How To.. Replace The Fuel Filter RB26DETT, RB25DET, RB25de, RB20e

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REPLACING FUEL FILTER - Written by Anthony McGrath

Okay first of all I'm no mechanic and I take no responsibility if your car blows up or sets alight or family members & pets set alight in the process of following my instructions! Theres probably a dozen much better ways to do any of this stuff anyway and its meant mainly for entertainment purposes, because it gives me something to do as opposed to sitting about in my pants all day and finally it gives me a further thing to do which is type some nonsense about it all!

Reet - first of all, pop bonnet - this bits fairly easy and I wont go into the complexities of aforementioned task.. Locating the fuel filter to the right of the plenum just near the strut brace. I stuffed a towel beneath the fuel filter as when I took the fuel filter off me last one fuel went all over the shop. Lesson learnt and applied forthwith



I also took the fuel cap off as I heard this helps release some pressure on the hoses when removing them from the fuel filter. Dont know how much truth there is in that but I didn't think it the most taxing of tasks and taking this picture below was probably more complicated!



Here I'm unplugging the little plug off the brake fluid reservoir(I think thats what it is). My reason for doing this is I find these plugs quite brittle, my hand was gonna be fidgeting about down that gap with the fuel filter and I didn't want to snap it or owt like that so unplugged and tucked out the way.



I'm showing this pic again but my focus is on the PCM valve in the foreground here - theres a plug on that too very similar to the one in the previous pic and I unclipped that also to provide a bit more accessibility, but mostly because I didn't want to snap that one either as I'm pretty sure my caveman dexterity would probably have done!



Next up is removal of the hoses off the fuel filter and here is the magic ingredient! Its hot water (hand hot) and a cloth. After loosening the screws that hold the hoses onto the fuel filter, I soaked the cloth in the hot water and held it around the bit of the hose that was connected up to the fuel filter for about 30 seconds. After that I just held the fuel filter tightly and pulled on the hose gently which had expanded slightly from the heat off the cloth. The hoses come off sooooo easy with this method! Prior to this I was cursing and swearing at their stubborn-ness!



Ta da! Hose came off no problem.. I did the bottom hose first (bit of a schlepp but made the next one easier!) and slipped the fuel filter out the bracket making sure fuel didn't spill everywhere by covering it with my finger as soon as the hose slipped off. Empty the excess fuel from the filter - you may want to drain it off into a tumbler or something. I just poured this fuel back into the tank (not sure if I should have done that but hey ho and fuel aint cheap in Britain so every drop counts!)



Okay - putting the new fuel filter on was easy enough - if you warm the hose ends back up again with the hot water on the cloth they slip onto the fuel filter really easily. Nip up the clips and tighten the screws but not too tightly. Start with the bottom hose first and pop the fuel filter into the bracket again. Then the top hose is alot easier.



Remember the plugs too! And that fuel tank cap.. oh and that towel!!!



And that should be it. Took me about an hour tops and prob would have took less had I not screwed about before figuring out the hot water trick made it alot simpler! Hope the above helps!!

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~Reserved for upload of photos~

[streetboy]

exact same fuel filter and fitting applies to RB20e and RB25de...

[Squeak]

Will add it to the title thanks

[Andy W]

on the new genuine filters they have a little plastic cap on either end, have one to hand and you can cap off the old filter as soon as the pipe is off