tell you guys what, I changed mine in about 5 minutes (didn't release pressure, didn't do anything more than release the clamp. but then went to help my father in law and we released the pressure several times on the fuel rails and still ended up taking a bath in gasoline... yuck! any idea why this would happen even after venting pressure?

 

Im not sure but I read that the fuel inertial switch should be disconnected before changing the fuel filter. Maybe the fuel pump works on some models even when the truck is shut off...

 

Newbie here!
I recently purchased my second F-150 but it is my first late model F-150. The first was a 69 F-150 this one is 2000 Super Cab. This was/is the first thing I've had to do to it besides I opted to change tranny filter after purchase and the oil a couple of times now but anyway here is the story I think everyone will enjoy and hopefully somebody will someday gain from my mistake(s)....

Thank you Temp1 for those two links you provided. I knew "hoped" it was just my fuel filter that was plugged up that was causing my truck to not be able to exceed 4 grand with out lifting the pedal and a loss of power after 3 grand as well as the occasional long crank after 30 mins. of sitting, only to slowly and roughly rumble to life. So I went to the Auto Store and bought a new fuel filter. I crawled underneath the truck to locate the filter and upon finding it noticed the two "what I know realize as the safety clips and thought to myself… "Self what a great design this is, just unclip and pull apart. What could be more simple than that!" right?
You are probably already giggling as you know how this is going to go . That turned out not to be the case, after tugging for about 1/2 an hour I called my supervisor at home (who rebuilds wrecked late model F series trucks on the side) and asked him what I might be missing. He informed me about the high-pressure compression release tool. He said they were not expensive that a cheap plastic one is cost effective. I said well there was a plastic piece that came with the filter that could be it. He described to me how to use it the best he could over the phone so I went out to try this again. The plastic piece that came with the filter really didn’t make a lot of since on how it was suppose to release anything so I turned it every way I could think of hoping it would work but didn't seem to be gaining any ground. So I jumped on the net and came here, became a member to gain access to the search feature and found this thread. After reading this thread and found out those plastic pieces that came with the filter were replacement safety clips, I then pulled up those two links Temp1 provided and seen a picture of the tool my supervisor and you guys were talking about. So I went back into town bought a kit with various sizes and in 5 mins. +/- a few seconds had the filter replaced! “Rock On” I took it down the road for a test drive and by the seat of the pants test and a 0-60mph stop watch test then it seems to have restored the power band through out the RPM curve back to the previous feeling! Hopefully will resolve the rough starts too.

It's a good thing too because if the fuel filter was a 2 hour job "including the trip to the store to get the release kit and the time on the net here getting answers" combined with my obvious lack of knowledge on this vehicle. Then I'd hate to see what it's going to be when I have to change the catalytic converters and what kind of tool(s) I will have to buy for them. LOL Which if the fuel system checked out all right then they were my worst-case scenario plan.

Ohh the simple days of carburetors and point ignitions, with straight pipes or glass packs only! There was not a smog pump or catalytic converter of any kind to deal with (Emissions, what’s that?) On those great vehicles a standard and a Philips screw driver, a pair of vise grips (or pliers in a crunch), some duct tape, WD-40 and a clothes hanger was all you needed to fix anything anywhere that might could go wrong. I can remember with my very first vehicle “the 69 F-150” on two separate occasions I rebuilt the carburetor on the shoulder of the road. I’m not going to do anything along side the road with this one! It will be call a tow truck and have it taken to the house for sure! Then come here and find out what might be wrong!

Thanks to all who contributed it might seem simple and insignificant to you but was very important at the time to me!