Help! Fuel filter stuck on 1HD-T

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0culus

Joined
Aug 21, 2023
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Howdy all! First off, great forum. Always come here first when I have questions. First time posting though! Hoping someone else has dealt with the same problem has has some advice. I'm fairly handy at wrenching but this has me yanking my hair out!

I have a relatively new to me (as of last summer) 1992 HDJ-81, 1HD-T, and cold weather package. Overall the truck is extremely nice, quite low km, and runs fantastic. One BIG problem however, is that I discovered that I could not remove the fuel filter a few months ago when I did an oil change. I decided to revisit it today, again without success. Actually managed to tear one of those cloth type strap wrenches clean off. :bang:

I have a brand new OEM filter ready to go on, but I just. can't. budge. the old one. I quintuple checked the threads and watched videos of others doing this do verify I'm turning it the correct direction. Current filter is not a Toyota filter...it's a "DRIVEJOY" which appears to be some sort of Japan third party parts brand. All the more reason to get the fuel filter to a known state.

At any rate, I gave up for now (still drives) to reformulate my plan. I've had a thought to maybe find a replacement filter housing/fuel heater assy and replace the whole mess so I can deal with the stuck filter at my leisure (and hope the threads aren't boogered). I'm not having much luck finding the P/N on mine (23300-17050). Perhaps the non fuel heater version could work since we are headed to warm weather, and give me time to work on the old one? Anyone know the part number for that?

Thanks!!!
 
I've had similarly stuck fuel filters on various JDM Toyotas. For one that was really bad I ended up removing the entire housing/filter assembly and putting the housing in a bench vise so I could get a big wrench on the filter. Took a lot of force but it finally came off. If I remember correctly the housing with the heater is NLA, but the non heated version should be readily available. Search somewhere like partsouq.com or megazip.net using your frame number, the parts diagrams should have both heated and non-heated versions listed.
 
I have had a tough time as well with the fuel filter last time I changed it (January), its positioning doesn’t lend itself to being able to get decent leverage on it to unscrew it. You might have to take the mounting assembly apart and maybe remove the lower bracket to clear enough space to get your hands around it or an oil filter wrench in there. I have to keep remembering to “Hand Tighten It” only.
 
I just did this a couple days ago and had to use this jaw type wrench. It came off with moderate effort, but the risk is that this bites into the housing and then you’re committed.

Didn’t have to remove the mount.

IMG_1658.webp
 
R.E.M. said:
I just did this a couple days ago and had to use this jaw type wrench. It came off with moderate effort, but the risk is that this bites into the housing and then you’re committed.

Didn’t have to remove the mount.

View attachment 3879701
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Oh, interesting. I don't think I've seen one quite like that. I already dented it with the strap wrench I broke, so not much more damage to do unless I still can't get it off. Where did you get that thing?


Thanks all for the messages. What I've decided to do is go ahead and get a non-heated filter housing on order. Once that comes in, I'm going to replace the whole thing (and the unknown age fuel hose) and then work on freeing the stuck filter at my leisure. My climate is warm enough that we really don't need that heater anyway.
 
janyyc said:
I don’t know exactly how the fuel filters on the 80’s look, but a good trick is to unscrew the whole housing, flip it upside down, and screw it back on. That way you don’t need a bench or a vise.
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Huh, that's an idea. Anyway, my parts from Amayama came in. Here's a fun one: I ordered the fuel filter cap assy that was clearly labeled as the one for non fuel heat. Everywhere online swears up and down that the fuel heater one is no longer available. Guess what arrived? Fuel filter cap assy WITH a spot for the fuel heater!
 
0culus said:
Huh, that's an idea. Anyway, my parts from Amayama came in. Here's a fun one: I ordered the fuel filter cap assy that was clearly labeled as the one for non fuel heat. Everywhere online swears up and down that the fuel heater one is no longer available. Guess what arrived? Fuel filter cap assy WITH a spot for the fuel heater!
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order 10 more 😄
 
I had to pull the fuel filter assembly off my 1996 1kzte as well and replace the filter on the bench. The FSM might actually say to do that.

Didn't snug it up to 9000 ft lbs like the last one felt like, and I'll be changing it regularly so hopefully it won't be as stuck next time. I carry a spare filter and tools to change it with me(probably unneeded holdover from my 617 days) but would really hate to do that job on the side of the road.
 
Does anyone know what size of O-rings to get for the heater assy? I'd like to refresh those as part of this process. Nothing else wrong with my heater.
 
I thought I'd follow up on this in case it helps someone else.

I did FINALLY get the fuel filter off and replaced with a new OEM. What I finally had to do was corner my local snap on truck on his route and purchase a p/n A9IF strap wrench. This one is ultra beefy with thick seat belt like webbing looped through a beefy socket with 1/2" drive on one end and 3/8" on the other. And it didn't break a sweat busting that filter loose, unlike all the cheap wrenches I destroyed previously. The old o-ring was FLAT. Whoever tightened it was a real gorilla.
 
0culus said:
I thought I'd follow up on this in case it helps someone else.

I did FINALLY get the fuel filter off and replaced with a new OEM. What I finally had to do was corner my local snap on truck on his route and purchase a p/n A9IF strap wrench. This one is ultra beefy with thick seat belt like webbing looped through a beefy socket with 1/2" drive on one end and 3/8" on the other. And it didn't break a sweat busting that filter loose, unlike all the cheap wrenches I destroyed previously. The old o-ring was FLAT. Whoever tightened it was a real gorilla.
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The hand tight concept is difficult/vague as it can be arbitrary. People don’t want a leak. It’s tough to judge what is really “hand tight” unless there is an actual torque number. The FSM does include an actual torque number for some filters (oil) but not for the fuel filter (just looked it up in my 1990 FSM). It just says to lightly screw fuel filter into place, watching for cross threading. Tighten the filter until the gasket comes into contact with the seat and then tighten an additional 3/4 turn by hand.
To answer your “O” question…..part numbers are #23344-54010 for the drain cock O ring and #23344-64010 for the gasket O ring on the filter. The filter O ring should be included with the filter. Make sure the old filter side O ring is not still on the housing when the filter is removed. A double O ring could be quite a mess…..
 
duece71 said:
The hand tight concept is difficult/vague as it can be arbitrary. People don’t want a leak. It’s tough to judge what is really “hand tight” unless there is an actual torque number. The FSM does include an actual torque number for some filters (oil) but not for the fuel filter (just looked it up in my 1990 FSM). It just says to lightly screw fuel filter into place, watching for cross threading. Tighten the filter until the gasket comes into contact with the seat and then tighten an additional 3/4 turn by hand.
To answer your “O” question…..part numbers are #23344-54010 for the drain cock O ring and #23344-64010 for the gasket O ring on the filter. The filter O ring should be included with the filter. Make sure the old filter side O ring is not still on the housing when the filter is removed. A double O ring could be quite a mess…..
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Apparently, to some people, hand tight means 90000 ft lbs.

Also, sorry for the confusion: I was referring to the gaskets for the fuel heater assy. Should I need to transplant it to a new filter housing!
 
GreenPump said:
SST #09228-64010 hasn't let me down.

Don't mess around with strap wrenches. Fits most of the aftermarket ones too.
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Hmmm, looks like I can get it from down unda. Thanks. I normally don't like strappies but that was the only option here, and the snap on is way better than the cheap parts store ones!
 
I used a ratchet strap to remove mine. Just make sure you use a strong base and be safe with it. Here is video of my set up.

 
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