Thread: Fuel Filter nightmare!

Ok, well my fuel filter is so old and rusted that after I got the engine and transmission completed and re-installed back into the car I noticed that gas was leaking from the filter. So I began to try to get the thing out. I had the hardest time getting the plastic line end to remove from the filter. I ended up breaking the push tab clip and digging it all out completely. Then the filter still would not pull off the line so much in fact I ended up pulling the filter apart and then had to use pliers to finally get it to pull off. Well after it finally separated, the little O-rings and small plastic spacer comes flying out and the larger black plastic spacer stayed on the end of the broken off fuel filter which I had to use my vise to coax it off. So I lubed up the end of the new fuel filter with some engine oil and slid the large plastic retainer on first, then slid on rubber o-ring, then small spacer and finally the brown o-ring. Problem is when I go to shove the line back onto the filter it no where near will shove together far enough to snap back onto the line. So I tried to put the lower o-ring over the top of the black plastic retainer which helped some, but ended up damaging that oo-ring which I have no idea where to buy another one? How or why won't this line snap back onto the new filter?? Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Dan

OK, after digging online, I was wondering if I should just cut the old end off the plastic line an inch or so back and buy the Dorman 800-053 replacement kit along with the Dorman 800-145 nylon to nylon compression fitting union to splice the new to the old line? Will this work? Was wondering what size the old nylon line is? 5/16" or 3/8"? I really don't want to have to take exhaust off and lower tank to replace entire line if this splice will work so I can get the line to snap properly back onto the new fuel filter.

Thanks,
Dan

OK but the brown or ring was up in top cause that and white plastic spacer were only things left stuck up inside line. The lower o-ring and large black plastic retainer were stuck to the end of the old fuel filter that I pulled off end of filter. So there are 2 different plastic spacers. I had them installed exactly how they came out onto new filter but it was like almost 1/4 inch too far away to click back into place. No matter how hard I pressed it wouldn't budge any tighter. So that's when I pulled back apart and tried to slide o-ring down over the outside of the large black retainer ring to try to get it to fit together and it was closer but still wouldn't snap together. This is when I damaged the o-ring cause I tried to push it up tighter into the line with small flat screwdriver and it tore it. So even if I use new o-ring I don't think it's still gonna go together?