I took some time today, to change the normal maintenance stuff on my C-4. I don't have a good idea of the maintenance history, and I've always believed it's smart to start fresh with a used car, just in case the previous owner wasn't as attentive as I'd like.

So I figured I'd flush the cooling system, change the oil, flush the brake fluid, change the fuel filter, and eventually clean out the throttle body.

I changed the oil and then went for the fuel filter. I depressurized the fuel system. Because I had the front end high, there wasn't a lot of fuel leakage. The bottom nut came loose with only a little force. The top nut was a different story. I couldn't budge it to save my life. So I figured "screw this, it's going into the shop." My fear, was that I'd kink a fuel line or strip something.

I tried to get the bottom nut back on, but it was stripped. It'd go in one revolution, and then pop out. At first, I thought it was only the angle. But then I looked at the threads.... :smash:

So after a nice $70 ride on a flatbed, my car is now sitting at the place I should have taken it to in the first place. I called a Chevy dealer to see what the fuel line costs, and they said it's no longer available. The mechanic said this happens a lot, and there is a repair kit to fix the screw up.

Right now, it feels a lot like I'm going to be out $200, before this is over....

:sad:

 

Dang man. I feel for you. I do all my own maintenance too and its a bear sometimes but who else can I take it to? Another tech at a another Chevy dealer? Heck...thats me :crazy: Just dont let em "sell" you more maintenance than you really need.

 

That hurts!! :nonod: Sorry to hear about it.

 

Do you really think it will cost that much???
Let me know...
thanks
tony
:smash: :smash: :smash:

 

That's a bummer. You try to save a few bucks and accomplish something on your own and end up with a stripped nut. I had mine up on the ramps last week and I was going to replace the fuel filter, just as a matter of maintenance. By the time I slid that far under the right side of the frame, there was no way I would be able to get a wrench on the nut to loosen it. "How a tight a fit was it?" "It was so tight that when I slid back out from under the car, that I had two nice matching grease stains on my t-shirt. Looked like someone drove over my chest." It's going up on a hoist to change the fuel filter.

 

I think everytime I tackle a big job I have that fear that I won't be able to finish job and will have to tow it off to a shop and it will cost alot. I feel for you.

 

If memory serves me correctly aren't there two nuts or sort of on the top or engine side of the fuel filter. One on the line and one on the filter itself. When I did mine all i did was wedge a open ended wrench on the line side up in the frame. Since it is so tight in there. Then as long as I had the rear line off already I just used an deep socket and a couple extensions on the nut of the free side of the fuel filter to twist it off. One little push and she free'd right up. Does that make sense? I origionally tried this with a wrench up in there like everyone else holding the top wrench. But you can get one to wedge up in there.


[Modified by Ericthewolf, 12:54 AM 6/11/2003]

 

im guessing.....parts and labor......140ish :smash:

 

While it's easy to concentrate on the F*-ups when working on your car, it helps a little to remember all of the successful projects you've done, and how much money THEY saved.

For awhile, I'd call around to the dealerships asking quotes for car work AFTER I'd done it. It ALWAYS averaged 2-3 times the cost of DIY.

Been there, done that. I went through three brake master cylinders before I got it right...and it STILL came to what someone else woulda charged me to fix it.

Keep the faith, dude!

 

GM no longer makes the line, but I got a quote from Classic Tube (http://www.classictube.com/). They quoted me $40 for the line in steel, $60 for stainless.

 

Thanks Everyone, for the feedback...

I have good news: The car was fixed, early this morning. It turned out to be a $140 fuel filter change, as they charged $70 to fix, and the flatbed was $70.

But get this: Before the car was flatbedded in, the car threw two codes when it was cold (the engine light would go out once warm) EGR and Knock Sensor. When I got in the car (it was stone cold) there were NO LIGHTS?!!

And when I say "no lights" I mean "no lights." Because my parking brake was also out of adjustment, and was tripping the brake light. They fixed that too! I couldn't believe it.

They even washed the car and gave me a "goody" bag, with pen, notepad, candy, a jar opener, and an air freshener.

Pretty cool. My Mitsu is due for it's 60K maintenance (timing belt, water pump, cam and crank seals, and accy belts. It's definitely going to them.

:yesnod:

sraft - thanks for that website. I didn't know they were out there. I can bend fuel lines. I did my own for the C-3, to adapt the Edelbrock and new filter, but it's a pain.

Superninjaboy - if this were the Price Is Right, I'd say "Come On Down..." You pretty much hit it on the nose, assuming you include the flatbed.

Rocketsled - you're right. It's still cheaper to try and learn. I won't make the same mistake twice. I hope. And it's a good lesson learned.

:cheers:


[Modified by joeveto, 6:30 PM 6/11/2003]

 

:thumbs: Glad to hear that this ended up being resolved quickly and inexpensively. It sounds like you've found a shop that you can rely on, which isn't always the case.

 

I hope the next shop I visit gives me candy......

Rob

 

Sorry about the problem, but if the threads stripped for you they most likely would have done same for the dealer as removal is just turning the nut. Glad it worked out OK. Sid.

 

Wow, sounds like you found a good service department.
glad it turned out ok,

 

:iagree:


I would love to find a shop like that :hurray:

 

Hah!!! I was searching for "fuel filter" and found this recent thread....

Last Sunday was the 1st day in over 10months that I had time for myself (have a son that's just turned 12months). I decided to do some maintenance since I did not do much of it since I bought my '94 in April (except for oil change).

This is my experience, which will be on-going as you will see...

Car is up on 4 stands. I had a Purolator filter from Pepboys on my side. Located the filter; Great, similar (or same) as the one I had changed a while back on my '94 TransAm. But, dang, it's real hot around there. No biggie, let the CAT cool down a little. Ok, what can I do instead. What about the diff oil???

Back myself to the back. Located the fill hole, but no drain bolt. Must be where you have to remove the diff cover. But no way I'm going to do that due to lack of space, and looks like I may have to remove the leaf spring. I'm not taking this route, and decided to pump the oil out. I tried a hand pump, no luck here. Luckily I had bought a mechanical pump you could connect to a drill from Walmart a while back. That did the trick!!! I think I got most of the oil out. Refilled with some fresh oil and added the LSD positraction fluid from GM.

Now back to the fuel filter. Removed the bottom line from the filter. Then jam my hand between the CAT and the starter, holding an open wrench on the upper line nut. Socket on the bottom nut of the filter and managed to loosen and removed the filter. Cool!!! Going great...

I installed the filter to the top line first since it was real tight up there. Used the socket on the bottom of the filter, and open wrench on the nut of the top fuel line and tightened. Great!!! or so I thought....Now the problems start....

The bottom line is not lined up straight with the filter. I noticed that the original I removed has the end of the filter bent in so filter nut is not 90deg to the filter body. I tried for 2 hours trying to tread the nuts on and decided to give up for the day. I decided to remove the filter and see if I could thread the filter to the bottom line. That's when I noticed the strip thread on the filter and cussed for spending all that time trying to thread the nuts on. Well, placed a container on the bottom to catch the fuel drips. Decided I had to close the garage door for the night and bumper is in the way. Lowered the car to the ground and attempt to put the car into neutral so I could push it a few feet back....I had already spent about 5 hours on the car and wasn't thinking straight...I turned the ignition to on (but not starting the car) and the fuel pump energized, spouting fuel on the garage floor...AAAArrgggghhhh!!!! Quickly put the transmission into neutral and pushed the car back. Pour water onj the floor to try and clean up. Leave it for the day to tackle it the next day...

Next morning, went to Chevy and got a OEM filter...$20 ouch!! The Purolator was $10. I tried several techniques and got the nuts tightened up on both sides. Got ready to go to work. Cam back in the evening, and tried the fuel pump. Damn!!! fuel leaking from the top line, not at the nut/thread end but at the top of the nut and the line. I removed the bottom nut from the filter and tightened as much as possible. Reinstalled the bottom line. Leaks a little. I took off the bottom line again and bent the line as best as I could so that the bottom fuel line is more in line with the filter. This time the nut goes on the filter better, but I'm still getting some leak from the top line. That's where I gave up for the day, and car even today is still on the stands...

I'm thinking about removing the filter again, and look at re-flaring the top line..So you guys think that flaring the top line may fix my problem??

Like my TransAm when it came to replacing plugs and wires, why the hell did GM design stuff like this??? So that they can charge big money to do the "supposedly simple" maintenance items???

Sorry for ranting!!! I'm just so pi$$ed off and have scrapped forearms, blistered fingers to show for it. I'm also thinking about taking it to the dealer to have them replace it, but for the kind of money they charge, I'm not giving up on this yet.

Have a good one people!!!


[Modified by gab, 2:21 AM 6/19/2003]

 

I feel for ya, man! That's right up there with the superram install I did on the Sled last year. Pull the fuel lines, have a gar on hand to catch the it that dribbles out, got the old intake off, put the new base manifold on, decide to call it a night.

Wake up the next morning to a FUNKY smell...one of those, don't pass go, leave the house, call Public Service from another house smells. 30 minutes later, the PS van shows up, he surveys the house and can't locate the source of the smell...until we open the garage and get hit head on with gas fumes.

I forgot to open the gas cap. When the car got cold, the air contracted in the tank, and pumped gas out when it heated up again. The fumes are heavier than air, so they seeped down into the basement, where the furnace pumped it up into the house. By the time THAT had happened, it was diffused enough that you couldn't recognise the smell as gasolene. :skep:

 

I don't believe that you should have to re-flare the tubing. BTW, I just replaced the fuel filter on my '94 last month, and used the Purolator filter without a hitch. My fuel lines had O-rings (next to the flare) that did the sealing, and the instuctions on the filter called for very little torque to get it leak-tight. My O-rings looked a little beat up, so I got a new set at the Chevy dealer. From your description, it sounds like the fuel line/filter were banged around and distorted - you should probably try to bend the fuel line back into shape and use a filter without having to bend the bottom nut.

Good luck

 

Hiya,

I must be lucky. I've heard and read so much about filter replacement woes that I was really dreading it. I had purchased the fuel filter at Autozone weeks ago (German language packaging) and it sat very attractively on my work bench since then. So last night I'm working on her...still fixing previous owners re-engineering, (like those boys in Bowling Green don't know what they were doing!) and I'm in a good mood, things are going my way. Found and solved stereo and a/c woes, so feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof I decided to tackle the fuel filter change. 30 minute fix on my '85. I raised the front of the car so just the fuel from the rail would drain. Plenty of room, no undue clearace problems. The fittings were aligned properly and came loose with moderate effort, put a smidge of teflon tape on the fittings and snugged'em back up to the new filter. No leaks and for giggles I checked the fuel pressure before and after the change...picked up almost two psi with the new filter! I almost felt cheated. :cool: