Changing Fuel Filter

Prepare to take a gasoline bath.
Then afterwards, a bath with Comet Cleanser with Bleach.
The after that, a bath with soap to get the Comet off.

I now have STABLE IDLE FUEL PRESSURE. No more drifting up and down
and up and down. Here are the results of a short test after
installing new filter, note the idle period of zero miles/hour while I
was checking for leaks:
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View / Trip Log / Trip 6 / Table
Elapsed Time Speed Battery Voltage Fuel Pressure
Coolant Temperature Engine Speed
(MPH) (V) (psi) (°F) (RPM)
1 0:00:00 0 14.19 37.4 114.8 1,232
2 0:00:05 0 14.14 40.0 114.8 1,269
3 0:00:10 0 14.23 39.6 113.0 1,257
4 0:00:15 0 14.12 39.6 113.0 1,285
5 0:00:20 0 14.16 39.6 114.8 1,276
6 0:00:25 0 14.21 39.6 114.8 1,163
7 0:00:30 0 14.19 39.6 116.6 1,130
8 0:00:35 0 14.16 39.6 118.4 1,029
9 0:00:40 0 14.21 39.6 118.4 922
10 0:00:45 0 14.25 40.0 120.2 907
11 0:00:50 0 14.16 40.0 122.0 878
12 0:00:55 0 14.21 39.6 123.8 849
13 0:01:00 0 14.23 40.0 123.8 816
14 0:01:05 0 14.19 39.6 125.6 845
15 0:01:10 0 14.23 39.6 125.6 826
16 0:01:15 0 14.19 39.6 127.4 826
17 0:01:20 0 14.21 40.0 127.4 840
18 0:01:25 0 14.21 40.0 129.2 823
19 0:01:30 0 14.21 40.0 131.0 831
20 0:01:35 0 14.25 39.6 132.8 828
21 0:01:40 0 14.19 40.0 134.6 819
22 0:01:45 0 14.19 39.6 134.6 798
23 0:01:50 0 14.16 39.6 136.4 773
24 0:01:55 0 14.21 40.0 136.4 772
25 0:02:00 0 14.23 39.6 138.2 767
26 0:02:05 0 14.28 39.6 140.0 761
27 0:02:10 0 14.16 39.6 140.0 771
28 0:02:15 0 14.25 39.6 140.0 756
29 0:02:20 0 14.16 39.6 141.8 763
30 0:02:25 0 14.19 39.6 143.6 759
31 0:02:30 0 14.19 39.6 143.6 771
32 0:02:35 0 14.16 39.6 145.4 745
33 0:02:40 0 14.23 39.6 145.4 733
34 0:02:45 0 14.19 39.6 147.2 745
35 0:02:50 0 14.16 39.2 147.2 744
36 0:02:55 0 14.19 40.0 147.2 737
37 0:03:00 0 14.25 39.6 149.0 718
38 0:03:05 0 14.16 40.0 149.0 741
39 0:03:10 0 14.23 39.6 149.0 753
40 0:03:15 0 14.14 39.6 150.8 750
41 0:03:20 0 14.21 39.6 152.6 740
42 0:03:25 0 14.16 40.0 152.6 728
43 0:03:30 0 14.19 40.0 152.6 736
44 0:03:35 0 14.23 39.6 154.4 739
45 0:03:40 0 14.25 39.2 154.4 737
46 0:03:45 0 14.19 39.6 154.4 736
47 0:03:50 0 14.21 39.6 156.2 750
48 0:03:55 0 14.16 39.6 156.2 746
49 0:04:00 0 14.16 40.0 156.2 735
50 0:04:05 0 14.14 40.0 156.2 738
51 0:04:10 0 14.16 39.6 158.0 732
52 0:04:15 0 14.19 40.0 158.0 713
53 0:04:21 0 14.14 39.2 158.0 701
54 0:04:26 0 14.14 40.0 158.0 733
55 0:04:31 0 14.21 39.6 159.8 728
56 0:04:36 0 14.23 39.6 159.8 737
57 0:04:41 0 14.23 40.0 161.6 734
58 0:04:46 0 14.16 40.0 161.6 717
59 0:04:51 0 14.14 40.0 161.6 734
60 0:04:56 0 14.19 39.6 161.6 715
61 0:05:01 0 14.28 39.6 163.4 727
62 0:05:06 0 14.21 39.6 163.4 705
63 0:05:11 0 14.19 39.6 163.4 701
64 0:05:16 0 14.25 39.6 163.4 738
65 0:05:21 0 14.16 39.6 163.4 736
66 0:05:26 0 14.21 39.6 165.2 722
67 0:05:31 0 14.16 39.6 165.2 717
68 0:05:36 0 14.16 39.6 165.2 717
69 0:05:41 0 14.30 40.0 167.0 723
70 0:05:46 0 14.16 40.0 167.0 731
71 0:05:51 0 14.19 39.6 167.0 740
72 0:05:56 0 14.16 39.6 167.0 714
73 0:06:01 0 14.16 40.0 168.8 736
74 0:06:06 0 14.25 39.6 170.6 625
75 0:06:11 0 14.19 39.6 170.6 681
76 0:06:16 0 14.21 40.0 170.6 712
77 0:06:21 0 14.16 40.0 170.6 701
78 0:06:26 0 14.19 39.6 172.4 697
79 0:06:31 0 14.16 39.6 172.4 712
80 0:06:36 1 14.14 39.6 172.4 781
81 0:06:41 3 14.19 39.6 174.2 721
82 0:06:46 3 13.85 39.6 174.2 689
83 0:06:51 4 14.14 39.6 174.2 698
84 0:06:56 2 14.09 39.6 174.2 754
85 0:07:01 4 14.07 40.0 176.0 1,350
86 0:07:06 12 14.07 39.6 176.0 1,567
87 0:07:11 17 14.12 41.3 176.0 1,128
88 0:07:16 14 14.03 39.2 176.0 757
89 0:07:21 1 14.09 37.9 176.0 1,204
90 0:07:26 9 14.09 39.6 179.6 1,763
91 0:07:31 20 14.05 39.6 177.8 1,656
92 0:07:36 24 14.05 41.8 179.6 1,235
93 0:07:41 23 14.07 37.9 179.6 1,091
94 0:07:46 22 14.05 40.0 181.4 1,529
95 0:07:51 24 14.07 40.9 181.4 1,148
96 0:07:56 19 14.05 39.2 181.4 798
97 0:08:01 11 14.03 39.6 181.4 1,301
98 0:08:06 13 14.03 40.9 183.2 1,686
99 0:08:11 18 14.09 40.5 183.2 836
100 0:08:16 12 14.09 40.5 183.2 1,534
101 0:08:21 17 14.07 39.2 183.2 1,408
102 0:08:26 20 13.98 38.7 185.0 1,218
103 0:08:31 21 14.09 40.0 185.0 1,374
104 0:08:36 21 14.07 39.6 185.0 1,238
105 0:08:42 21 14.05 39.6 186.8 1,285
106 0:08:47 22 14.14 40.5 186.8 1,119
107 0:08:52 21 14.05 39.2 188.6 1,399
108 0:08:57 23 13.94 41.3 188.6 1,192
109 0:09:02 23 14.07 40.0 188.6 1,288
110 0:09:07 22 14.00 39.2 188.6 1,051
111 0:09:12 17 14.00 39.2 188.6 754
112 0:09:17 2 14.03 40.0 190.4 1,301
113 0:09:22 11 14.09 40.0 190.4 1,795
114 0:09:27 19 14.07 40.5 190.4 952
115 0:09:32 7 13.96 38.7 190.4 707
116 0:09:37 0 13.94 40.0 192.2 719
117 0:09:42 8 14.12 40.0 192.2 1,639
118 0:09:47 19 14.09 41.8 192.2 1,166
119 0:09:52 22 14.12 40.0 192.2 1,127
120 0:09:57 20 13.98 38.7 192.2 873
121 0:10:02 8 14.07 40.0 194.0 1,746
122 0:10:07 15 13.98 40.5 194.0 1,776
123 0:10:12 18 13.98 39.6 194.0 901
124 0:10:17 12 13.94 39.6 194.0 776
125 0:10:22 6 14.05 40.5 195.8 980
126 0:10:27 4 14.00 39.6 195.8 735
127 0:10:32 1 13.94 39.6 197.6 699
128 0:10:37 0 13.98 40.0 197.6 1,008
129 0:10:42 4 13.98 39.2 197.6 686
130 0:10:47 0 14.05 40.0 197.6 738
131 0:10:52 0 14.14 39.6 197.6 703
132 0:10:57 0 14.07 39.6 197.6 709
133 0:11:02 0 14.23 39.6 199.4 703
134 0:11:07 0 14.14 39.6 199.4 709
135 0:11:12 0 14.19 39.6 199.4 708
136 0:11:17 0 14.14 40.0 199.4 713
137 0:11:22 0 14.21 40.0 199.4 700
138 0:11:27 0 14.16 40.0 199.4 700
139 0:11:32 0 14.19 40.0 199.4 716
140 0:11:37 0 14.16 39.6 199.4 717
141 0:11:42 0 14.25 39.6 199.4 715
142 0:11:47 0 14.28 39.6 201.2 725
143 0:11:52 0 14.16 40.0 201.2 709
144 0:11:57 0 14.21 39.6 201.2 714
145 0:12:02 0 14.19 40.0 201.2 699
146 0:12:07 0 14.23 40.0 201.2 711
147 0:12:12 0 14.21 39.6 201.2 709
148 0:12:17 0 14.28 39.6 201.2 690
149 0:12:22 0 14.16 39.6 201.2 698
150 0:12:27 0 14.16 40.0 201.2 695
151 0:12:32 0 14.21 39.2 201.2 693
152 0:12:37 0 14.16 40.0 201.2 697
153 0:12:42 0 14.21 39.6 201.2 696
154 0:12:47 0 14.16 39.6 201.2 710
155 0:12:52 0 14.19 39.6 199.4 711
156 0:12:57 0 14.19 39.6 197.6 721
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As you can see, I didn't start moving until line 80.

and man did I take a bath in fuel. Even though I ran it down to a
stall with the inertia switch disconnected, there was still fuel in
the lines and the old filter !

Well, I broke both plastic clips to holed the lines on the filter
input and output tubes, so I tie-wrapped the broken clips back in
place with some heavy duty all-weather tie wraps. The auto parts
store didn't have any clips of the kind that is used on this car,
because I checked with them first.

What a mess, but what a relief. My fuel pressure is steady as a rock
at idle now, which it wasn't before, and which can only be a good
thing. The old one was 2 years old with 14,400 miles on it ( doesn't
sound like much, but some people say to replace them yearly ).

It was the original Motorcraft, I installed a Purolator, and it cost
me $20 for the fuel filter. Not too bad really.

I did have to jack up that end of the car to get enough working room
to change the bits. And my Energizer HardCase 6 volt lantern came in
handy as heck. Taxi tested tough.

Now if I can only get this bleach stink off me.

Lg