Fuel Filter Question

[02RangerMan]

I'm doing some 90,000 mile maintenance on my ranger. Got the new plugs installed, that passenger rear one was fun! Installed new wires, new air filter, oil and filter, new belt, coolant flush etc. Well now i'm to the fuel filter. I get under the truck and it doesn't look anything like the one on my GEN 3. How the heck to i disconnect those fittings. The colorful plastic ring tools that worked great on my old ranger dont do it. I think the orange and green plastic clips need to be be removed but they also look very delicate and the filter didn't come with new ones. Anyway this is what i've got, any help is appreciated.

 

[gw33gp]

Actually those green and red tabs make it very easy to replace the fuel filter. Don't pull them out, you push them in to release the fuel line. I grab the fuel filter with one hand a wrap my other hand around the fuel line and push in the orange or green tab with my thumb nail. While holding the tab in you can pull the line away from the filter. You could also push them in with a screw driver but that is more cumbersome for me.

 

[02RangerMan]

I guess sometimes its easy to miss the obvious. Thanks for the quick reply, the new filter went in easy now that i knew i wasn't doing it wrong. Those clips are pretty hard to push in but i got them off and back on the new one. Only had a few ounces of fuel spill out on my arm. Oh well. 90K maintenance complete!

 

[gw33gp]

It helps a little to push the fuel line toward the filter first before pushing in on the tab. It also helps to have a very strong thumb nail. Glad you got it done.

Now you can look forward to replacing the fuel pump. I had to do mine this weekend because of a bad fuel check valve at 97K miles.