barely made it home

**jtpc** · 11-07-2008, 05:39 PM

Hey all,

Well, been enjoying my little truck till had a scare this evening.
Was driving back home on a hilly back road and had 1/4 a tank.
And all the sudden it was near empty! Nearly died on a steep hill which would have probably killed me seeing it was around 5:30pm and everyone was flying home on that back road.
Thank God it started back up and made it up the hill.
Had a friend pick me up and take me a mile to the house to get some fuel (figured the fuel sensor must have been a little off or something)
Put fuel in it and I barely made it back home, which is only a mile or less!

Well, if you hadn't figured it out yet, I was leaking fuel like crazy.
I just had a lot of work done to the truck and had the fuel filter changed.
They didn't use the factory one, but found a counter part, which is probably the issue.
Pulled the cover off the bed and saw that it is leaking from the tube that comes from the filter. It went about 150 km with this new filter. (with no leaking)
So I'm guessing the hose kept slipping and slipping.

Do you all think it is because of the different fuel filter or just that the hose wasn't tight enough? Maybe this filter has too much pressure coming out??

Anyways, Now I've got to have it hauled back to Pryor I suppose.

**Mighty Milt** · 11-07-2008, 05:51 PM

i would just check the fit of the filter to the hoses and invest in some better hose clamps.

**jtpc** · 11-07-2008, 06:57 PM

exactly, the hose clamps are strange. They are the type that have their own tension, which can't be tightened. Just got back from Lowes with some gear clamps which should do the job.

Question, with EFI, is it safe to just pull the hoses off (to get the old clamps off) both ends of the fuel filter or is there pressure that needs to be dealt with first.
Never messed with the fuel filter, so didn't want to be blinded pulling off a pressurized hose or something.

So I have proper clamps now, just need to know the steps to take off the hoses to put the new clamps on (and if their is some procedure I don't know about).

Thanks,
Josh

**jtpc** · 11-07-2008, 08:14 PM

Just was reading about changing fuel filters, and it says you need to 'de-pressurize the fuel system'. Is this also true with the sambars? If so, what is the method?

(note, I'm not changing the filter, just pulling the two hoses off so that I can put on the new clamps)

**Timetripper** · 11-07-2008, 08:17 PM

It will be under pressure right now, most of the EFI vehicles I have owned [Toyota's] have
a way to release the pressure before hand but I don't have a clue/ or suggestion for
you on a Sambar besides maybe disconnect the fuel pump which is right besides the filter
and crank it over/ run it till it dies. That should get rid of the pressure.

While your doing this "unplanned" maintance I would check the diameter of the filter barb
compared to the hose I.D. sounds to me like they found something that is way smaller like
maybe 1/4" when it was 5/16" from factory [just a guess BTW - I haven't done a filter yet]

**jtpc** · 11-07-2008, 08:25 PM

Thanks Timetripper. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what method they used to de-pressurize it when they changed the filter.

The gear clamps I got are 1/4" to 5/8" and it looks like it till be close. I'll check it out.

**Timetripper** · 11-07-2008, 08:36 PM

Please read my post #23 on the second page of this thread for the updated filter to use.

Also a "Sticky" here on the filter to use

**jtpc** · 11-07-2008, 08:50 PM

Thanks Timetripper. I seem to keep owing you with as much as you help me out on here! Maybe someday I'll be able to answer one of your questions (assuming you'll have one in the future!)

I printed off the info of the NAPA filter and I have a NAPA parts place here in Claremore that could probably get that in.
I'm going to have to find out what filter they used and its stats.
It was only a $15.00 filter, so no big loss if I replace it, but hopefully it will be close enough.
A guy from minitruck.ca I talked to has a sambar filter that would work as well, but I spoke with him on the phone, telling him the situation and he said that the clamps usually get old and need to be replaced with gear clamps later on anyway, so perhaps that is all that needs to be done.

But I will find out more tomorrow with what kind of filter they used and also the method to de-pressurize it the easiest. (assuming I can get ahold of him on Saturday)

**Timetripper** · 11-07-2008, 08:55 PM

No worries, just keep driving a Sambar and I got you covered

**Timetripper** · 11-07-2008, 09:03 PM

The only thing I didn't consider till now is the age difference between our trucks
hopefully they didn't change things in 2001 from 1991 as far as the filter goes that is
I think this is what my stock filter looks like

**slimbad** · 11-08-2008, 05:21 AM

jtpc,

If what you are calling "gear clamps" are what I call "hose clamps" you can just loosen them up till the end comes out and then spread the clamp open, place the clamp around the hose and hold the end in place and it will screw back/tighten. I realize you have the old clamps on there - but you can just loosen them up and slide them away from your filter along the hose to allow room for the new clamps. Just an alternative to having to depressurize your fuel line. Hope this makes sense.....later, slim

**Mighty Milt** · 11-08-2008, 07:36 AM

good call slim, didn't even think about that!!

**Timetripper** · 11-08-2008, 08:26 AM

I like slims idea but .....
If it's all ready coming off easy while driving I think if he
goes to slide up the old clamp it's [hose] going to come off
the filter if it's that loose already.

**rayallen** · 11-08-2008, 11:02 AM

jtpc...If it is leaking it won't have any pressure on it. Wish u lived closer to me so I could help out. ray allen

**jtpc** · 11-08-2008, 12:43 PM

Hey Ray Allen,

Yeah, I pulled off the hose that had slipped the most and it had no pressure. Put a new clamp on it. The hose going into the filter had also slipped about half and inch, so I need to pull it as well and put a new clamp on, but I've been working on it for 2-3 hours now and can't get it off! It is driving me crazy.
How could this clamp be so snug yet let the hose slip? It is one of those clamps that you squeeze with pliers to cause it to loosen, yet it won't loosen enough to get the hose off.
The mechanic from the mini-truck place might come over later and help me out with this. Now I'm paranoid about all the other hoses coming off.

(and I appreciate your offer)