It's a gas!

(Another little job worth doing) This will be a No Smoking area for 82 and up Corvettes. Injection Corvettes require good clean fuel pressure to give optimum performance. Common symptoms of a blocked gas filter are hot start problems, stalling after start up, dropping off of performance, slow pickup or stumble.

Changing the fuel filter can fix some of these and it is really simple - in fact you will wonder why you have never done this before. Get a bowl, rags, 10mm spanner, 16 mm spanner and 20mm spanner, rubber gloves are optional (!!!)

The likelihood is that the gas filter has never been changed in your ownership of the Corvette so do this now and replace the filter at least every two years, better still every year. Its best to either jack up, safely the passenger front of the car.

Try to spot the small silvery cylinder fixed just on the inside of the chassis to the rear of the front wheel. It may be shrouded by a heat shield or masked by the X member (convertibles). Bleed off the fuel pressure either by letting the car sit for 30mins since last start up or opening up the schrader valve on the fuel rail, soaking up surplus petrol with a rag. Remove the heat shield covering the filter (10mm) if it is there, leave the filter fixing clamp attached at the moment. Get ready for a struggle cos the filter nuts are on there really tight, place a bowl under the filter and using the two spanners crack open the inner joint (nearest the engine).

Be prepared for a splash of fuel as the line drains (I can tell you from bitter experience that petrol in the eyes is VERY painful). Allow the line to drain into the bowl and when you are ready crack open the flange on the other end of the filter. This section covers much grunting and groaning, my last attempt ended up with bruises on my hand and grazed knuckles. Pull the lines away from the filter, catching the surplus fuel in the bowl.

With the filter free you can loosen the clamp and wriggle the filter out. NOTE THE WAY THE FLOW ARROW GOES Allow the petrol to drain out of the filter and blow through it - you will see that it is quite restricted (less so when dried out)when compared to your new one. Ensure the flow arrow on the new filter is in the correct direction and replace the filter in the clamp, push the fuel lines into the ends and hand tighten the flanges. Check the fitting and flow is correct and tighten up the flanges.

Now turn on the ignition to allow the pressure to build up and check for leaks, if all OK then tighten the clamp and replace the heat shield. Job done, remove the jack and away you go. Again, as mentioned in previous articles, this requires you to test run the car via the nearest (or furthest ) pub to remove the smell of petrol from your head!

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