Fuel filter bowl broke!!

So I decided to change my fuel filters myself today and I had a little surprise while doing so. I got all my stuff ready, got under the truck, put the breaker bar on the fuel filter bowl nut, give the nut a little torque to begin unscrewing it and SNAP! The nut breaks off and fuel comes dumping out of the filter splashing me and the area around my catch pan. Worst part is my truck is now stuck at work and I'm 3 hours away from the nearest Ford dealership. So tomorrow morning I'm going to give the closest dealership a call and hopefully I can get a new bowl sent out to me asap. Anyone else heard of these fuel bowl nuts snapping off?

Hell ya lots of times, never happened to me but I've heard it, people over torque them putting them on

When I worked in the ford shop of my company, I was one of two mechanics that never broke one. The key to it is to go slow, and you have to kind of judge by the length of the harness around where to stop (lining it up with the sensor). If youre going slow, you will actually feel the filter cap sort of "lock" if you will.

:whs:

Thanks for the advice. And I didnt even push hard when I snapped the nut, I just started to put pressure on it to loosen it and it went snap. I think I might buy a spare just for safety measures lol, always better to have and not need then need and not have.

Randy_270 said:

Thanks for the advice. And I didnt even push hard when I snapped the nut, I just started to put pressure on it to loosen it and it went snap. I think I might buy a spare just for safety measures lol, always better to have and not need then need and not have.

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Damn! I havent seen one snap upon removal, its always been going back together. That sucks

Yeah it kind of ruined my day lol

I'm just hoping that I can get the rest of the bowl off... Thats going to be the fun part...

I broke the one on my old truck when I was putting it back on because it stopped but I didn't. I also broke one on another truck while I was unscrewing it. I've learned to put some grease on the inside of the cap and that helps going on and off when it comes time to change the filters again.

Randy_270 said:

I'm just hoping that I can get the rest of the bowl off... Thats going to be the fun part...

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I was able to use a pipe wrench and get both of the ones off that I broke.

Thats kind of what I was thinking to do. Quick question for anyone, if I put my truck in neutral to push it out of our loading bay will my fuel pump turn on? I taped poly over the bowl so it hopefully doesnt fill up with dust.

sorry if I put my key in the ignition and cycle it to run to put my truck in neutral*

Randy_270 said:

sorry if I put my key in the ignition and cycle it to run to put my truck in neutral*

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You should be able to turn it to the first position and put it in neutral and not have the fuel pump run.

Mpoage said:

You should be able to turn it to the first position and put it in neutral and not have the fuel pump run.

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Thanks

Well when I changed my fuel filter on my 550 I broke it dealer had one in stock.

Mpoage said:

You should be able to turn it to the first position and put it in neutral and not have the fuel pump run.

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Big problem, truck wont let me shift into neutral with only one click. So would I would be able to quickly cycle my key into the run position, shift to neutral, and quickly cycle my key off?? Or would it start and continue to pour fuel out?? I really need to get my truck out of our loading bay at work.

Unplug the fuel pump and it won't activate with the ignition.

Chris

Randy_270 said:

Big problem, truck wont let me shift into neutral with only one click. So would I would be able to quickly cycle my key into the run position, shift to neutral, and quickly cycle my key off?? Or would it start and continue to pour fuel out?? I really need to get my truck out of our loading bay at work.

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The fuel pump is only turned on when the key is in the run position. So if you turn it on then put it into neutral and shut it back off you won't lose much fuel.

I just left the filter unplugged then quickly turned the key to run put it in neutral and then turned the key off. I don't know if any fuel came out because I wrapped the filter area in poly to hopefully stop any dust from getting in it while I wait for my new cover to come in.