Need to change fuel filter on recently acquired '79 DeVille Le Cabriolet. Carb design prohibits use of standard 1-inch open-end wrench on filter housing. I understand Cadillac made a special wrench for this situation, but assume it is no longer available. Any suggested solutions welcomed. Thanks.
Guess I must never have done it with AC and the carb on the car. I can imagine that it would be tight. I would prob just loosen or even remove the carb and do it on the bench. Those fine threads are easy to mess up so doing it on the bench I figure gives you better chances of not screwing up.
Are you having a problem? Or just figure its due? Personally I have never had a fuel filter in a car engine plug up but maybe I am just lucky. Every time I have changed one because of a problem its always turned out to be something else.
That era often had issues with the charcoal canisters which resulted in little charcoal bits ending up in the carbs and causing all sorts of odd little quirks.
I made my own wrench by grinding down the outer edges of the open end so it would fit and turn.
This is what the pros do (above post). Get a cheap wrench and heat it up with a acel. torch and bend it, or grind it, etc to make a special tool. I made one for setting valves on my 61 meredes, and cut an adjustable wrench handle 3/4 of the way off to get something like that loose. A crow's foot would be a fancy way of doing it if you can find one that big, never seen one. My FIL worked on Cat tractors for years and he had a bunch of oddly bent wrenches from situations like that. ;)
i have a 1'' 12 point line wrench for a/c lines
old bugger my dad had
works well
you may be better off grinding a slot in a box end wrench to get it over the line
a box end is usually nice and trim
What I've always done on my '76 was unbolt the AC compressor and move it forward a bit so I could get a wrench on the filter. You don't have to disconnect any lines.
-mB
Thanks for each of these helpful replies, and special thanks to nearby CLC member Tim for offering to lend me the special Cadillac wrench he has, which will give me a look at the shape and configuration of the tool the dealership used.
Hi,
If it has the standard carb this is what I've always done for years. (I've owned many 78-79 DeVilles). Yes it is a 1in. open box wrench that you use. You can fit in on after you remove the little circular metal tip thats connected to the carb and then to a vacuum line. Don't move the compressor or anything else. That is the only thing obstructing the wrench. The metal tip just slides out. Use a pliers to work it out if you have to. Be gentle. On some of my cars I just used my fingers to slide it down and out. When you replace the fuel filter, tighten the lines, slide the metal tip back in again and reconnect the vacuum line.
Joe