Changing fuel filter HELP!!!!
 

I bought a new one today and then thought...

Is it better to change it with a full tank or near empty?


Also any other things to watch for?

depressurize fuel rail first, don't just unscrew the fittings. spraying fuel has the ability to either ignite extremely easily and also i've found that it has the ability to irritate the skin and eyes quite a bit. you'll lose whatever fuel is in the lines, have something there to catch it, believe me, theres alot in those lines. doesn't matter about full or empty tank, gravity is against the fuel leaving the tank, once it stops comin out of the lines, thats it. then just put the new one in its place, noting proper flow direction, and you're done. be sure to remember, this is required maintenance every 20k.

(off topic, thanks for remindin me, my 98 could probably use a new one at 88k as well! :P )

also, as always, be sure to exercise the highest level of safety when working with gasoline. i've found that things can go wrong...real fast. ;)

Remove the threaded fitting by turning the filter, not the fitting. That will save you headaches of messing up the fuel lines if it's rusted.

What do you mean by "depressurizing" the fuel rail?

There's a valve on the fuel rail with a tiny plunger in the center. Push down on it with something small and pointy and have some rags around it to hold what sprays out.

you can also save your tank from emptying itself all over by clamping the rubber part of the fuel line with a vice grip or something equivalent. fuel will still come out of the filter, but only some.

NEVER clamp a fuel line with anything.

Nothing will leak from the tank. There's a checkvalve in place to prevent it. Just depressurize the rail as described, and change it.

There will be some dripping from the line, but nothing from the tank.

Finally got around to TRY to change it today(June 7th) and found that the bolt on the filter has rusted itself to the screw on the line.

What do I need to do to get it apart? I sprayed it with WD-40 and I thought it was turning but it was the whole thing(both sides) were turning.
I don't want to brake the line but if I do how do I get it to work again?

Looks like no one got back to you on this.

Go to a parts store/hardware store/department store and pick up some PB Blaster, if its still all in one piece and just stuck, SOAK it in this stuff for a few hours and then very carefully try again.

Nothing empties... there is a slight draining of the fuel line that you just unhooked..the tank never drains though.