drain tray.
When you fill it you need to make sure that the coolant bleeds the air off properly.


Maybe there is a neighbor or friend that is willing to help you do the job. Otherwise I think Ford has specials on this. Ask your dealer.

Mike

 

Compared to the tranny work I remember reading you have done, the filter and coolent should be a piece of cake. Just depends on how you feel about doing the work. Sometimes it's worth it to pay someone else to do it. Just for the convience of it all. This is what worked for me, when I tackled these two projects.......

For the filter, the tool is a must have. Spray some WD 40 up into the clips too. This will just loosen up the dirt and crud that found it's way in there. Make sure you have some rags handy for the spilled gas. You will spill some, so don't work on it when rig is hot. You have to pull pretty hard on the hose(s) to get them off, but they will with some twisting as well.

For the coolent, it's a pretty easy process, but time consuming and messy. At least the way I do it......... Since I don't mess with the block drain plugs, I let the water pump do the flushing. Drain rad. Fill with water and let motor run until top hose gets hot (t'stat opens). Let run for around 30 seconds after hose first gets hot. Shut off motor. Drain rad. Fill, repeat until only clean water comes out, then let engine run while it's draining until you feel all the old crap is out. Add "rad flush" treatment of your choice. Repeat until you get all that out of system. The empty rad will (should) hold two gallons of 100% antifreeze. Since the other two gallons is 100% water and in the motor, when it all mixes, you'll have your 50/50 mix. Let this mixture run with the rad cap off for awhile. This should get rid of any air bubbles in the system. I've even taken it for a spin around the block with the cap off, just to get the coolent circulated faster. Let it cool down with the cap off too. That'll let any air escape that may have still been trapped in the system too. (I burned an 1/8 of a tank of gas doing all this too!!. Oh, well)

Good Luck.

 

Great advice above, here's a little supplement from an old thread of mine:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...threadid=57434

later

scott

 

just remember when you've pushed and pulled for all your worth....well you have just a little bit more
i didn't lose any fuel but i turned off the pressure per the book, ie: little reset button under pass. side kick panel.
after the hoses are off then you get to deal with the clamp that holds the fuel filter against the frame rail. i recommend a large stout screwdriver and some choice words for this.
as for the coolant. i think i'll let the dealer do it next time of course when next time gets here i'll probably change my mind but it's a pain.
fuel filter i'll do again though.

 

How to replace fuel filter ...

http://www.f150world.com/fuelfilter.asp

Purchased the removal tool pictured at autozone for $4.99. Replacement took less than 5 minutes, less hastle than changing the oil.

 

https://www.f150online.com/tech/fuelfilter.html

 

I noticed you live in Flower Mound. If you decide to do your own cooling system service, the city of Ft. Worth has a hazardous waste collection center off of 30 and east 820. They take pretty much anything that is toxic, and it doesn't cost anything. Dumped my antifreeze there last year.

 

Without reading all the links the previous posts have put up, all I can add is that the easiest way I know of to depressurize the fuel line is to take out the fuel pump fuse, then go and turn the engine over a few times (try to start it) that will take all the pressure out of your line and you wont get sprayed in the face, only dribbled on. I did my coolant last year and stuckja hose in the top of the engine and turned it on and let the water run through the engine for a while to clean it out.

 

Both jobs are extremely easy. Doing them yourself has definate benefits. It's cheaper, you'll learn, you'll get the job done correctly without the dealer hassle/scratches/grease, you'll know that it was THOROUGHLY flushed, and you'll know the coolant mixture.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm looking for an excuse to just take it and let someone else do it. However, Max, you hit some close to my heart I hadn't thought about. It's funny how some Tech's, although may be very talented, don't take much care when it comes to protecting the body etc. from scratches and the like.

I guess I'll buck up and do the filter myself, the coolant I could do too and sinc ei have that big ol' morter pan from doing the tranny, it's a good place to dump. And you're right, I can make sure the mixture is right and I'll know I used distilled water.

CoolHandLuke,
Thanks. I'll have to look into that. I'm not sure if Lewisville accepts it but they might. FLower Mound doesn't have one; we'll leave that in Lewisville. I always drop my oil etc off at a local quicklube place but I feel a little guilty since they don't get any business form me anymore, even for inspections.

 

Here's another how-to:
http://www.fordf150.net/howto/fuelfilter.htm (you don't have to join their site to view it either like f150world.

 

take it to walmart they take it and it,s usually where you can get from car to tank without it feeling like some corp excersize

 

Oh geez, I should have actually looked at the filter before I ever thought about changing it. Took 10 minutes maybe. It was a breeze. The truck sat for over 24 hours and all I did was open the gas cap to let it burp. The only fuel that spilled was the fuel that was in the filter.

I should have checked my coolant capacity first too; it takes over 6 gallons. I only picked up 2 gallons of coolant and only had 2 gallons of distilled water at the house. I guess I'll do that in the next couple of days.