October 21, 2005 Having troubles draining your fuel water separator on your 2003 or newer Ford Super Duty truck? You are not alone and in fact, many technicians and owners that perform their own maintenance report that the 6 millimeter hex plug frequently strips out due to the soft metal that they are made from. Unfortunately once this happens most attempts to remove it fail. But when the plug does perform as designed fuel usually drains from the HFCM (Horizontal Fuel Conditioning Module) it spills onto the front drive shaft of 4X4 models and drips uncontrollably onto the ground and usually the person removing the plug.
The problematic HFCM drain plug on 2003 and newer Super Duty trucks equipped with diesel engines can be upgraded to a better designed plug borrowed from the all new LCF trucks which went into production in the beginning of 2005. After observing the plug in the LCF's frame rail the idea struck us! The plug was then removed to be inserted into a Super Duty HFCM and sure enough, it fit! This new plug, shown on the left in the photograph, has a large round knob added to it with non-slip grooves and it retains the 6 millimeter hex. The great thing about this knob (see inset) is that it allows the plug to be removed and installed by hand making servicing much easier. We also noticed that "finger tight" is sufficient to keep the plug secure. If the plug becomes difficult to remove you can still use a hex tool and there is now a place to clamp a pair of pliers to should the 6 millimeter hex round out! The second neat feature is the long retainer that not only keeps the plug from being dropped but it wicks the draining water and fuel down and away from spilling onto the front drive shaft on 4X4 models. This also makes capturing the expelled fuel into a drain bucket or a sample jar neater and safer. You can obtain one of these plugs at you favorite Ford or International dealer's Parts Department.
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