fuel filter struggle!!

though Id replace fuel filter on my 05 FL1 TD4.
found that old fuel filter was jammed in plastic housing unit.
Took a hell of a beating while twisting to get the old one out after taking the whole housing off car.
Sprayed the new one liberally with silicone grease and still had trouble getting it back into housing.
All good now though, runs sweet as a nut.
Wondered if anybody has had same struggles.
Cheers
Jonski

Yes, they can be tight to get out. I gave the old one a dose of WD40 first and then used a wooden dowel as a drift and knocked the old one out. Not bothered about damaging it as it was being binned anyway. Gave the complete "Tray" a good clean with white spirit and like yourself, coated the outside of the new one and the two fixing bolts with silicone grease.

hiya, yes there not the easiest thing to get out

i removed the rear wheel, inner wheel arch, then pulled off the two hoses and wires, undone the bolts and removed the whole unit

drilled out the rivets, then washed all the crap and tray off with some diesel

wire brushed the metal strips and painted with some hamerite, bought new bolts .

then stripped it down, slide the fuel filter out, got some emery cloth and rubbed down the inner plastic so the new filter would slide back in . along with some silicone grease

put a couple of cable ties so the filter wouldn't come back out as the plastic clips on the end were useless

reinstalled the whole thing, new rivets, then put some copaslip onto the new bolts for re installation, cleaned all the hoses and catches on the end of the pipes ,put a smear of silicone grease onto the small o rings so they went on easier and prevented them from being pushed in and leaking , fitted onto the unit , took out the filler cap, turned on the ign , heard allt of air coming out then started it up

found the easiest way to get the old filter out was a piece of wood, rested one end on the floor, the other against the old filter and pushed which allowed the old filter to come out

finished off by writing the date on the new filter, cleaned all the inner arch .

but would still like to string the designer up by his ears with fishing wire, lolo

gary

I've been told that the pattern 'cheap' ones don't fit so well. The oem ones are better. I still used a drift to get mine out, but the new LR one went back in fine.

When changing my filter I found there was no need to drill out the rivets as they had already corroded through leaving the pump and filter held in place by the pipes.