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The best way is to get the new style one. I got it from Geno's.
The first time I removed the driver's side wheel well which does give you some more room and might have been necessary to get the old style one off. The new one has a square recess in the bottom designed to take a socket driver. Put about 14" of extensions on the end of your socket and it goes on and comes off easy now by reaching from below.
I don't like removing the wheel well because it is held on by screws into soft plastic and some of those metal clips. I don't think those work well for repeated use so I try not to remove the wheel well any more.
To get the old one off I wasn't worried about destroying it so I used a screwdriver as a pry-bar between the drain plug and the WIF (Water In Fuel) sensor.
I am able to get to mine from underneath without even jacking or lifting the truck. Just turn the wheel full right lock and crawl underneath. The drain on the new one works much better than the old style. Mine had a short piece of hose on the drain but I put a longer one on it. Now I can put a catch pan under the hose, open the drain by hand, then put my socket in and loosen the housing just enough to let air in the top so that it completes draining. Give it a few minutes to drain then using the socket complete the housing removal and lower it straight down.
Mine is a 2wd. Access may vary for a 4wd.
Also...lesson learned the hard way...don't forget to tighten the drain back up before re-installation.
The first time I removed the driver's side wheel well which does give you some more room and might have been necessary to get the old style one off. The new one has a square recess in the bottom designed to take a socket driver. Put about 14" of extensions on the end of your socket and it goes on and comes off easy now by reaching from below.
I don't like removing the wheel well because it is held on by screws into soft plastic and some of those metal clips. I don't think those work well for repeated use so I try not to remove the wheel well any more.
To get the old one off I wasn't worried about destroying it so I used a screwdriver as a pry-bar between the drain plug and the WIF (Water In Fuel) sensor.
I am able to get to mine from underneath without even jacking or lifting the truck. Just turn the wheel full right lock and crawl underneath. The drain on the new one works much better than the old style. Mine had a short piece of hose on the drain but I put a longer one on it. Now I can put a catch pan under the hose, open the drain by hand, then put my socket in and loosen the housing just enough to let air in the top so that it completes draining. Give it a few minutes to drain then using the socket complete the housing removal and lower it straight down.
Mine is a 2wd. Access may vary for a 4wd.
Also...lesson learned the hard way...don't forget to tighten the drain back up before re-installation.
