fuel line snag frustration

[illinoisbronco]

does anyone know how to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel rails without having the special tool in the haynes manual? id strongly prefer not to go buy a stupid tool if it is not neccesary. or rent one for that matter.

 

[miesk5]

does anyone know how to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel rails without having the special tool in the haynes manual? id strongly prefer not to go buy a stupid tool if it is not neccesary. or rent one for that matter.

I never bothered to try to make up a tool; since we had so many Ford Efi's, figured it was worth buying for about $10.00 at local places. I don't think AUTOZONE loans em out, but check there first. EDIT; I looked, but no-go.

Info by RFR (Mark)

"The fuel rail can be fragile - so take care not to bend or distort it in any aggressive actions...easier said than done, I am sure. The first thing to do was to disengage the fuel lines. Yes, good to FORD'S endless engineering stupidity, a special tool is needed to disengage the lines from the rail. There are two lines - a feeder and a return, both of which need to be removed. The ones in 1990 and higher trucks are the the Spring Coupling type and require a cylindrical tool to push the girdle spring over the flanged ends of the fuel rail coupling inlet/outlet. To make matters funnier, they are two different sizes and require two tools. However, CDN Tire sells a 6 sizes kit for about $18.00 CDN. They are lower quality than the MAC or SNAPON tools, but since this job would probably be a one-time affair, I saved some cash and took the rest out in swearing. The tool slips on, gets shoved into the girdle and you pull the lines apart. About 3 hours of this and one realizes that these couplings are 13 years undisturbed and did not volunteer a quick and easy disconnections. Grief!

Remove the four small bolts holding the fuel rail assembly to the LIM.

Lift off the fuel rail with all 8 injectors. Be careful here, not to distort the rail or allow crap to fall into the injector ports. Again, easier said than done. The injectors have been cooking in there for some time and may not readily come out as the book says.

Ensure all O-rings come with the injectors and nothing stays behind. At this point I decided to clean the ports out with Q-tips and a high suction vacuum. The vacuum hose was a piece of 5/8 inch stiff hose attached to the shop vac. It fit in each port perfectly and sucked all the loose dirt from well inside the LIM. .."

 

[illinoisbronco]

I never bothered to try to make up a tool; since we had so many Ford Efi's, figured it was worth buying for about $10.00 at local places. I don't think AUTOZONE loans em out, but check there first. EDIT; I looked, but no-go.
Info by RFR (Mark)

"The fuel rail can be fragile - so take care not to bend or distort it in any aggressive actions...easier said than done, I am sure. The first thing to do was to disengage the fuel lines. Yes, good to FORD'S endless engineering stupidity, a special tool is needed to disengage the lines from the rail. There are two lines - a feeder and a return, both of which need to be removed. The ones in 1990 and higher trucks are the the Spring Coupling type and require a cylindrical tool to push the girdle spring over the flanged ends of the fuel rail coupling inlet/outlet. To make matters funnier, they are two different sizes and require two tools. However, CDN Tire sells a 6 sizes kit for about $18.00 CDN. They are lower quality than the MAC or SNAPON tools, but since this job would probably be a one-time affair, I saved some cash and took the rest out in swearing. The tool slips on, gets shoved into the girdle and you pull the lines apart. About 3 hours of this and one realizes that these couplings are 13 years undisturbed and did not volunteer a quick and easy disconnections. Grief!

Remove the four small bolts holding the fuel rail assembly to the LIM.

Lift off the fuel rail with all 8 injectors. Be careful here, not to distort the rail or allow crap to fall into the injector ports. Again, easier said than done. The injectors have been cooking in there for some time and may not readily come out as the book says.

Ensure all O-rings come with the injectors and nothing stays behind. At this point I decided to clean the ports out with Q-tips and a high suction vacuum. The vacuum hose was a piece of 5/8 inch stiff hose attached to the shop vac. It fit in each port perfectly and sucked all the loose dirt from well inside the LIM. .."

thank you, i just assumed that being a special tool it would cost more than 10.00

 

[crazyhorse85]

Nah,you can pick up the plastic ones up for about 3 or 4 bucks....but the one miesk5 is talking about is metal (well cast) but still will last longer than plastic....i bought one to use on my son's 92 explorer....they come in handy and are worth having one in your toolbox..... B)