Fuel Filter Replacement

Just relocated the fuel filter on my 96 Royal Star yesterday after reading several posts on this site. It was an easy job and well worth while for future maintenance.

The hardest part of the job was the mounting bolt and nut for the Roll-Over Valve that so many described as a PITA.

To resolve this I put the bolt through the hole from the back of the metal bracket and put the nut on the front side with some loc-tite and now have a threaded stud that will stay in place. Just put the plastic holder on the bolt and install a lock washer and another nut.

This doesn't have any earth-shattering significance but may be a tip that some might find useful.

Happy,safe riding

Doug

The stock fuel filter is extremely easy to change without remove ANYTHING except the seat and battery covers. Only four simple steps to take it out:

1. Remove the seat.
   
2. Remove the battery covers (both sides and the front, but I'm still only gonna count this as ONE step!).
   
3. Take the fuel line off the top of the filter.
   
4. Use your finger to simply push the filter out the bottom.
   

If you want a little more room to take the fuel filter off the bottom fuel hose, just slip that hose off the fuel pump. That would make it five steps, but technically, that last one is not necessary.

Goose

Hey Goose

I agree with what you have listed, that was the way I took the old one out but I didn't want to spring the $25 that the dealer wanted for the OEM and the alternative car filters that a lot of the guys listed were not available in my area. The closest one was slightly too large to fit between the arms on the mounting bracket when the rubber cover was installed so I did the relocation. Now I can change the filter by just removing the seat and the filter size is not so critical. If I could have got the right size filter I would have just put it back the way you said.

Thanks for the input.

Doug

The stock fuel filter is extremely easy to change without remove ANYTHING except the seat and battery covers. Only four simple steps to take it out:

 

1. Remove the seat.
   
2. Remove the battery covers (both sides and the front, but I'm still only gonna count this as ONE step!).
   
3. Take the fuel line off the top of the filter.
   
4. Use your finger to simply push the filter out the bottom.
   

If you want a little more room to take the fuel filter off the bottom fuel hose, just slip that hose off the fuel pump. That would make it five steps, but technically, that last one is not necessary.

Goose

Did mine last night, piece of cake.

Hey Goose

I agree with what you have listed, that was the way I took the old one out but I didn't want to spring the $25 that the dealer wanted for the OEM Thanks for the input.

Doug

$25 for a FUEL filterr?? Dood, someone is pulling a Chinook over your eyes.. They are under $10 each.. I just bought two of them recently.. wow, $25 huh? Gold plated is it?

I change mine often enough that I relocated my filter out of that black hole of Calcutta and put it up more (secured) so all I have to do is remove the seat and access it from there.. There is enough hose at both ends to relocated it without pinching the hose or squeezing it.. Haven't had any issues with it like that since..

$25 for a FUEL filterr?? Dood, someone is pulling a Chinook over your eyes.. They are under $10 each.. I just bought two of them recently.. wow, $25 huh? Gold plated is it?

 

I change mine often enough that I relocated my filter out of that black hole of Calcutta and put it up more (secured) so all I have to do is remove the seat and access it from there.. There is enough hose at both ends to relocated it without pinching the hose or squeezing it.. Haven't had any issues with it like that since..

Ditto.....I paid $7 for a replacement filter at AutoZone, and did the relo as described so I can get to it anytime by just removing the seat. I can't imagine having to replace it but once every 20,000 miles or so, but it is so cheap and now so accessible, I change it every 2nd or 3rd oil change.

I think once a year is enough but for the peace of mind and a few bucks, I guess you can't change it too often.. I should know, when I got my used bike, the filter was getting close to clogged and while learning the bike and it's maintenance it clogged up and caused a lot of cascading issues down the line.. (premature pump failure etc)..

As Goose described, that's the easy way to change the filter.. for people with normal sized hands.. Thems of us with ham hocks for hands tend to want to relocate the filters