Fitzstick Installation Tips?

[harringtondav]

Success! Not the most goofy set up I've used, but it's close.
Like so many past jobs that took hours the first time. 1/2 hour the second second time. Wheel well approach.

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[harringtondav]

This should help!

I'm all buttoned up now. Successful installation. I watched this vid before I purchased the Fitzstick to understand what I was getting into.
I'm thinking much of the vid was made with a flexible inspection camera. I never saw the detail shown in the vid with my eyes.
I'm a smallish man with big meat hook hands which prevented hand fitting the adapter or anything else from the bottom. ...thinking a small handed stand in did the underside fit up.
Wheel well access for the cap removal and adapter hand tightening. Engine bay access to tighten the adapter. Wheel well access again to tighten the compression nut.
Threading the tube down went fairly well per the vid. I did hit a hard stop, but went below with a long screwdriver to move the tube a bit, then home.
My plan for the weekend was to install the stick, PPE pan, new filter and LubeGard. I'll take the stick as win and jack the beast up later to finish the job.

 

[TJC]

I'm all buttoned up now. Successful installation.
...
...
My plan for the weekend was to install the stick, PPE pan, new filter and LubeGard. I'll take the stick as win and jack the beast up later to finish the job.

Congrats!

 

[LizardOfElgra]

OEM cap stuck also, hit it with PB this morning and going in for round 2 shortly. The Fitzstick has only been on my bench for 1 year, I figured I’d celebrate the anniversary and finally install it lol.

 

[TJC]

The good news.... removing the cap is the hardest part of the job.

The bad news..... it on tight and in a hard to reach place... almost like Ford didn't want you messing around doing your own service!

Seriously you can get to it from the top if you have enough 1/2" extensions with a U joint and a nice big breaker bar. It's what I did.

Or through the passenger wheel well if you remove a portion of the soft well cover to gain access.

Or from beneath, but it may be a knuckle buster as things are close.

People have been successful using each of these access points.

 

[Msfitoy]

Thanks. I've used the hammer persuader successfully elsewhere, but I couldn't get any meaningful purchase today. I'll pull the wheel and flap before I put any more time into the top approach.

You double check that when going at it from below that you're not tightening instead of loosening?

 

[harringtondav]

You double check that when going at it from below that you're not tightening instead of loosening?

Yea, there was some of that going on at first. I'm a bit dyslexic. When I got on the right side of the cap I finally got it loose.
...Changing my boat's fuel filter/water separator gives me the same challenge. It screws on from the bottom, threads up. I loosen it from the top with a long extension. I hope no one was watching me twisting my hands around to get it right.

 

[LizardOfElgra]

Whelp all done. Definitely recommend pull off the passenger wheel and go in that way. I left the tire on because I like things difficult. agree the OEM cap removal was the hardest part, @Fitzmotor makes an awesome product and the install issues I had were on me. Sorry if your sticker is on crooked but it’s been that kind of day!

 

[Msfitoy]

Whelp all done. Definitely recommend pull off the passenger wheel and go in that way. I left the tire on because I like things difficult. agree the OEM cap removal was the hardest part, @Fitzmotor makes an awesome product and the install issues I had were on me. Sorry if your sticker is on crooked but it’s been that kind of day!

OH GOD NO! NOT TILTED TO THE LEFT 0.0033 DEGREES! The glass needs to be replaced!

 

[airline tech]

Whelp all done. Definitely recommend pull off the passenger wheel and go in that way. I left the tire on because I like things difficult. agree the OEM cap removal was the hardest part, @Fitzmotor makes an awesome product and the install issues I had were on me. Sorry if your sticker is on crooked but it’s been that kind of day!

I have one of those in my tool box , a repurposed mag light 3 cell as a cheater bar along with a couple of other pipes.
Maglight used to be my favorite light but since buying a Streamlight Stinger and its lasted over 10 years and gets used frequently at work, Streamlight wins, although I still like the 2 Cell (AA) Mags but after frequent repair or replacement of my (D-Cells) and rechargeable Mags over the years , I dumped that brand as my daily use light.
The Streamlight was a 160.00 light but it is the best flashlight I have ever owned and used.

 

[got3fords]

I must have gotten lucky. I don't remember having all the struggles. I think I just used a regular old combination wrench and found just the right angle and with a little elbow grease, it busted loose. I used to turn wrenches for a living and ran into hundreds of similar challenges over the years. Now I'm an engineer. At least that's my title!

 

[Mighty Little Blue]

Getting the cap off was the easiest part for me 1/2 flex head ratchet, came right off maybe dealer checked earlier on the works service? Hard part was finding the mounting bracket on top I missed judged from instructions and video assumed it was closer to front of engine. Turned out to be almost hidden and tucked under the firewall.

 

[TJC]

Whelp all done. Definitely recommend pull off the passenger wheel and go in that way. I left the tire on because I like things difficult. agree the OEM cap removal was the hardest part, @Fitzmotor makes an awesome product and the install issues I had were on me. Sorry if your sticker is on crooked but it’s been that kind of day!

Now that is a true multipurpose tool!

Congrats on the successful installation!

 

[Sojourner]

I must have gotten lucky. I don't remember having all the struggles.

You were lucky. I've done this job twice (once on an older 6R80 F150 that had the dreaded lead frame failure and once on my current Ranger to install the FitzStick) and I swore like a sailor (which is not in character as I'm retired Army!).

Can't say I'm looking forward to doing it again, but if @Fitzmotor is successful with his F-150 and/or Bronco projects I heard were under consideration I will gladly become a sailor once (or twice) again!

 

[got3fords]

I have one of those in my tool box , a repurposed mag light 3 cell as a cheater bar along with a couple of other pipes.
Maglight used to be my favorite light but since buying a Streamlight Stinger and its lasted over 10 years and gets used frequently at work, Streamlight wins, although I still like the 2 Cell (AA) Mags but after frequent repair or replacement of my (D-Cells) and rechargeable Mags over the years , I dumped that brand as my daily use light.
The Streamlight was a 160.00 light but it is the best flashlight I have ever owned and used.

I have converted two maglites to LED.

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