ok, so i have to gripe a little bit. i spent the weekend tuning up/doing the regular filter changes on my wife's '02 escort. i know, not much of a real car, but she drives A LOT and it is pretty economical. anyway, i changed the oil and filter, plugs, air filter, topped of all the fluids and then jumped on the fuel filter. i just have to say, who is the FARKTARD who decided where/how that thing should be mounted. it is held in place by a hose clamp, and two plastic clips retain the fuel lines. great. simple enough to tackle. the new filter comes with clips, so the original ones are throw away-pop em out and you're on your way. yeah right.

i spent TWO hours pulling that stupid filter. the thing is mounted to the firewall right behind and under the exhaust manifold. i had about 4" to work with, which equals one hand. you can't access if from the bottom either, because the transaxle and suspension components are in the way. i did get the old one out and the new one in, (only dropped the lower clip once) but it sure was accompanied by much cursing under my breath.

how and the world are you suppossed to do that ever 12k miles?

i feel better now

-matt

 

Ford Design Engineer: "Here is the final on the Escort".

Ford Approving Enginneer: "Hmmm...the fuel filter seems like it would be a bitch to replace in the field".

Ford Design Engineer: "So what. Are you ever going to have to change a fuel filter on an Escort"?

Ford Approving Engineer: "Heh-heh...I guess not. Approved"!

 

Ford Accoutant Deparment: "So you want to change the design of the fuel filter... why?"

Ford design engineer: "Its simply poor design and too time consuming to change in the field"

FAD: "So it will take our dealers longer to replace?"

FDE: "Exactly"

FAD: "How much longer?"

FDE: "Potentially an hour of labor"

FAD: "CHA-CHING!!!... *ahem*... uhh, request denied."

 

Speaking as an engineer, Dzervit is much closer to the truth. Accountants are the real enemy, most engineers that I have met really don't look for ways to make the tech's life miserable. In fact we often look for ways to make life easier. However, bids for redesign are often not approved for cost reasons. Also in my line of work we are required to study remove and replace times for all critical equipment. This includes a computer simulation of a tech working the appropriate tools, as well as the comfort level of the tech. I never have been told to make a job harder so that the service centers can make more money. Auto manufactures make money from selling cars, dealers make money from working on cars.

Joe

 

The wookster is right on. You should see what the bean counters demanded to shave off the cost of our beloved F-150s for cost-cutting and pump up profits. For the initial release the engineers were given a very healthy budget and told "Do what it takes". Now that the public is wowed, it's time to roll back some of the profit sucking features... I'm glad I got an '04!!!

 

as it turns out i am an engineer too. i put buildings together rather than cars. when we have a building under design, our first priority is function and safety, followed closely by cost. granted, we have contractors screaming about tolerences required and such, but i believe that most building errors can be traced to slopiness/laziness during construction.

how much more difficult would it have been to place the fuel filter in a place that was more accessible? there are tons of little cubby holes in the engine compartment that would have worked great. the reason i question the location is because the oil filter is the same way-horizontal, and screwed into the back of the block. the oil plug has just enough room to clear the lower a-arm as well. the whole care is a pain in the rump to work on. i haven't had my truck long enough to really do anything to it, but i am scared to get into its guts.

-matt

 

Matt - what brand fuel line removal tool were you using?

You WERE using a fuel line removal tool, weren't you? If not, I understand Ford lines (including our F150s) are virtually impossible to remove without a specialty tool.

 

It can difficult to visualize the maintenance aspect of a vehicle in drawing and CAD screens... looking at the numbers, there is enough space to remove the filter, granted it's not easy. There can be many reasons why it was placed where it was. And as it was said, a request for a minor redesign can get wammied since it's really not cost-effective. The filter can be changed, and as the techs at the dealer do it they'll get better and faster. No reason for a design & manufacturing change. Who gives a crap about the backyard mechanic?

 

my removal tools included a craftsman screwdriver a 1/4" socket and two fingers. getting the fuel lines off wasn't really a problem...just give them a tug and they popped off pretty easily. the frustrating part was trying to get the lower clip out when you can't even see the thing. i ended up breaking it with my fingers just to remove it...no way in the world you would have gotten a tool in there to remove the clip or pull the fuel line.

i made sure i checked for leaks after i got the new filter back in there....twice.

off topic, but why is my post count stuck at 15?


-matt

 

dont know about the posts...mine was stuck on 49 for about 3 dayzzzzzzzz ...zap!

 

I think posts in the general or off topic section do not count towards your total posts.

 

Posts in GD don't count.

 

the same guy that designed the spark plug location on the modular v-8's. all i can figure is that it is some 5 ft tall , 90 pound guy that has the little man complex and he laughs a little everyday knowing some poor b@stard is changing them, and for fun he puts half as many threads as it needs so that even if you think you did it right, in the back of your head you know a plug cann come flying out.

 

sometimes due to the infinate wisdom of some "engineers" the car/truck is built around the engine/trans...so much for home repairs sometimes ...zap!

 

I have never done this on an 02 Escort so I can not be for sure but I recently learned that almost all the fuel lines on most all newer vehicles both Foregin and Domestic are high pressure fittings...The tool to release the clip that is hidden inside the flared fuel line ranges from a metal design that looks like a tubing flare tool...Or you can get a plastic assortment pack like I bought to fit on all fuel and AC lines...The plastic ones only require 2 fingers to remove the line they are smaller than a socket and has a split down the side that slides over the fuel filter flange then inside the fuel line, twist it, you here a pop and the fuel line slides/falls off. Then just push the line on to your new filter and rehook the saftey clips.

This is actually how I found this board while trying to change the filter on my truck and after 30 mins I knew I was not doing something right...So I jumped on line to look for help and found it here. So I went to town bought my assortment pack of high pressure fitting release tools for $7 at the auto store and less than 5 mins later it was replaced.

Kudos for your patience.... After I had spent 30 mins. on mine I had almost decided they were siezed on there. I was ready to cut the fuel line on each side of the filter and clamp some rubber fuel line on each side. Luckily I stumbled on this site first!