Water Drain plug on Fuel Filter Housing
 

Hi guys....attempted to change Fuel Filters today during a service....some-one...me...over-tightened the plastic Water Drain fitting during the previous service and I could not undo it...in saying I could not undo it...I mean I have rounded the ''STAR' tool fitting bit in the centre of the screw....have any MacGyvers out there got a solution as to how to get it out now...Im hoping I can buy a new one, and not have to buy a whole new Filter Housing...thanks Wizards

If you change your filters like me at 10K km no real need to use it, just spin off a filter, but keep well clear as it will spew out heaps..... as for a fix, really depend how bad you mangled it, if its not turned into a hollow and there is some meat left then a large star driver, heated up then pushed into the last remnants of the phillips star, hopefully that will make a new shape but if its comes out is another problem.....

Other option would be to drill a hole into it smaller than the threaded section and then screw a small bolt into it as the bung..... need to flush the hell out of it afterwards though............ just leave it and do the big drop until the brain has a light globe moment or you find a bung.

I have rounded off the end of a filter cap on my Colorado (same housing) and devised a way to get the stuffed one off but destroyed the cap I the process.... I keep a couple of old caps for just in case, some brands you get the filter but not the cap so pays to have one in the spares box, toss the old filter though .

Thanks mate...I have changed the Fuel Filters with every 10k sevice...big believer in changing both fuel and oil filters with the oil...not that Im good at it...obviously !!!....THANK CHRIST Im not still at sea...never sunk one...but the way Im going Id abandon ship if I saw me walking towards the Engine Room....jus sayin...have made some epic rookie mistakes during that last service....was under the pump...had the Landlord here 'renewing'(read upping the rent) Lease...an Electrician working on my van asking questions I was paying him to have the answers for...bride walking back n forth packing the van for 'the adventure'.....'are you finished yet ?'....'can we go now ?'...outlaws turning up with a car fridge I bought for myself, but, fitted nicely in the rear of his Prado and in reality I couldnt put anymore in my car, and he was using the Electrician to 'test' the brand new 'adaptor' which didnt work straight outta the box....that was followed by questions like...'u got a spare one of these Pete ?'....'can we drop in to Adelaide on the way East n get a new one ?'.....yep....my place zt times is a frickin Circus and Im one of the Clowns

Anything with an o-ring to seal just needs a whisker more than finger tight, as its not holding load or gunna go anywhere, as the o-ring is doing the sealing long before its tightened, I did see somewhere one of the auto spares place ( in Aust )had them for sale, was tempted to get a couple and throw them in the spares box, from memory they were around $5 ea

Thanks ol mate...will do the drover suggestion and just unscrew filters being mindful of the pressurised housing...will do some ebaying and buy a few...once I have em n its filter change time again...I'll get this one out...by hook or by crook...then put a new one in...wont disturb whats already in there...its sealing so not gonna try my luck...will leave it alone

The Colorado filter setup looks familiar:
https://farklefactory.square.site/pr...rue&cst=custom
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/124227004447
Would need to measure up the threads to be sure though


Cheers

Thanks TR.....I reckon I wouldnt be the first, or last, bull-fisted dill to have furstly overtightened then damaged the this plastic screw....just not happy I added myself to the list.
All Grand Cherokee gave me free advice and time on another issue I had, also self inflicted, so Im going to ring them and if they have the screws I will buy it, a few, off them...may not be the cheapest I can buy, but I owe it to them...they gave advice to the RAA Mechanic working on the car as well...simple scanning codes job, but me local ol mate was struggling...wouldnt fixed if they werent on the phone giving free tech advice...if I spend $40 with them Im about $400 in front !...minimium.