Hey Robert,
glad you persevered , and got good results !
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Stewart" <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: Installing Fuel Filter on an 88 Cant get filter out!

> Hey Scott,
>
> Thanks for help. Over the weekend I decided to tackle this stubborn rusted
> fuel filter strap once more.
>
> I drilled out the head of the bolt as much as possible. It was going to
> take a while and out of frustration I wedged my screwdriver between the
> mounting clips of the fuel filter near the frame, angled it popping the
> lower mount off the frame! Once it came off it was easy to remove the
> bolt. It sheared in half when I turned it! Totally rusted.
>
> I replaced the bolt with a shiny new one and replaced the small fuel line
> just before the connector to the fuel filter. The previous mechanics never
> use the right clamps and had those serrated clamps instead of real fuel
> injector type clamps. I figured I was there, why take a chance. I replaced
> the fuel line clamps with real Fuel Injector clamps. I also covered the
> fuel lines there with a clear plastic rubber hose that I split in the
> center to allow the fuel line hose to expand & contract and to cover the
> fuel line to add some protection from rocks and other debris from hitting
> the exposed fuel hoses.
>
> Looks great. Once the filter was replaced the van ran so much better, it
> idled right again. Thanks for the advice and push to fix the issue.
>
> Thanks again to you and the entire Vanagon.com list serv.
>
> Robert
> NY
>
> On Jul 6, 2011, at 3:22 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>
>> hi..
>> just grind the head of that screw somehow..
>> drill, grinder, die gringer whatever.
>>
>> or ..bypass the whole damn thing for now.
>> think outside the box.
>>
>> really...you're bogging down on something you can just leave alone.
>> get another filter, some hose, some barbed fittings..
>> bypass the muther for now, if that's what it takes.
>>
>> you must empty the old fuel filter out on a clean dish or something, to
>> see what is in it, and blow through the old FF to see how restricted is
>> is/was. If you can anyway.
>>
>> scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Robert Stewart
>> To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 8:13 AM
>> Subject: Re: Installing Fuel Filter on an 88 Cant get filter out!
>>
>> Hey Scott,
>>
>> Thanks for the reply.
>>
>> I did not see any nut there that I could get access to. The filter is
>> locked in place and will not budge. I can't spin it, can't wiggle it,
>> nothing!
>>
>> I did put a penetrating oil on several times, PB blaster I think.
>>
>> The bolt that faces the ground just turns but never seems to loosen. I
>> was thinking of cutting the head off and drilling it out with drill bit
>> to replace it with another bolt that seems a like a big job.
>>
>> Maybe I need something to spread the clamping area that is connected to
>> the threaded bolt? ideas?
>>
>> I originally removed the fuel lines and very clean gas leaked out of it.
>> But now all of sudden the van is not idling right, it's a bit low all of
>> sudden and prone to stalls when I reverse. I considered upping the idle
>> speed but that seems like a crappy fix.
>>
>> Open to your ideas.
>>
>> Robert
>> NY
>>
>> On Jul 2, 2011, at 8:23 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>
>>> is there a nut on the other end of the screw ?
>>>
>>> haven't had my hands on one for a while..
>>> but there may be a nut spinning on the other end of the screw.
>>>
>>> there is no 'bolt' per se.
>>> don't use a torch by the fuel filter if you can help it at all.
>>>
>>> does the filter spin loosely in the bracket ?
>>> if so, take off a fuel hose and slide it out.
>>>
>>> has it been like 50 years since it was apart there ?
>>>
>>> 'most vans' are like that , very often anyway.
>>> even if they have $30K in fancy GW parts and wheels on  them.
>>>
>>> seriously ...the poor vanagons get very little actual caring care.
>>> regardless of how much is spent on them.
>>>
>>> did you immediately start spraying with penetrating oil or wd-40. ???
>>>
>>> there's a rule..
>>> if you start undoing any fasteners on the typical neglected vangon
>>> without penetrating oil in hand and spraying first, you go to hell when
>>> you die.
>>>
>>> and not just once..
>>> sometimes it's 3 times a day for a week before you start working on it.
>>>
>>> there's a very secret stuff you can put on threaded fasteners.
>>> Not known about on Earth very much ..
>>> particularly on vanagon fasteners ..
>>> called 'anti-seize compound' .
>>>
>>> For a typical shop or person things just changing the part out is the
>>> job.
>>> believe me..
>>> just 'changing the part' is incidental to the process of *really* taking
>>> care of and repairing theses fine babies thoroughly and properly.
>>>
>>> I have never seen a vanagon yet that did not need about 20 or 50  ( or
>>> 200 ) small things either fixed right because they were done poorly or
>>> wrong in the first place..... ..or just endless detail  neglect, even if
>>> they cost 40 grand and were loaded with fancy stuff,  engine conversions
>>> etc.
>>>
>>> Scott
>>> www.turbovans.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Robert Stewart
>>> To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 10:33 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Installing Fuel Filter on an 88 Cant get filter out!
>>>
>>> Hey Scott,
>>>
>>> How can I remove the bolt. It will not expand. The bolt turns but the
>>> space is not expanding. Should I drill the hole out with a drill bit?
>>> Heat it with a small butane torch? As of now it' stuck.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Robert
>>>
>>> On Jun 27, 2011, at 3:01 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>>
>>>> the fuel flows from the tank aft to the engine ..
>>>> so arrows on FF point aft.
>>>>
>>>> it's a very clever mounting bracket I think. ( I don't think
>>>> *everything* VW does is underbuilt or weak..they do some great things
>>>> here and there ..this is one of them )
>>>>
>>>> the tightening screw has two functions..
>>>> one it sqeazes down on the filter to hold it in the clamp..
>>>> and it sqeazes the two ends of the clamp  into holes in the frame of
>>>> the van .  I highly approve of this FF mounting.
>>>> it's perfect.
>>>>
>>>> filters are always ( or usually ) made to the larger end is 'out.'
>>>> This type of FF anyway.
>>>> use lots of wd-40 to make things move easier.
>>>> before even starting the job ..
>>>> I'd hose everything in the area down with WD-40.
>>>> I'd say penetrating oil..but I don't like getting that on fuel lines.
>>>>
>>>> scott
>>>> www.turbovans.com
>>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>>>  From: Robert Stewart
>>>>  To: Vanagon List Serv
>>>>  Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 10:46 AM
>>>>  Subject: Installing Fuel Filter on an 88 Cant get filter out!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  So I just started to notice a little hesitation when taking off and
>>>> realized I have not changed the fuel filter in about 2 years so I
>>>> wanted to change it today but can't figure out how to remove it from
>>>> the metal circular bracket that it sits in.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  I have unscrewed the bolt at the bottom of the holder but now it just
>>>> spins and is not loosening. How do I remove that piece?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Also what direction do the arrows on Mahl filter go? From the front of
>>>> the van to the back is shows a fuel line, then the pump, then the
>>>> filter.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Does the filter point the arrows toward the front of the van or the
>>>> rear?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Thanks again!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Rob
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  --
>>>>  Bloomingburg NY
>>>>  88 auto Wolfsburg, Silver
>>>>  5,000 miles on rebuilt engine- automatic
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>