Ive got 65k on my 98 and have owned the car for 2 years. I have not yet changed the fuel filter on my vette. Will it make a differnce in the way my car runs if i changed it? What are the benefits of changing the fuel filter?

 

Unless its dirty to the point that your running out of fuel at WOT, NO it wont make a difference. If your loosing power when your running hard due to fuel starvation, changing a filter will NOT give you any more HP/TQ.
Change the filter to keep trash out of the injectors and fuel system.

Changing a filter to correct a miss or hard starting problem is usually a waste of cash.

BC

 

IMHO your past do for changing it.

 

im not havving any problems with the car. I just feel that im due for one. Whats the intervel?

 

You prevent it from leaking (a common problem).

 

I have never seen a specified interval by GM. Considering the nominal cost involved (especially on a '98), I would just go ahead and change it. It's very easy BTW. The filter is located on the inside of the left rear frame rail, just ahead of the L/R wheel.
Just buy an inexpensive set of fuel line quick-connect tools. The white nylon plastic set made by Lisle is good. There are other designs, brands, etc out there too, but I found the Lisle at Sears. Many auto parts stores carry it too.

HTH

 

If it isn't clogged with some bottom of the tank sludge from bad gas changing it will not show any difference in operation.
HOWEVER...
Mine started leaking like a sieve at about your mileage last year. Had gas POURING out the left rear just under the filter. Get a new one that liiks EXACTLY LIKE the old one and MAKE SURE it has NEW PLASTIC LOCKING CLIPS at EACH END. One of my clips had disintegrated and that was the cause for the leak. You DON'T NEED any SPECIAL TOOLS and space under there is VERY TIIGHT. You SHOULD BE able to use your FINGERS to squeeze the tabs on the clips and then pull the line out of the filter. On mine I had to use a small screwdriver th get the disintegrated clip compressed enough to remove it. BE CAREFUL with the non-metal fuel lines. VERY EXPENSIVE and a bitch to replace if you wreck it. You get a lot more room by simply taking the two bolts out of the left muffler to H pipe and lowering the muffler. YOU DON'T HAVE to REMOVE the muffler just LOWER IT. NAPA had a filter that had some kind of circular fitting that grabbed the line on one end. DON'T USE THAT. Think it was a WIX. DON'T buy one from the dealer at the inflated price either. Think mine was a FRAM and cost about $12. Came with NEW PLASTIC FITTINGS on both ends. Looked EXACTLY like my old filter. Replace the old fitting on the line going into the filter too as the old one is going to fail. TRUST ME you want to this job only once. Mine leaked right onto the left muffler. Lucky for me it did this in my driveway and the muffler was cold. GM Manual recommends putting a drop or two of engine oil on the mating fittings to prevent leaks. Make SURE THAT THE WINGS ENGAGE. Have to push really HARD on one end, I think it was the end going to the front of the car. Pull apart and if it isn't engaged it will seperate. Better here than on the road. Leak test by turning on ignition a few times to let the pump supply abouot 80 PSI pressure to the fuel lines. BIGHANK

 

I replaced mine just after I bought the Vette. It had 57,xxx miles on it. Noticed no difference, but I didn't expect there to be one, just the peice of mind of having a clean filter on.

 

There's a difference between the filters for the '97 and '98 models than the '99 to'03. The difference in NOT in the filter BRAND name, i.e. Wix, Fram, Delco, etc. The difference is in the YEAR model C5 it fits. The earlier (97-98) cars use a filter with only TWO lines on it and the later cars (99-03) have THREE lines due to the fuel pressure regulator being built into them. One of the three is a fuel return line to the tank. That's the reason the filter on the later cars cost considerably more.
I was not aware that the early cars only had the squeeze type quick connect fittings and did not need a disconnect tool. Good to know though.
BTW, on my '99 6spd car, I did NOT have to touch or deal with the exhaust system at all. It's my understanding though that on the A4cars you might need to lower the pipe you mentioned for extra clearance. Also, the pump does NOT supply "80 psi". The normal pressure is 58 to 61 psi IIRC.
HTH

 

The last time I changed my fuel filter on my 02 ZO6 I was at a MOD Party that we organized. I started the filter change procedure and FORGOT to bring the damn tool to release the filter!!

Determined to do the filter swap, I used one of the plastic caps that comes on the new filter. I chopped of the top of the cap, then sliced the plastic sleeve in a spiral and used that plastic sleeve to disconnect the filter! Worked very well in a pinch!

Inside the inlet and outlet fuel line ends, there is a very small O ring. MAKE SURE that you look into the end of the fuel line and visibly inspect that O ring is in there. Make sure its still in there and in the O ring grove. If it isn't,,,,you will have a LEAK! Putting some lubricant on the ends of the fuel filter nipple will help get the filter seated without rolling the O rings.

 

I like your idea of making something work with what's on hand. We bubble heads are nothing if not creative.
Good point on the o-ring too. A drop of clean engine oil in the nipple and that fuel line slides right on. I got the "click" when the latch engaged and gave a little tug to make sure it latched.

 

Dumb question where is the fuel filter located on an 01. I have 65000 miles on mine and would like to change it for piece of mind. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

 

Inside the L/R frame rail. Get her up in the air and you'll see it. You'll need a fuel line disconnect tool for one of the three lines on it. BTW, you can relieve the line pressure at the fuel rail schrader valve fitting up front. It's on the driver's side at the front of the fuel rail. Just wrap a clean rag (no spray that way) around it first then depress the valve stem with a small screwdriver. Easy.

Any more questions, let us know.
HTH

 

I changed the fuel filter yesterday and took her on a test run. She ran really good.