I decided to change my fuel filter on my '07 F150. It only took me like 5 minutes. It was seriously easy, compared to what people said on here. Unless I'm that good. I dunno.

I got my creeper and went under the truck, and I looked at it. I noticed that the center blue clip pulled up, so I got one my smaller screw drivers, and carefully wiggled it up. I then got both of my thumbs and index fingers to press both sides of the blue clip while pulling to pull out the inlet side of the filter. Came off easily, and I let the fuel pour into a bucket.

I then unclipped the safety holder on the outlet side of the filter, and I got my universal quick disconnect fuel line remover, and I used the large end, I pulled off the outlet side. Let the fuel go into the bucket.

I then just pushed on both ends of the nozzles of the old fuel filter and it came right out. No problem. I guess if you were weak or something, it might be a hassle... but nothing out of the ordinary.

I got the new filter, followed the flow arrow, and connected it right up. That was the easy part. Took literally like 1 minute.

I thought it was easy... very easy... I dunno how the heck a dealer can get away with charging $43 to do the same thing. Sheesh... my filter only cost me $11 and some change and like about 10 minutes of my time. The only thing that was annoying was the gas getting on my hands... but that's why I got Lava hand cleaner.

The inlet side had a darker tint to the gas coming out of it, meaning that by 10,000 miles, it was sufficiently dirty. Surprisingly. I can't imagine leaving it in much after 15k miles. For $11 and 10 minutes of my time... I think it's worth it. The outlet side of the filter at least came out clean.... so I knew that it was doing it's job.

So here are some shots... nothing too magnificent...

 

Wait until bluejay see this

 

It's not that it is hard, but that it is different from previous Ford designs. Every other EFI Ford that I have worked on has had similar plastic clips that just pulled straight up. It was common practice to just replace the clips at the same time as the filter. The clip was not a part of a $150+ fuel line that can not be replaced without dropping the tank. Most people (myself included) just pulled the clip if it broke so what I have a whole pack in the garage, only to find out that the clips were different.

 

Yeah... I don't know why they wouldn't include the clips... but its Ford's way of cost cutting.

 

WTF are you trying to say? The clips on the old style were meant to be replaced every time the filter was changed, that's why they came with the filter or were less than $1 for a pack at the parts store. The new clip is part of an assembly that is not meant to be replaced. Cost cutting has absolutely nothing to do with it. If you insist on using a worn out cliché, at least do it correctly.

 

You are right... I didn't think.

After thinking about it... there really is no way to replace the clip with out replacing that small line that connects to the filter. I'm still surprised it's plastic though.

But when done correctly, it shouldn't break. I had no problem using a small screw driver and wiggling it up.