changing out fuel filter

[VolsFan]

Hi, a friend just bought a 92 D 250 about a month ago, it is a nice looking truck. He is wanting to change his filters- oil, air and fuel, so I told him to get all fleetguard stuff from genos. He is new to diesels and I told him I would help him with the fuel filter so he wouldnt lose prime. Is it the same deal as changing the fuel filter on a 24 valve? Ive never really looked at one of the 89-93 12 valves, Im assuming it should be the same. Thanks

 

[Greenleaf]

No. Not even close.



Most fill the filter to the top. That "should" do it, IF the system is in top shape. You may opt to fill the filter then prime the remainder of said system with the manual prime lever. Providing the prime lever will function. The engine most liley will have to be turned to allow the cam lobe to rotate to the back side of the pump's arm.



Also, the majority seem to loosen the pipe nipple when removing the filter. Thus the fuel heater will leak fuel after you get the truck running and then you must drop the new filter to tighten the pipe nipple. (Make sure it is tight from the start. )



It is pretty simple with many possible problems.



You should not in any way have to remove the high pressure lines to bleed the air from the pump.



Loosen the bleeder plug atop the filter at the banjo bolt (8mm wrench I think) when you operate the manual primer.



Like I said, in the perfect world, the prefilled filter is all that is required. No bleeding. No mess. What little air in in there is pumped out the top of the injection pump through the bleeder/return port.

 

[Ncostello]

These things are EASY compared to electric pump equipped 24V trucks.



On my old 99... changing the fuel filter required me to pray for 7 days prior, take stress management classes, and eat a full balanced meal before attempting so my electrolytes wouldn't go out of balance from sweating and cursing... thus causing a loss of consciousness. Those ISB's never primed for me. And inevitably the truck would start, run for 5 seconds, then die. What a mess afterwards too to bleed lines. I finally just started filling the cannister, holding my foot to the floor and cranking for 30 seconds non-stop on those trucks. They'd run on 2 cylinders and smoke for 30 seconds then catch. Supposed to be easy to do... but arent.



My 91... it sat for 1. 5 years while I was doing a bunch of work to it. I installed a new dry fleetguard filter and new short rubber hoses on the steel lines by the frame. I pumped the tank dry, poured in 15 gallons of new fuel, pumped the hand primer about 20 times and it fired instantly just like it always did after sitting that long. The steel lines were dry also.



Later I had to remove the rubber lines and the lines got air in them. I just re-installed them and didn't purge the air. I just started it and it kept on going. NO WAY on a 24V.



Moral of the story... if you prefill the filter you might just get by without doing anything. Otherwise the primer lever will work. If the filter primer lever doesn't feel like its doing anything... the cam is probably in the wrong position. Rotate the crank by hand or bump the starter. You'll know when the primer lever is pumping.

 

[VolsFan]

That sounds great, thanks. Changing out the fuel filter on my 24v is like second nature to me now, I just turn the ignition without firing the engine to get the lift pump activated for 30 seconds and it does the trick for me. This 92 sounds really nice though, nice and simple, I wanted one of the older models before I got my 99, but they either had a million miles, literally, or they cost as much as the truck I own now. I'd still like to find one somewhere in rough shape now that I got a shop to work on it.

 

[Dick Langendorff]

I had an '89 for 14 years. Changed the Fuel Filter every 10,000. Just removed the old filter, filled the new one with Fuel, screwed it on. Presto, it started right up. Never had to do anything to it.

 

[PToombs]

The bleeder on the banjo is a 10mm. It's obvious that Scott doesn't have to open his bleeder often either.

 

[Ncostello]

My 24V 1999... I actually made a direct plug-in 12V lead to run the prime/lift pump constantly. For as long as I wanted. Still wouldn't work. Tank was checked, lines were checked, return check valve checked... nothing. Just a long drawn out process each time. I was always glad I never had to do it roadside. Changing a filter on mine used to make me so mad... well as you can see I don't have it anymore. The VP44 and lift pump was enough to just make me give up.



What Langendorff describes should be all there is to it on any diesel. The straying away from mechanical lift pumps that last 200,000 miles is mind numbing to me. The engineers want EVERYTHING to be electronically controlled by a computer. Even things that don't need to be for any good reason. Dodge spent 9 years trying to figure out a decent lift pump after introduction of the ISB. I have no idea about the 6. 7L's. My friend has one but he's too lazy to even know where the filter is.



Not so on 1st gens!

 

[VolsFan]

that is too true man, I agree 100%. If I had a 1st gen I would never get rid of it, but I work with what I got, I really like where I got my 24v at. The fuel filter was really simple on the '92 though like you guys were saying.