Hi guys. Apologies for any formatting etc but using a mobile to do this.

My cat is up to 94000m so decided to service it myself based on the info here. Many thanks to you guys managed to replace the reverse switch which has only worked twice since I got the car lol..now working every time.

A bit of a pig to disconnect as below an engine mount and connector plastic very brittle sigh but done now.

Changed engine oil and oil filter and both pollen and air filters all ok. Pollen filter was in a really bad state but air filter not too bad.

I looked at the plug change thread but am nervous of breaking things and it looks a big job so have held off on them for now. I think I located the fuel filter at back right of engine bay behind a number of cables and pipes.

A small black round device with blue connector one end and rubber hose the other. Mounted on bulkhead suspended from the top back.

I have a replacement filter a mann wk512 but it is bigger in size than the old one.

Is there a safe and logical way to swap this without breakage and the new one has direction of flow marked and a loose blue collar to fit.

Does the filter need replacing and if so whats the best method?

Thankyou for any help or advice.

 

The spark plug change really isn't that bad as long as you're careful. I did it, the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets, the IMT o-rings and the throttle body gasket all in about 2.5 hours yesterday with the help of the how-to and a video posted by a person on this forum and that time involved multiple breaks.

As for the fuel filter...I believe it is located in front of the right rear wheel under the car. Pretty easy to replace if my understanding is correct.

There is a special tool that doesn't appear to be necessary but the local parts store would have it - its a Ford fuel filter tool

I believe you can use needle nose pliers though

Good luck

 

I could be wrong, but what you're describing sounds like it to be part of the gasoline vapor recirculating system..the fuel filter is where psychwarfare said it is..Right rear wheel-well area.

 

Steve, like was mentioned, the fuel filter is just in front of the right hand rear wheel. Jack up the side of the car and you will see it right under the rear seat on the outside of the body where it makes the 90 degree bend.

As for the plugs, yes you are taking apart a few things, but it isn't that bad. Once you do it, you will wonder why you waited. The big thing is having some small portions of rag handy (6 of them) so that as you lift the intake off, you can put the rags into the intake holes so you don't accidentally drop something into the engine bay. That would get ugly if you did that. Then all you have to do is remove the rags right before you put the intake back on.

 

Thankyou for that - I am *so* glad I held back on the filter change lol... I'm mechanically challenged so for me changing the oil and filter, sorting the reverse switch and air and pollen filters without anything going wrong was a good point to stop lol I will schedule the fuel filter for next weekend if the weather is good and think a little more on the spark plugs :-) They have to be done I just need to get into the frame of mind :-) thankyou again for that

 

Re: spark plugs and associated gaskets, etc. I can confirm that even for the mechanically challenged (and I am definitely in that bracket, but learning thanks to this forum!) The job is relatively straightforward. What is even better is that when your neighbours see you tinkering around with intake manifold off the engine, they will think you are some kind of hard core auto expert (or an idiot for trying to fix something that is not broken - in my case, that reaction was from the boss indoors who saw the whole effort as a ruse to avoid nappy changing duty!!)
Three things I would mention; 1) clean the throttle body while it is off the car - dirty throttle bodies have. Left a lot of us stranded in limp mode. 2) religously mark up the bolts as you remove them - it is really easy to muddle them up when you come to put everything back together and 3) if you go after the lower intake gaskets, expect the fuel rail to need some persuasion to remove, I thought I had missed a bolt but hadn't.
Good luck!!

 

If you tackle the spark plugs...

Having a short ratchet helps on the bolts along the back of the manifold. There are three. Two hold a wiring loom in place and are 8mm I believe. The third is below the wiring loom and is 10mm you'll have to feel around to get to it. I used a 1/4" ratchet and only scraped up a knuckle slightly :-p

The lower manifold and fuel rail came off in one piece easily for me there are four bolts in a \ pattern across the top of the manifold that I removed and everything pulled neatly up and towards the windshield after I unclipped the connector on the left of the fuel rail.

Be VERY careful in pulling the lower manifold as there may be who knows what floating around (pieces of leaves etc and in my case a small plastic piece off a previously broken connector). You don't want anything falling in there...

You also want to take note of the PCV valve and the breather hose attached. If yours is the ribbed version with clamps you should be fine. If it is the smooth version sans clamps you might need to replace it. Both parts are pretty cheap through Amazon.

I'm definitely not mechanically inclined and need things spelled out for me. With this forum, the job was rather easy. It sounds much worse than it is.

Good luck.