HELP! Fuel line nut rusted, can't remove fuel filter

[steddy2112]

Originally Posted by Vash

No he mentioned PB blaster, which is the best one imo, in his OP.

If that does not work no juice will. Either brute force or replace lines.

kk I missed that, waking up early> me

And I agree with the rest of your statement

[Mr Twisty]

it's time to go for broke...Call Bruno.

[theholycow]

Hooray!

I got it loose! As Slaid Cleaves said in "Drinkin' Days", sometimes you gotta act like you've got a pair. So, I made a bid for the Darwin Awards.

I cut into the fuel filter's nut, slotting it with my dremel's diamond cutoff wheel most of the way to the thread. Some sparks flew but not a lot. I had wiped up the area so there were no pools/drops of fuel around. I couldn't get all the way across the width of the nut but two corner cuts did the job. It wasn't enough to crack the nut but it relieved enough stress on the nut for me to brute-force the nuts until they were persuaded to cooperate.

For how badly it was stuck, the threads sure look clean and uncorroded. WTF?

[camaro5]

Goal!!!!!!!!!!

[stovt001]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I don't think I can reasonably heat it, nor grind off the filter's nut, since I'm working with fuel line.

That's my "Renew Faith in Humanity" quote of the week. It is sad how few people would come to that realization. An Anti-Darwin award to you.

Edit: And of course I don't read the entire thread before posting, and now I see you succeeded by making a Darwin award attempt. Glad you got it off without blowing yourself up. Shame on me for not reading the thread.

[theholycow]

When I was young, my dad often did stupid stuff and told me not to do it like him, that when I do things I should do them properly. Well, sometimes I have to just get the job done. At least I didn't do it ignorantly, I knew I was going for a Darwin award.

The diamond cutoff doesn't throw a lot of sparks at 10,000RPM.

Nobody should try to do what I did. It could cause a huge explosion and get you killed, or even worse.

[Vash]

Gratz on getting it off!

I have been using one of those WD40 felt tip pens on nuts like that. Push it once on the thread and wipe around then assemble. Protects from corrosion like that you can see it on the 1st thread there.

[SleepWarz]

wd40 is not neversieze.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by theholycow

For how badly it was stuck, the threads sure look clean and uncorroded. WTF?

well, after looking back at the picture (and on my buddies Yukon), I'm wondering if, with the bend right after the nut and the angle of the tubing if it was putting extra pressure on the nuts. just a thought.

[theholycow]

Could be. I got the front/outbound nut off relatively easily, but when I felt like giving up on the other one I thought I'd try to screw the front one back in and drive it to a professional. Well, it didn't want to screw back in at all!

I haven't yet put the new filter on and can't say if it will all go back together nicely. This filter change is part of a project to remove some contaminated gas that my truck wouldn't run on. Right now there's probably 3 gallons unaccounted for, and I can't get them out with the fuel pump or with a siphon tube. :(

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Could be. I got the front/outbound nut off relatively easily, but when I felt like giving up on the other one I thought I'd try to screw the front one back in and drive it to a professional. Well, it didn't want to screw back in at all!

I haven't yet put the new filter on and can't say if it will all go back together nicely. This filter change is part of a project to remove some contaminated gas that my truck wouldn't run on. Right now there's probably 3 gallons unaccounted for, and I can't get them out with the fuel pump or with a siphon tube. :(

Why cant you get it out with the fuel pump?

pull the one line from the filter and drop it into a tank, turn the key on, and let it drain

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

Why cant you get it out with the fuel pump?

pull the one line from the filter and drop it into a tank, turn the key on, and let it drain

That's exactly what I did. It's pumping air and an occasional drop of liquid. That should mean it's empty, but I just haven't collected enough liquid to believe that it's empty. It's a 24 gallon tank that was full 8 miles ago, and I've removed about 21 gallons.

I'd dilute it and drive on it, but that's how I got into this mess in the first place. I think the bad stuff is sinking to the bottom instead of mixing in.

I wonder if there's some kind of colonoscopy scope that I could use to view the inside of my gas tank through the filler hose without dropping the tank or removing the bed...

[CamaroSpike23]

if its not pumping a steady stream, turn the key off, no point in burning up a pump trying to get every last bit out of it.

and you can get a borescope.

[theholycow]

I knew they existed, but I couldn't remember what they're called. Is an auto parts store likely to have one available to loan?

I spent the evening yesterday taking the bed off my truck, as much as one man can do alone, so I could access the tank. I removed the filler hose but there's a plastic pipe that continues into the tank, making it impossible to see there, so my next step (if I don't get a borescope) is to pull the fuel pump.