Help Disconnecting the Fuel Line

[JimT 99RT]

It's nice that DC refers to the fuel Line connector as a "Quick-Disconnect" type, but there is no quick about it, they should have referred to it as a welded connector. I have been trying to disconnect the fuel line on the driver’s side from the manifold; anyone got any tricks. The plastic clip does not seem to help.

 

[Silver Snake]

Push the line into the filter and pull the clip.

Mark

 

[JimT 99RT]

BadTA just to clarify I am trying to remove the fuel line connected to the manifold so I can remove the manifold

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

If I remember correct, when I did the thermostat job and had to remove the intake manifold, I DID NOT remove the feul line from the manifold. I only disconnected it from the quick disconnect. Plus, I screwed up the gasket on the thermostat, so I had to do it twice. It's not such a big deal to leave it connected to the intake. When you lift the intake out of the way, just be careful. I had a couple of blocks of wood on the floor and propped it up on there and let the feul line just lay the way it wanted to.

Andrew

 

[Silver Snake]

BadTA just to clarify I am trying to remove the fuel line connected to the manifold so I can remove the manifold

Doh! I am not familiar with that thing you call reading!

Mark

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Have you released the fuel pressure first?

I don't think these quick release clips like releasing easy with pressure in the line; it's only the pressure (55 psi I think I remember) that seals the O-ring, that's all that seals the fixing!

I too have had trouble (on fuel filter, exactly the same fixing). I could push the plastic release clip in and even feel and hear it engage but nout happen, (a small open end spanner is good for pushing it in even) I eventually pulled the plastic clip back to find some of the release fingers broken off on it, as you say it's 'welded' on then! Had to get a new line.

If you need to, you can always unscrew the line from where it goes into the manifold, takes ages as you've only space for quarter turn of the spanner at a time. Good luck.

 

[JimT 99RT]

Thanks Nadine

Well I will be putting in a new fuel line; there is no way the connector is coming off. The quick release clip (nice joke!) is broken. The one to the fuel filter will not come off either.

 

[Sean Roe]

Most auto parts stores sell a small plastic tool for disconnecting those clip style lines. It goes around the hose and slips into the fitting, spreading the clips.

 

[JimT 99RT]

Thanks Sean,

I'll look for that tool, unfortunately my fuel line is DOA, I cut the flex line to the fuel filter and removed it from the car. I'll call you Monday to see about ordering a replacement.

-Jim Timperley

 

[kowalski vanishing point]

It's a little involved but I had a similar problem trying to disconnect the fuel filter. Just couldn't get the plastic disconnect to snap dowm.
What I did was go to the harware store.
There I bought an adjustable pair of "Vise Grip" pliers
and two large flat washers.
One washer had an inside diameter just larger than the fuel line
the other an insde diameter just large enough to fit into a slotlike neck on the fuel filter (Seems like it was placed there for this purpose).
I put the washers in a vice and used a hacksaw followed by some filing to cut straight lines in the washers extending the holes so that now I had two metallic "U" shaped pieces of metal
one that fit around the fuel line and sat on top of the plastic snap
one that fit into the slot of the fuel filter fitting.
I took the "Vise Grip" pliers and set the jaws apart so that when I'd clamp down with the pliers the final gap was about the distance the two washers should be apart when the plastic snap was depressed.
I then took the pliers over to the disc sander and ground a potrion of one the the back side of the jaws down so that the washers would sit parallel at this distance.
I then welded the two "U" shaped washers to the vise grips
ensuring that the faces were parallel
and also welding them so that they had their slots lined up.
Also I made sure that the washers were welded far enough from the tips of the pliers
so that the jaws of the pliers did not cause interference problems.
Then I sprayed it with black paint.

I now have a tool that not only generates enough pressure to push the snap in
but the force is applied parallel to the surface of the snap so that it is not damaged. And once the snap is pushed in the pliers lock so that the snap is held down
and I can free up both hands to pull the fitting apart.

Since it has no other purpose, I just keep it in the Viper at all times
just in case some mechanic might need it down the road
when I'm not near home.

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Sean, (we have no such tool in the UK!) can you (or anyone) please advice of a store contact I could get hold of that part or email me, I'd like to buy one of those please! On the basis, if I've got it I wont ever need it!

 

[GTS Dean]

It's a little involved but I had a similar problem trying to disconnect the fuel filter. Just couldn't get the plastic disconnect to snap dowm.
What I did was go to the harware store.
There I bought an adjustable pair of "Vise Grip" pliers
and two large flat washers.
One washer had an inside diameter just larger than the fuel line
the other an insde diameter just large enough to fit into a slotlike neck on the fuel filter (Seems like it was placed there for this purpose).
I put the washers in a vice and used a hacksaw followed by some filing to cut straight lines in the washers extending the holes so that now I had two metallic "U" shaped pieces of metal
one that fit around the fuel line and sat on top of the plastic snap
one that fit into the slot of the fuel filter fitting.
I took the "Vise Grip" pliers and set the jaws apart so that when I'd clamp down with the pliers the final gap was about the distance the two washers should be apart when the plastic snap was depressed.
I then took the pliers over to the disc sander and ground a potrion of one the the back side of the jaws down so that the washers would sit parallel at this distance.
I then welded the two "U" shaped washers to the vise grips
ensuring that the faces were parallel
and also welding them so that they had their slots lined up.
Also I made sure that the washers were welded far enough from the tips of the pliers
so that the jaws of the pliers did not cause interference problems.
Then I sprayed it with black paint.

I now have a tool that not only generates enough pressure to push the snap in
but the force is applied parallel to the surface of the snap so that it is not damaged. And once the snap is pushed in the pliers lock so that the snap is held down
and I can free up both hands to pull the fitting apart.

Since it has no other purpose, I just keep it in the Viper at all times
just in case some mechanic might need it down the road
when I'm not near home.

Christ! That's intense! I ran into that situation with a new fuel filter and I figured I had 2 options:
1) buy the handy-dandy tool at NAPA, or 2) let my Dodge dealer install the filter for me when they put a new diff it.

I chose Option 2.

 

[JimT 99RT]

kowalski vanishing point,

Good idea for the fuel filter, but unfortunately on the manifold side about all you can do is get you hand on the connector, and if you get a tad bit frustrated and really yank on the connector at the manifold side you can bend and kink the line, and lets just say that I ended up with a slight kink in the line at the manifold side. The slight kink in the line on the manifold side combined with the fuel filter connector not coming off, lead me down the path of removing the fuel line from the car, which I will say was a fairly pleasant job compared to dealing with those damn connectors. It took less than a ½ hour to remove the fuel line, the large plastic clips holding the fuel lines did not have to be completely popped out of the frame only loosened slightly to add some play. The main fuel line is at the very top of the connectors, so you pop the fuel line out of the connectors and push it above the connectors and then draw the line out the backside of the car. Once I had the fuel line out, as a test to see just how sturdy the connector was, I pulled the connector off without using the plastic clip; CONSIDERABLE force is required and you destroy the connector and bend the metal tabs inside. It is a very sturdy connection. The connector on the inlet side of the fuel filter worked fine and was fairly easy to disconnect, I don’t know what happened with the other connectors.

Nadine,

I’m going to go down to Napa or Kragen and look for the part Sean talked about. I’ll let you know what I find.

 

[SapphireGTS]

The ford fuel line quick disconnect tool makes it a 2 second job.

They have them at NAPA

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Thanks Jim. Do NAPA mail order? Or, if anyone with a Pay Pal account would like to get me one and pop it in the post to me I'll sort you out for it.

 

[SapphireGTS]

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NAPAonline/search_results_product_detail.d2w/report?prrfnbr=15616774&prmenbr=5806&usrcommgrpid=

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

From across the pond and another Roe S/C DIYer, thanks for that link Sapphire.

 

[JimT 99RT]

Here is another fuel disconnect tool set I found on line:

http://www.toolrage.com/cgi-bin/istore.cgi?store=&search=yes&detail=yes&product=AP7881&category=&keywords=Fuel%20Disconnect&hits_seen=&page=search.html&and=1&affiliate_id=