DIY Duramax Owners

W

Will-C

New member
Hi,
For those of you who do your own oil and filter changes I came across a company that offers a few items to make fuel filter changes a little easier. On my Chevy it's easiest to remove the passenger side fender inner liner. Aside from some metric hex headed screws G.M uses some push pins with center buttons. Merchant Automotive makes some handy pliers for removing these buttons. Once the inner fender plastic liner is removed you have easy access to the fuel filter. You have to then unplug the water sensor wires and spin the filter off. Once off you then remove the water sensor and place it on the new filter after replacing and lubing the o rings. Merchant Automotive also makes a wrench for removing the water sensor from the bottom of the fuel filter. They also offer a nice simple spacer arrangement for the fuel filter housing to be spaced off a small amount making getting a filter wrench on and spinning the filter back on much easier. The fuel filters themselves are $59 at the dealer and $45 from Merchants Automotive for the exact same Ac Delco filter. After the new filter is in place you just crack the bleed screw at the top of the filter housing and push down and pump the manual fuel pump until you see fuel with no air. Tighten the bleed screw and pump it up till the manual pump is hard again. The bleed screw is plastic don't over tighten they can snap so they say if you get crazy. M.A. also makes a bleed screw out of aluminum which seems like a good idea. I wanted to make sure I was familar with the procedure for changing fuel filters as I carry a spare just like I do for the boat. I have some longer trips this year and always try not to become a victim. I also bought some Standyne diesel additive. I'm not much for additives but winter time I don't run as much fuel through the truck so I'm going to try this stuff at least in the winter months. If you are an interested DuraMax person the link is www.merchant-automotive.com I have no stake in this company, the stuff I bought worked as stated, just an FYI
D.D.
 
Thanks for explaining the process. I now understand why my garage charges what it does to change my fuel filter. I think I will let them keep on doing it! :lol:

Warren
 
How about changing to a "toilet paper " filter that can be put where it is easy to do, and you can do it in your suit and not get messy :idea :wink :disgust

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
On my 2003, I remove the 2nd battery and can get to everything from there. It isn't easy but a fuel filter swap on my best day takes about 20 minutes. On bad days 45. The water separator plugs in just to the right of the filter. You have to work the filter through the A/C lines but it just fits.
 
There is a kit to cut a hole and make a removable panel on the inner fender liner... Quick and easy to do... And there is a tool that fits the filter housing that makes unscrewing it painless...

Subsequent fuel filter changes only take minutes with the access panel in the fender liner and the filter wrench in hand... Those of us who like to know the job is done right prefer to do our own maintenance...
 
How come on my 2005 DMAX I can just reach in from the top and unplug the water sensor off the bottom of the filter , take a new filter ,attach the sensor,fill with fuel and replace in about 5 minutes ?????
What am I doing wrong ??
Marc
 
How come on my 2005 DMAX I can just reach in from the top and unplug the water sensor off the bottom of the filter , take a new filter ,attach the sensor,fill with fuel and replace in about 5 minutes ?????
What am I doing wrong ??
Click to expand...
I guess the newer trucks it's easier to get at it from the side. A lot has changed since 2005. Maybe it's because you are special? After the first time I'm guessing about ten minutes not all that bad. If you can beat my time I happy for you.
D.D.
 
hardee":3rkatbpd said:
How about changing to a "toilet paper " filter that can be put where it is easy to do, and you can do it in your suit and not get messy :idea :wink :disgust

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Click to expand...


I wonder what a new set of injectors would cost after the old ones ingest the contents of a toilet paper filter. I know a guy we could ask, after he tried doing his own maintenance on the cheap. And for once, it was not me.... :D
 
Marc, if you can get the filter changed that easy from the top you must have very limber, flexible hands and fingers. I doubt if there is that much difference in room with my 06 but I have to get at the filter from the wheel well, otherwise I spend more time turning the air blue. :amgry

Will-C had some good advise about Merchant Automotive, I have used them, bought filters, tools, water in fuel sensors, etc. from them, good and fast service was my experience. Will-C mentioned that he "pumped it up until the manual pump was hard again" after closing the air vent on the filter head, I have heard that myself in the past but then I believe I read in the owners manual that the pump should not be operated with the vent closed, probably to prevent blowing out the seal in the pump diaphram, might want to check that. Earlier this year I was on the C-Brats site asking for advise on an air in the fuel line problem I was having. It turned out to be a bad fuel filter head. The fix was a pretty easy and inexpensive change of the filter head, no problems since.
 
hardee wrote:
How about changing to a "toilet paper " filter that can be put where it is easy to do, and you can do it in your suit and not get messy

Harvey
SleepyC
Click to expand...


I wonder what a new set of injectors would cost after the old ones ingest the contents of a toilet paper filter. I know a guy we could ask, after he tried doing his own maintenance on the cheap. And for once, it was not me....
Click to expand...

Steve, I had a TP filter on a Dodge MaxiVan (78, 318 gas,) that had just over 280K miles on it and it still ran good. Just changed the oil once a month, one quart in and one tp roll, (had to be the right kind), but it did the trick.

Just my little experience, YMMV

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I only have 10k on my truck, The filter life for my fuel filter still showed 55%. I'm thinking fuel filters only need to get changed every 15 of 20 k.Typically diesels go about 10k on oil changes. I run Shell Rotella T 15/40 and change it at 5000k because I am anal. I'll do fuel filters at 10k which probably will turn out to be once a year. Having a 100k warranty I don't see the toliet tissue filter happening in our house hold. My daily ride is an 07 Honda Civic, I run synthetic is that and change it once a year. I do the same for my wife's Honda CRV. At four dollars or so for a filter I can't see the benifet of using toliet paper other than you can still shake hands right handed :lol:
D.D.
 
hardee":ywhpbsnu said:
hardee wrote:

Steve, I had a TP filter on a Dodge MaxiVan (78, 318 gas,) that had just over 280K miles on it and it still ran good. Just changed the oil once a month, one quart in and one tp roll, (had to be the right kind), but it did the trick.

Just my little experience, YMMV

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Harvey, I thought the original post was talking more about fuel systems, not oil. That said, I don't think a TP filter would probably bother a diesel when used as an oil filter. But, if anyone is thinking about using it as a fuel filter, they may be in for a surprise. The pressures in diesel fuel systems (per my shirttail relative who made the mistake) is a lot higher, and will ingest filters that are not specifically made for those higher pressure. Brian ended up spending a boat unit or two because of trying to cut corners. I believe the fuel filter he used was for a gas system.
 
Hi,
What is really crazy everything from Merchants Automotive so far that i have ordered has been made in the U.S.A. My truck is a 2009 made in Oct of 2009.
D.D.
 
Gang, This is a good subject and a critical issue for Duramax powered tow vehicles based on my past history (unfortunately). I have a 2003 GMC Dually w/128,00+ miles and have had a wee bit of experience with cause and effect. At 51,227 miles (while on vacation in a fairly small town Montana) I required a full set of injectors (warranty fortunately) and later at 94,319 a single replacement (again warranty). The first full set was a factory recall in that all 8 were replaced if there was a problem with any, as there was apparently a design change of the injectors. At 123,530 I got to experience paying for the replacement of an injector and it is breath-taking. It was $815 for the injector replacement and $161 for the filter replacement to the tune of $976. And they do change the fuel filter with an injector replacement. These were the GMC dealer charges and they are friends (it's business and their livelyhood). What I was told after the first time when the whole set was changed is, the replacement of the fuel filter at a MINIMUM of 10,000 miles is CRITICAL, as any dirt particles WILL plug the very small injector orifice. I now change fuel filters at every other oil change, which I have done at 5000 mile intervals.

This is my $.02 worth, so you Duramax folk.........my best wishes!

Doug DeVore
on Lil' Brother
 
Here is one solution to filtration [interesting findings] and there are other aftermarket filters . They pretty much solved the injector issues in 2004.5 with the LLY motor .
 
Marc, it is because you are a green skinned martian with an arm three and a half feet long with three universal joints between your fingers and your shoulder...
OTOH, come to Michigan and show me how you manage that on my 08 or 011 Duramax's... I'll even video it...

:)
 
Hi,
Given the fact the earlier Duramax had some injector issues most covered under warranty, I would have to believe G.M. has addressed the fuel filter/injector issues and made some changes to both items since the introduction of the engine in 2001. My truck uses an AC Delco TP 3012 which is G.M.s latest filter not brand X that was shown in the article. I'll continue to change my fuel filter at 10 thousand miles and changing my oil at five thousand miles and will hope for the best. I doubt I will have a 100k on it before I sell it or trade it for a new model down the road. I do love this truck, it pulls harder than a Dodge needing new king pins and a front end alignment. :smilep
D.D.
 
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