[B]Caution: The Purolator fuel filter may not stay attached to the fuel line.[B]

I was having some problems with hard starts and sometimes dying right after the truck was started so the 1st thing I went for was the fuel filter. Nobody in town had a Motorcraft filter so I bought the Purolator filter. I snapped it on and everthing seemed fine. The filter was definitly clogged(brown gas came out on the in side when I disconnected it) and I could barely blow through it. I drove to the store and back the next day, AOK. Later when I went to pull it into the garage for the night the gas line on the in side popped off and gas went everywhere. I snapped it back on and gave it a little tug and it popped back off so I tried the old filter and you couldn't pull it off. I called around and found a Motorcraft filter about 20 miles away and wished I had done that the 1st time.
I included a pic of my fuel line. It sounds like some may be different than mine?

OBW, Thanks to the Forum for all the good info on tools and what to do for this . At least I knew I had the right tool and know how when I started.

 

Yep mines of 04 new style and my setup i different.. On mine there is no extra piece of hose in there.. the blue clip is hook to the filter...

 

Yup, I thought it was something like that. I tried to stretch it over to use just the blue clip part but not enough length there. The blue clip looks like a better attachment.

 

Did you buy the truck new? It looks like there was a repair done to the fuel line.

 

I concur. I changed my fuel filter on my '93 many times. There were exterior clips that had to be released prior to inserting the special "tooth" release tool inside the gas lines. On my '04 it is the same with an exterior keeper clip to the front and rear of the filter. There is no rubber hose on either my '93 or '04. I see no exterior clips in the photo that TrukMupper put up. Where the exterior clips hold the overall assembly in place, it is the "teeth" inside the in and exit gas lines on either side of the filter that retains the filter in place.

 

The exterior clip is on the front(not in the pic) and the rear has been that way since day 1. Build date of August "03.

 

Motorcraft and Purolator are one of the same. FYI, Ford subcontracts out their parts to major companies. Your Motorcraft fuel filter is made by Purolator. In fact, not only does Purolator supplies Ford fuel filter but also oil and few other filter components for Ford. BTW, I have 04 built date of 12/03 and dont have that extension line it shows on yours. My filter is attached to inlet line by blue plastic retainer and outlet line with metal fang clips. I change my fuel filter twice a year and thusfar never had any problems.

 

How much are they?

 

Purolator may be making Motorcraft filters but there is a difference between these two. It may not be a problem with the blue clip set up though.

 

The Purolator was $10 at Pep Boys.
The Motorcraft was $13 at OReilly.


Am I the only one with this type set up?

I don't think it's a bad set up. There's no chance of breaking the blue clip that I've heard some people mention.

 

Good pictures TrukMupper. The Motorcraft filter may be made by Purolator and the insides "may" be the same, but the external housings are not identical. Look at how the nipple attaches to the body on each one.

 

Huh, huh - He said nipple.

 

The big difference I can see is the length from the flange to the end of the nipple(huh huh) and the shape of it. Not to mention the Made in China Part.

 

i just changed my fuel filter yesterday and in fact the purolator disconected while i was driving, so i went to autozone and got another brand starts with a "d" or something works fine, but like what was said here the purolator would not set in the clip

 

My Purolator I get from GI Joe's is not from China. It was made in USA and looks like Motorcraft (no paint). One on the pic here looks like FRAM brand (altho it says Purolator)